| Show Car Polish Q/A - Click HERE for Original Thread |
| Markgase2000 |
Ask away. Im gonna post up some good shit in here to learn from as time goes. Im also going to make a simple easy to follow 3-5 step hand polish system that will work with most products you guys favour even the products I have never used before.
Our first discussion will be cleaning the car.
After a bunch of q/a on cleaning we will move along to the next step.
First off lets find out what soaps and detergents you have and whether they should be used in the process. Also we can discuss how to be as picky as you can in a short time frame.
Heres my example:
-I use a mild car soap mixture with non polymer car soap(Put product name here).
-I use degreasers (exp-like mean green or k&n filter cleaner) to pre spray rubber trims , door jams , trunk jams , engine bay and gas door ect....
I gotta get to work so start posting and I will get back to you asap. |
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| Mekanik22 |
| I had a question, but it isn't exactly polish. What is better for paint. The glove carwash mit or just a pressure washer gun. I was told a mit won't scratch the paint where as a brush will. I'm talking about non-black here, so less picky :) |
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| Markgase2000 |
I use wash a mitt after a good power rinse I am picky so I would use a decent car soap at stingy amounts. I also only use cold water both for rinse and for the car soap solution.
Any rubbing on the paint could scratch. |
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| ae1969 |
I must admit I don't even pay attention to the soap used. :confused: ......... but most of the time I go to the local car wash to hose it down.........and then I use a cotton rag to start wipping it down.
So a mit if fine. What I hate is when it picks up some grease and other crud on the car. POOOOOF another mit bites it.
So what do you dry it with? I have been stealing the wives nice new cotton towels lately. :eek: Thank god she does not read this board.
(I am trying out this maguires 3 step cleaner/polisher. Seems to work well.....will save questions for later when we get to cleaning the paint) |
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| nissanz32 |
| I use 2 different sponges/mits to wash the car.One I use to do the wheels and rocker panels and one for the rest of the body. |
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| Markgase2000 |
I hardly ever wipe a car dry but if I am in a hurry I will use a high quality synthetic chamoise and follow it with a dry soft cotton rag. My personal fave for chamoise is "Absorber" chamoise. They last forever and dont pick up oils and as a bonus they cost almost half as much and soak up more than as for example "water sprite" synthetic chamoise.
I find that decent car soap mixed mildly (pop cap of soap to 10 liters cold water) cuts grease and oil from paint well enough. If you have trouble with grease stains try a little concentrated soap on the mitt on the paticular spots and rerinse the whole car again to be safe.
I know theres tons of great "degreasing" products out there but I would suggest trying a mild way first. If you use a degreaser mention what kind it is and I will suggest the "do's and do not's" for those particular products.
Tar removers are to be used after the outside wash. This way your not wasting product on dirt that looks like tar and if rubbing is involved it will make less work for you later. Since tar is sticky you can expect to rub some dirt into the paint in the process as it will be in the tar. Mention the types of tar removers you use and I will suggest the best way to use it. If your looking into a decent tar remover look for a citrus based product. Try these tar removers before getting into solvent based tar removers.
I can tell nissanz32 has cleaned alot of his own cars. He uses a good wash mitt on the paint and a used up wash mitt for rims and grimey zones. I like this for many reasons , one it saves your nice mitt makes it last longer , two it decreases the amount of surface scratching you cause from rubbing.
Rims by hand.
Im going to use Nite_Rydah's 95 Talon for example here.
The alloys are chrome and have sharp edges and can take a long time to clean by hand. Well before even cleaning the entire outside of the car I would rinse his rims with water then use mild degreaser spray it on then use a crappy wash mitt with soap and rub in a circular motion both directions then rinse them with cold clean water. It would take me 2-5 minutes to clean and shine all 4 of those rims using this method and the rims would never see a polish ever. Chrome is the easiest darn thing to clean and requires little to no rubbing after a proper wash and rinse the trick is to rinse before the soap or degreaser dries. Feel free to post pics of your tough to clean rims and I will tell you how to clean them as fast and good as possable.
Once you clean the engine , door jams , trunk jam , wheels wells , Fuel door and grills on a car or truck then it is ready for Tar and contamination removal. Remove all cantamenants from the paint for the best results possable.
