silkk8482

I need some constructional criticism on my work. What I did right and what I did wrong. I just recently got back from overseas and I am cleaning cars on the side until I retire from the military. I have a back bone so tell it to me straight.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

pictures can only tell us soo much.


tell us your process

silkk8482

My apologies. I used the RainX Wash and wax. Two bucket method. After that I dried it and clayed the car using a lubricant. After that I sprayed the car off and dried it again. ook it in the garage and used the Nu Finish polish on it. Cleaned the inside and was complete. Not really much. It took me three hours since I don't own a buffer.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

so, how much did you charge for this wash!?

Jesstzn

He did a little more than a wash

silkk8482

This was my sister's car so I didn't charge a thing.

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

1. What branch/MOS?
2. The car looks good from the photos. (Close-up shots to show the paint would be very helpful)
3. If you're going to detail on the side, definitely get a DA polisher.
4. THANK YOU for your service.

silkk8482

Army/92G cook
Your very welcome. I will take your advice on that about the DA polisher.

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

Feed me that chow, my man!

<--Army/11B (glutton for punishment)

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

he washed the car and vacuumed the carpets.
Better?

if he charged more than $40, he made out quite well.

Jesstzn

Should slow down your reading

I used the RainX Wash and wax. Two bucket method. After that I dried it and clayed the car using a lubricant. After that I sprayed the car off and dried it again. ook it in the garage and used the Nu Finish polish on it.

Better ....

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

lol.
love you too, just teasin'

Cu2Suspect

I'd recommend the porter cable 7424xp... And check out chemical guys.com for some great products

C8N

Looks like a mini detail and since the car seems fairly new, it probably didn't need much more than that. Having said that, making a relatively new car shiny doesn't take much. However, it takes quite a bit of know how and technique to make a neglected old car look new again.

I second getting a DA as to apply AIO by hand, you are limiting what a decent AIO can do. For example, I used Meg's ColorX on my mini detail this past weekend via DA on LC CCS white pads at 6 or so passes and light scratches were pretty much gone on my CBP TL.

Spend some time on forums like autogeeks and you will learn tons.

stogie1020

OP, thanks for your service and I hope retirement is in the NEAR future for you!

Acurazine is a great place to learn about detailing, but Autopia (http://www.autopia.org/forum/forum/3...-to-detailing/ ) has a bunch of how-to guides that are fantastic! Don't get overwhelmed by what you see there, Just focus on basic wash, dry, wax, towels, interior. Then you can get into the carpet shampoo debate, the exhaust tip cleaner debate, polishing theory, drying theory, molecular structure of different waters, etc...

Wash: Two buckets, do the top 2/3 of the car, then the lower 1/3. Use a dedicated tool/mit for the wheels

Dry: Microfiber waffle weave towels

Clay: any OTC should be OK, I get the Meguires or Mother's because it's easy to find at NAPA/PepBoys, etc.

Wax/Sealant: You really cant go wrong. Grab some Meguires or some Mothers or whatever looks good on the shelf. The Nufinish stuff may be a good entry wax but others (for the same $) may give much better (shinier, longer lasting, easier to work with) results. I like Collinite 845. You can pick it up at most boat/marine stores.

Interior: Aerospace303. wipe it on, wipe it off.

Honestly, some good wash soap, two buckets, good towels, some 845 and some 303 and you are set to get started.

Now, if a car comes in that is all swirled up and scratched, you will need to polish that out and for that I would look into a PC7424 and some polishing agent to save your back and shoulders...

Good luck and keep posting pics!

stogie1020

Some good how to guides:

http://www.autopia.org/forum/index.p...h&fromsearch=1

d1sturb3d119

iTrader: (1)

What stogie said and sealant is more durable than wax. Get something more heavy duty like wolfgang's sealant and you can layer your product on.

My setup currently is 2 layers of sealant, 2 layers of way and lots of spray wax whenever I wash my car. Make sure to use a high pile microfiber while drying and you'll keep the marring to a minimum. Then use 303 to protect plastic components and for wheels and tires that's really upto you.

I use Meguiars brake dust barrier. Works well if the wheels are completely dry. Even a little water will screw everything up. Needs to be a dry wheel, self levels and gives a nice waxed finish.

Good job overall! Subscribe to autogeek.com too if you like to keep up on detailing best practices.

C8N

As far as waxes goes, something is better than nothing.
If NuFinish works for you, knock yourself out but as mentioned by others, there are better alternatives out there. But wax is more of a personal preference IMO.

As for NuFinish, not sure if it is their marketing scheme or if they are using their own definition of what is a polish and what is a wax, but their website generally goes against what is typically understood as polishes and waxes. They claim their product to be a polish yet they claims it protects the paint. My best guess is that NuFinish is a polish wax... or a AIO (All in one) type of a product. I get a headache every time I visit their website.

