Light for Detailing

[wcharon]

Hi to all...

I started detailing my own cars so i bought a Scangrip MiniMatch in order to find defects. I have some water spots on the car and i burly can see them with the Minimatch. Maybe i don`t know how the angle it?

I went to a shop place and they put a Husky Stand Light and it can be viewed clearly that way. Looking for suggestions if i should go that route or any other type. Here is the link of the one they put:

Access Denied

Here are other options if that is the route i should take:

Access Denied

Access Denied

Amazon has a ton of them but will like recommendations.

Thanks in advance.

[Accumulator]

wcharon- Welcome to Autopia!

Different types of inspection can call for different forms of lighting. The paint in question and the inspection environment factor in too. IME, you often can`t predict what will work for what *you* are doing, it can be tricky to find the right stuff!

In any event, doing the inspection(s) in a dark environment is generally the way to go, but yeah..not always feasible.

The above non-answer is simply the best I can do after nearly 50yrs of doing this stuff. You might not know what works until you use it.

[wcharon]

Thanks @Accumulator for your feedback.

Yes, i understand. As a novice i thought there was a general rule. I will try that with my Scangrip MiniMatch.

[Accumulator]

As a novice i thought there was a general rule.

Here`s a stab at generalizing:

1) For swirls/etc. use "point-source" illumination like your MiniMatch or some other single-LED light. OR the old fashioned incandescents if you still have any. Amazing what a ceiling-mounted 60W bulb can reveal in an otherwise dark room!

2) While it can be challenging to do, inspecting in an otherwise dark room is simply great. SO MUCH BETTER than letting stray light factor in. But gee, IRL that`s just not always possible.

3) For textures/orangepeel, you might find a fluorescent light works well. Heh heh, that`s about *all* I find those good for in this context as they sure don`t show swirls unless they`re really awful.

4) You hit on a good point with the "how to angle it..". Between how you position the light, and how you do the viewing, those factors can be critical. More of that "easy to say.." stuff there but that`s just how it goes.

I will try that with my Scangrip MiniMatch.

While I`ve yet to try one of those, I bet that anything it doesn`t show in an otherwise dark room will be so minor that it won`t show IRL. (Yeah, I know..this is Autopia, but "looks great in real life conditions" is a pretty good standard IMO, if only so you don`t buff off too much clear in search of perfection.)

[wcharon]

Here`s a stab at generalizing:

1) For swirls/etc. use "point-source" illumination like your MiniMatch or some other single-LED light. OR the old fashioned incandescents if you still have any. Amazing what a ceiling-mounted 60W bulb can reveal in an otherwise dark room!

2) While it can be challenging to do, inspecting in an otherwise dark room is simply great. SO MUCH BETTER than letting stray light factor in. But gee, IRL that`s just not always possible.

3) For textures/orangepeel, you might find a fluorescent light works well. Heh heh, that`s about *all* I find those good for in this context as they sure don`t show swirls unless they`re really awful.

4) You hit on a good point with the "how to angle it..". Between how you position the light, and how you do the viewing, those factors can be critical. More of that "easy to say.." stuff there but that`s just how it goes.

While I`ve yet to try one of those, I bet that anything it doesn`t show in an otherwise dark room will be so minor that it won`t show IRL. (Yeah, I know..this is Autopia, but "looks great in real life conditions" is a pretty good standard IMO, if only so you don`t buff off too much clear in search of perfection.)

Thanks @Accumulator. By the way, i a challenging with Water Spots where i can barely find them with the Minimatch but was surprised when the Guy put his lights on the Hood and they could be find easier.

[Accumulator]

By the way, i a challenging with Water Spots where i can barely find them with the Minimatch but was surprised when the Guy put his lights on the Hood and they could be find easier.

Perfect example of how a light that`s great for one thing can be lousy for another!

[Desertnate]

Since you are shopping around at Home Depot`s site take a look at the LUTEC LED lights. This is the set up I upgraded to a couple years ago and really like them.

The color temperature is a little On the white side for what I like, but the portability makes it great for stuff around the house and detailing. I also like the fact I can rotate the light heads straight up and bounce light off the ceiling. The ability to do diffused lighting when applying a coating is a game changer for me.

Edit: The one I have is 7000 lumens. There may be different versions at other sites. 9K might be too much light.

[wcharon]

Since you are shopping around at Home Depot`s site take a look at the LUTEC LED lights. This is the set up I upgraded to a couple years ago and really like them.

The color temperature is a little On the white side for what I like, but the portability makes it great for stuff around the house and detailing. I also like the fact I can rotate the light heads straight up and bounce light off the ceiling. The ability to do diffused lighting when applying a coating is a game changer for me.

Edit: The one I have is 7000 lumens. There may be different versions at other sites. 9K might be too much light.

Perfect. Thanks for the suggestion. I will give it a look.