Use touch up paint on rock chips. Rock chips and touch up paint can be made barely noticeable even by the trained eye. I dont like to put it on after a wax if its good wax/compound the paint will fall off after time or start washing off little by little. Using Isoprophyl Alocohol or body solvent and rub the small area about the chip with a soft cloth. |
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| Markgase2000 |
quote:
Originally posted by ae1969
I must admit I don't even pay attention to the soap used. :confused: ......... but most of the time I go to the local car wash to hose it down.........and then I use a cotton rag to start wipping it down.
So a mit if fine. What I hate is when it picks up some grease and other crud on the car. POOOOOF another mit bites it.
So what do you dry it with? I have been stealing the wives nice new cotton towels lately. :eek: Thank god she does not read this board.
(I am trying out this maguires 3 step cleaner/polisher. Seems to work well.....will save questions for later when we get to cleaning the paint)
lol usin the wifes nickers to dry the car ;)
I suggest for a chamoise to get the Absorber chamoise. 10-20 dollars a chamoise and you can get it in the same color as your bird. |
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| ae1969 |
OK with all that the car is now clean. I used a few of the wife's thongs to clean all the crevices but it was worth it. Lets move on. Start the next step Mark.
Step 2. Chemical Cleaners (Paint cleaners...... I am using a maguires paint cleaner and it actually works really nice) Any other suggestions. Brands.
- removing paint overspray
- oxidation
- etc.
What to use......what to avoid. What not to do. What to expect and what it will not fix.........etc...? |
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| Markgase2000 |
Ok after the paint is clean enough for your liking it is ready for drying. Use forced air if you can avoid using a leaf blower as it may act as a sand blaster (May have debris inside it) Brand new leaf blowers are great if they are purchased with drying your wet car solely in mind. Make sure the ground is wet before turning it on as well this avoids blowing dust all over your wet car. Pay attention to all the cracks and dry the car top to bottom.
Bed time I will finish tommorow after work. 3-5 step wax/polish next... |
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| Markgase2000 |
Ok I bin racking my noodle tryin to find a way to explain this stuff. Here goes.......
First find a 3 step polish product line up like meguires or mothers or zaino Or anything else.
Heres my line up and I dont always use every product on the display.
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/116855My_polishing_system-med.jpg
lets start with that.
1) I use a cutting compound only on selected scratches say 1/2mm wide and 3-10 inches long or longer. I either rub lightly with a applicator sponge for prolonged periods of time or machine it with a power polisher on a standard cell pad. If you machine it use low speed settings 1000-2000rpms or if you are pretty good with a polisher start slow and work it till the compound breaks down. Usually 2 runs are more than enough per scratch for even though it may not totally disolve the paint into the scratch. DO NOT OVER DO THIS STEP BY HAND OR BY MACHINE take your time other wise you might as well try polishing with a grinder. Also keep in mind cutt compounding should NOT involve heat so if the paint is warm to the touch you over did it: unless you have ways of fixing holograms and burned paint :) after an agressive cut polish.
2) I follow cutting compoound with buffing compound. If I have been removing severe scratches Im gonna want to smooth out the entire surface with buffing compound. You can further repair the scratches that were not totally dissolved into the scratch with the buffing compound. After the scratches are touched up buff the entire area top to bottom over lapping by 1/3s never up and down always side to side. Do not use buffing compounds on portions that have not been cut/buff polished it is unecessary for example if I only cut/buff polish a fender and the rest of the car is fine I would not buff the rest of the car at all just the entire fender thats it.
3) Polish Compound follows buffing compound and does clear coat polishing and fine scratch repairs. Always polish the entire car and it doesnt hurt to do every portion twice. This is the mildest step so friction and pressure wont really hurt unless you over did the previous 2 steps. This is the final machine process when using a power polisher I use standard cell pads with polish compounds and if I use 2 coats I will use a soft finishing cell pad to remove the polish residue.Always polish in the direction the cars natural aerodynamicsthis goes for buffing too if you have to buff a whole panel. Removing the polish residue by hand with a terry cloth or a soft cotton cloth. Micro fiber cloths work great if your a rich bastard
4) I always follow the polish step with a conditioner. I use a applicator sponge and rub it till the whole surface is covered thick. This stuff comes off with magic elbow grease but will amaze you as to how deep it makes the finish.