My understanding is that polish does not protect... wax does. Any other brands, always recommends waxing after polishing. I have yet to hear of other manufacturers claiming their polish protects the paint.

d1sturb3d119

iTrader: (1)

Polishing by definition is to create a smooth shiny surface through abrasion. So anything that polishes abrades the surface.

Wax is carnuba based and is a natural product which is why it creates a brilliant finish but breaks down quicker under UV exposure. So a month or two later the car looks like it did before the wax.

Sealant is like wax but synthetic and require more time to bond to the surface. Sealant lasts twice as long in some cases lasting 3 to 6 months if cared for appropriately.

The beauty of all these products is that they can be layered on. Two layers of sealant and wax over that applied step by step will leave you with a swirl free reflective surface that will degrade over time because its doing it's job of protecting the paint.

C8N

This would be incorrect. Pure polish like Meg's M07 has no abrasives.

C8N

Incorrect here as well. It depends on the sealant. For example, Meg's Ultimate Wax is 100% synthetic and it can be used as a wipe on wipe off type of product

You really should not be talking about swirls and waxes in the same sentence altho some waxes has the potential to fill and you also do have the AIO. But generally speaking, swirls and waxes have nothing to do with each other. You also need to be careful when talking about layering waxes. You should not and cannot top with a cleaner wax or any other AIO products as this will effective remove the first layer.

Jesstzn

You sure about this .. its listed as a Glaze.. and the word polish is one of the most miss used words in the detailing world.

Polish in the detailing world means it has the ability to correct and to correct it needs to abrade. Some so called "polishes" use chemicals to remove dead ( oxidized ) clear coat and with it some swirling in that dead clear will go.. but that's it. Then there can be some filling to make you think the swirls are gone.

Meguiar's M07 Show Car Glaze is what Meguiar's refers to as a pure polish or what most would call a true glaze. It doesn't have any cutting ability (the ability to remove swirl marks, oxidation, or paint defects) and is not recommended for that use.

Jesstzn

Sealants are wipe on wipe off products too ... when he is referring to bonding time he is referring to the time it takes for the sealant to bond ( crosslink ) to the surface after it is wiped off and during that time its preferred to allow this to happen noting should be applied over it for the first 12 to 24 hours depending on temperature & humidity. Even better yet keep it dry and don't wash it.

C8N

I would take a more general stance on what a polish is and say that it is a product that will "level" the paint. As you mentioned you can level the paint by either filling or abrading.

Please refer to post #3 by Michael Stoops

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums...ht=pure+polish

We can argue all day as to what the correct definition is but considering that Meguiar's is one of the older and more established manufacturers of auto detailing product, personally, I would lean toward their definition as being correct.

d1sturb3d119

iTrader: (1)

By definition, "Polishing is the process of creating a smooth and shiny surface by rubbing it or using a chemical action, leaving a surface with a significant specular reflection (still limited by the index of refraction of the material according to the Fresnel equations.)"

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polish

That is what polishing is defined as. Meg's can call their product pure polish but that is an incorrect use of the term. To polish is to abrade.

Wipe on wipe off does not give proper bonding time which is a major criticism of Megs ultimate wax. A lot of complaints have come out about the product not being durable enough and only lasting for 2 to 3 weeks. Any sealant's, because if its structure, needs time to be able to fill the micro chasm's in a car's paint. Without proper cure time you will not have the same bonding effect.

AIO allows for small blemishes to be cleaned but still fills in your paint nevertheless or you would not have an increase in shine. They use diminishing, non-diminishing abrasives or chemical compounds to clean the paint and leave behind a layer of protection. You can still layer on cleaner wax but the effect may not be as great as using normal car wax with carnuba. If the paint is not contaminated by the second layer cleaner wax will do nothing to wax already on the surface. The only way to remove wax or sealant is to use is a chemical stripping agent.

Sealant does a good job of lasting but does not fill micro chasm's as well as carnuba does. Which is why 2 applications of sealant over a 12 hour period is advised after which an application of carnuba wax will seal the deal.

Any paint imperfections and waxes have everything to do with each other. Sealant's and wax fill in paint. If you have a freshly painted surface with no imperfections, wax will do nothing to it besides protect it from UV and minor abrasion. The point of wax is to smoothen the surface of the paint eliminating micro chasm's and creating a smooth glass like surface for light to reflect off.

I'm not taking about massive scratches here, I'm talking about minor imperfections in the paint which is what carnuba is designed for.

Good resource for what I've learned
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...shing-wax.html

C8N

Will note your correction as to curing time but regardless, my stance will remain unchanged and still say it will depend on the wax. Yes, there are some manufacturers of sealants recommending upto 24 hrs but Dodo Juice Supernatural which is carnauba also recommends upto 24hrs. For Meguiar's, whether synthetic or carnauba, a general 12hrs curing time is recommended.

C8N

Webster definition of polishing is : to make (something) smooth and shiny by rubbing it
It says nothing about abrading. When you are apply M07, you are rubbing in it as well.
Or are you saying you cannot create a smooth surface by filling?

