Gilmour foam gun...how do i get clinging foam?

vintageb3@vinta · 06-03-07, 02:49

Hi Guys...i have searched for help on this topic...but haven't found exactly what i'm looking for.

I bought a Gilmour foam gun today...and I'm a wee bit disappointed that I can't get my car to disappear under a blanket of foam like I've seen some manage to do.

I bought a litre of snow foam and have Turtle wax wash and wax and Meguiers shampoo as well.

I put about an inch of snow foam in the bottom of the cup and filled with water to the top. I set the gun to the highest setting and started washing. Doesn't last very long really

It feels to me as though I need more water pressure to make more foam...so that a heavy foam comes out of the gun with very little water.

But what i have is this heavy centred spray of water and foam that washes the foam off the car right onto the ground...i.e. too much water and not enough clinging foam.

It says that 40-60 PSi is best for operation of the gun...and to be honest i don't know what i have as mains water pressure here...but I do think its half decent. I will try and find out.

I was wondering what steps guys with this foam gun have taken to get the car covered in foam.

I have a convertible and have to keep away from the cloth roof with the shampoo.

Thanks in advance

vintageb3

orngez · 06-03-07, 02:55

the foam gun only makes so much foam...i would say one way to make more foam is to get a water softener...but that is a bit pricey...the foam gun makes great foam but its not very clingy in general..i think most of the pics you see are when the foam first hits the car...if you want the shaving cream like foam you see you need to buy a pressure washer and foam lance/cannon attachment

BigAl3 · 06-03-07, 03:16

just use straight soap without any water. i've been using up my EO1 car soap, and with that poured in straight, it creates TONS of foam...

vintageb3@vinta · 06-03-07, 03:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigAl3

just use straight soap without any water. i've been using up my EO1 car soap, and with that poured in straight, it creates TONS of foam...

Ok I will try that!

Thanks!

vintageb3

Pats300zx · 06-03-07, 03:42

What setting is everyone using on their foam gun??? I have 4 holes showing on the right and get decent foam.

barrettward · 06-03-07, 03:56

Pat,
Define - decent foam. (sticks and runs, looks like cool whip, you could build a foam mound for the neighborhood kids?)

For the presoak I use whatever setting lets the foam linger for a few seconds then starts running down the panels. I do this until I see dry spots and then a throughly rinse. Generally second hole from left.

Then for wash I turn it up to show two holes to the right. Wash with mitt one panel at a time then rinse.

For the wheels, I use max foam - all holes on left. Getting the wheels and wheel wells, then washing with a mitt and brush.

Whatever I have left, I go full foam on the entire car, remove the foam gun and do a through rinsing (with the hose only, no gun attached.) I pay extra attention to door lines / hood lines / trunk lines/ and the mirrors. This is usually where the unrinsed soap likes to hide.

The first day I got my gun, I used a sharpie and marked off every two ounces. I use approx 4/5 oz of duragloss soap, and unless I'm super anal, it last the whole wash.

Barrett

With my amount of soap, 4/5 oz DG well shaken and filled to the top with water I get.

First notch: sudsy water very little adhesion
Second notch: minimal foam good for presoak IMHO
Third notch: Generally the all purpose setting. Foam that kinda clings, but provides good lubrication and a decent wash value.
Forth notch: Lots of foam, works well for harsh areas, I tend to avoid this setting.
Fifth notch: Uses soap like a drunk at wedding, I use this for wheels and motor only. I get approx 90 sec of use at this setting. Great for final suds and rinse makes heavy duty "shaving cream" for me.

anubus12 · 06-03-07, 04:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigAl3

just use straight soap without any water. i've been using up my EO1 car soap, and with that poured in straight, it creates TONS of foam...

How much soap are you talking about? Fill the bottle with 1/2 full or soap and nothing else? for example.

WilliamHBonney · 06-03-07, 04:29

Best thing I would recommend is that you put a inch or so of soap on the bottom of the foam gun. Then stick your hose into the canister with high pressure squirt the water in until you get foam to the top. Put your gun back on the hose and start spraying. Every once in a while shake it up to get more foam. This easily gets me enough foam for washing and we have very hard water here and very low pressure.

BigAl3 · 06-03-07, 06:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by anubus12

How much soap are you talking about? Fill the bottle with 1/2 full or soap and nothing else? for example.

with straight soap about a quarter of the way should do it. but remember... since you're not adding water, you will go through soap fast and their won't be as much lubrication it will be all suds. for myself, it doesn't matter as i have over 12 EO1 bucketless wash bottles that i want to go through anyway...

vintageb3@vinta · 06-05-07, 02:51

OK....I spoke to my local water supplier today...and they told me something i should have remembered!

With mains water...there are two main things that people get mixed up with. One is "pressure"...and the other is "flow".

You can cut back the flow by turning down the main cold water stopcock. This is often done by plumbers to avoid pipes "banging" or to avoid splashing on worktops when kids open the taps too much.

This in no way effects "pressure". Open a tap so that a little water is coming out. Put your finger over the end of the tap and stop the water. After 10 seconds...take you finger away. What happens? You get a spurt of high pressure water as the pressure has been given a chance to build up in the pipe.

So...if you do this...and have an open ended garden hose...you don't get a lot of water out the end of the hose.(and not a lot of flow through the Gilmour)

So...I reckon most people that use a Gilmour and feel they are not getting enough foam have poor water "flow"...or have their flow restricted at the mains stop cock.

This is the assumption i came to yesterday...it felt as though I had poor "pressure"...in fact it is poor "flow"

I need to check my folks place out...as that is where i wash my car.

As I said...I should have remembered this...I fit kitchens!!!!!

We fit isolating valves to the taps to allow us to cut back flow without effecting flow to other areas of the mains supply...such as garden taps.

DOH!

vintageb3