5) I always use a paint sealant to follow the conditioner it is applied the same way and can be applied over top the conditioner. Let sealants sink in for about 30-60minutes and try to remove any humidity in your work area. If theres any humidity it will affect the sealant and it may not take.
6-11) I sometimes reapply sealant for the next week once each day during the week. This makes for a long lasting shine that lasts for YEARS without reapplication I shit you not!
12) Spray on sealant for the entire car not just the paint.
The tecnollogy for long lasting paint finish has been around for decades infact an old guy brings in his 70's ranger with factory paint to my work as inspiration to me for about 5 years. He hasnt put a coat of sealant or wax on it since the 70's and it still gleams better than any ride at the UC meets and most other car meets that I have seen. Unfortunately its in how well you follow the steps and put in enough effort. Dont get me wrong paint is not bullet proof nor scratch proof but it can be resistant and can last forever if simply cleaned and cared for properly.
These methods I put up for you are just some of the mickey mouse simple methods I use for day to day work and for begginers advice. I cannot trouble shoot for you so feel free to ask for assistance thats what this here thread is for.
Hope this helps for now. |
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| qualthar |
| Hey Mark thanks for taking the time to post up all your awesome ideas and suggesions :D You kick ass man! |
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| Markgase2000 |
| Thanks the job you did on your skyline was pretty good from the pics I seen qualthar. You have alot of experience in polishing? |
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| qualthar |
quote:
Originally posted by Markgase2000
Thanks the job you did on your skyline was pretty good from the pics I seen qualthar. You have alot of experience in polishing?
Not a whole lot, I don't mind polishing, but I get bored quickly. I spent about 6-7 hours doing the whole car. The roof is still in very rough shape, I might be able to get away with having it wet sanded, or worst case resprayed. |
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| Markgase2000 |
| Well it looks pretty decent. Did you have any fallout or any unusual contamination on the paint when it arrived? |
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| LeadBoots |
quote:
Originally posted by ae1969
OK with all that the car is now clean. I used a few of the wife's thongs to clean all the crevices but it was worth it. Lets move on. Start the next step Mark.
Step 2. Chemical Cleaners (Paint cleaners...... I am using a maguires paint cleaner and it actually works really nice) Any other suggestions. Brands.
- removing paint overspray
- oxidation
- etc.
What to use......what to avoid. What not to do. What to expect and what it will not fix.........etc...?
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| LeadBoots |
| I got tar and paint over spray. |
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| qualthar |
quote:
Originally posted by Markgase2000
Well it looks pretty decent. Did you have any fallout or any unusual contamination on the paint when it arrived?
Nothing crazy, just a ton of rail dust. It cleaned up really nice though. The paint smoothed up great, but I'll have to do it again sometime when I'm not so lazy :D |
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| Markgase2000 |
| Rail dust huh? They transported it via ship then via rail? |
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| qualthar |
| Shipped to the port, I believe it was Vancouver. Put on a train to Calgary, then onto a truck up to Edmonton, and a flatbed to my house. Quite the crazy journey, and it picked up a bunch of crap along the way :D |
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| Markgase2000 |
| Those are tough journeys too! Congrats on the job man :) |
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| bluray |
| woa, i know i am a late comer to this thread, but this info is golden! Markgase2000 how much would you charge to do a complete exterior detailing job? I have no issues trying this on my own, but there are areas that i would feel more comfortable letting a pro handle. Thanks! |
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| Driven |
quote:
Originally posted by LeadBoots
I got tar and paint over spray.
Clay bar will remove that overspray. The tar.. depending on how long it's been there. |
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| Markgase2000 |
quote:
Originally posted by Driven
Clay bar will remove that overspray. The tar.. depending on how long it's been there.
agreed , citrus based cleaner works and thats how I ended up cleaning it off of Lead Boots car. Personally I think the tar was holding his fender on tho :blink: cus it was covering the rust underneath it really well :lol: |
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| mr2_import |
| Hey mark ... I just have a quick question when you are cleaning your engine bay what products do you use and do you leave the engine running while spraying it down or do you wash it by hand? I know to avoid battery/alter/air intake any information would be great :dunno: |
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| Drave |
| two year old thread...exactly. |
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