Meg's UW has been my go to for about a year now and I can tell you from experience, the above comment is untrue.


Any time you are applying a "cleaner", it will remove prior wax layers. Hence you cannot top it with a AIO. Can you top over a AIO. Absolutely

We can argue about layering all day long but from the manufacturer's stand point, for example Meguiar's (yes I am a Meguiar's fan ), second layer is only recommend as a way to cover possible missed spots.... and they make no claim that 2nd layer will add any benefits.

Point of wax is to protect and I have already mentioned that it does have some filling properties but it is minimal as ,generally speaking, that is not its intended purpose.

I have read this post more than once and I just read it again and no where does it mention that wax is used for the intended purpose of filling and I am not sure where you are getting the idea that carnauba wax was designed for filling. Please provide your source.

C8N

Wanted to make couple of edits to the above

Jesstzn

Just remember .. Meguiars definition will suit their marketing and the American public to sell their products. 95% of the guys in the US will say they "I polished on the car on the weekend" v/s wax the car...

C8N

Agreed but just because 95% of the general population says one thing, does not necessarily mean they are correct.

Other manufacturers are more or less the same. For example, by definition, a glaze is a filler and should not contain any abrasives but in the case of Wolfgang Finishing Glaze 3.0, it does contain abrasives.

d1sturb3d119

iTrader: (1)

You're right to a certain extent, M07 has no abrasives but the cloth you put it on is the abrasive. Without abrasion you are filling in the paint. You can create a smooth surface by filling in the paint or moisturizing it but the cloth you use to apply it still abrades nevertheless. In any case you are rubbing it in but there will always be friction. You can at best minimize friction but it will always be there.

If you have to make something smooth and shiny the rubbing action you describe is to generate friction. The only other way to create shine without abrasion is to apply the product without contact, in other words spray it on and hope that it self level's.

The abrasion is not significant but there should be no confusion about the fact that there is no abrasion that happens. Any two surfaces making contact will have some abrasion.

http://www.autotraderclassics.com/ca...+2-65407.xhtml

You are one of the few who have not had issues with bonding then. The general consensus is that people have had issues. If it does bond quickly then great, I use Meg's products and I haven't used that particular wax yet. I should try it out to see if it's really that good.

Depending on what the cleaner contains it may or may not affect prior layers of wax. Depends on the brand and chemicals used. Should someone bother trying, nope...

Applying two coats of sealant will do a better job with missed spots and will created a better shine at the end of it. That will just do a better job for anyone missing any spots.

Of course wax's intended purpose is not cover paint defects but a benefit of wax is such. Most people don't care enough about their cars if its a DD. The reason for my description of wax doing what it does is so that people understand it does have some capability of improving paint condition and most of all will protect it. If it is a side effect that improves overall paint condition there's no reason to avoid bringing it up.

I get too used to describing how wax and sealants work to customers which is why I describe it this way. Wax has the ability to cover imperfections in the paint since over time paint gets abraded. Granted the manufacturers do not intend for wax to be used as a cover up tool but the fact is that it does the job of filling in the surfaces. Its primary job is to make your paint look fresh and protect the surface as well. The added benefit is that it keeps the surface level and allows for better shine which in our eyes looks like a perfect clean paint surface. This is the reason why I tell people to clean and protect their paint first before deciding to do a paint correction and then go back to bad paint maintenance practices.

Makes my customer's happy since they just want a shiny car, not necessarily a car that needs show car care.

C8N

^ As for the abrasion in the act of rubbing... I absolutely agree with you. But for our intent and purposes I think we can generally say that there is no abrasion. For example, LC markets their gold wax pad to say that it has no cut. But we know that is not true. Like I said, for our intent and purposes, we can accept that is that cut from the friction is very so minute that you can pretty much neglect it.

I have Pinnacle Souveran, Blackfire Wet Diamond, Wolfgang DGPS and a few other LSP from Meg's in the garage and I can say that UW is on par with DGPS as far as durability is concerned. There is however issue with streaking with UW but that can resolved with technique. DGSP does have better depth but despite this, UW is my go to because it cuts down waxing time in half as I do not have to wait for it to haze before removing. Not to mention, its a lot cheaper.

I do not detail for a living but I do have a passion for it in order to keep my car looking its best. I would like to say that I agree to your approach when speaking with customers and I would probably do the same if I had to do this for a living.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

probably more than what the OP asked for....

C8N

lol... yes and my apologies. But I am sure there is someone out there that will enjoy the discussion.

d1sturb3d119

iTrader: (1)

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

oh its fun for me too!
i enjoy reading and learning!!!

stogie1020

Back on topic, OP you might want to move off the grass for your washing/polishing/waxing.

Too much chance for mud/dirt to get back on the car after you make it look all purdy.

stogie1020

OP is never coming back

d1sturb3d119

iTrader: (1)

Lol. TMI I guess....

silkk8482

Thank you very much everyone for the great info.