Favorite Panel Wipe? Static Electricity and towel lint driving me mad lately...

[EdLancer]

Last 2 coatings I did (22ple & Kamikaze so likely not a product-related issue) were troublesome due to excessive lint/dust on prep`d surface. Have been using Gyeon Prep lately and wondering if related to that. I can`t recall exactly if this issue first started when I ran outta WG Perfeckt Finish Paint Prep and started using Gyeon Prep. Just seems like that car is `charged` and really tenaciously holding onto very, very fine towel lint. Short nap, Long nap...just seems to be an increasing issue of stuff left behind after somewhat liberal applications of Prep prior to coating. Like the towels aren`t picking up the very fine stuff but rather just pushing it around.

All worked out OK by carefully wiping panel with a Gyeon Baldwipe Towel immediately prior to coating a panel, essentially pushing the lint to the adjacent, gonna-be-coated-next panel...wiping/coating...moving around the car until I ended up back where I began. Obviously don`t wanna be touching the paint as much as I am in this scenario...if I ever run into a soft paint will possibly leave some marring. Towels are washed as they always have, no change in that aspect but it almost seems as if the car is `charged` with static due to the manner in which the lint clings to it instead of cleaning to a towel I`m `dusting` the surface with prior to coating application.

Wanna/gonna try a new panel wipe product to take the Gyeon Prep outta the equations, wondering what is everyone`s favorite? I think I have seen mentions of Optimum and Gtechniq as `favorites` but can`t remember for sure; the WG was OK but seemed streaky at times, especially as it aged in container.

Something, however, seems to be creating excessive static on surface during prep wipedown. Gyeon is `supposed` to be anti-static but who really knows. Weather has been kinda hot and humid lately if that might play into it.

Maybe I should just drive a metal stake 5ft into the ground and attach the car to it with a metal grounding strap prior to coating; while pointless, would make for some interesting pictures.

Well I can tell you it isn`t those two factors that is creating the static electricity.
The wipe down with paint prep and humid conditions are anti-static preventive !
I would try using a water based wipe down like a quick detailer instead of paint prep to see if it make any difference.

[Accumulator]

I must be missing something here...I`d think any lint issues are towel-related, not product-related. I have some MFs that lint, so I just don`t use those on any surface where that`d be an issue.; I use other MFs that don`t lint..

Funny I guess, but while lots of my MFs appear to have a static electricity charge, I never have any issues getting product residue/etc. off the paint.

[ViperGuy21]

McKee`s 37 N-914 at panel wipe dilution(1:8)works pretty darn well for me

[BudgetPlan1]

I must be missing something here...I`d think any lint issues are towel-related,

Guess it could be...i did use nearly every kinda paint appropriate towel I had. Plush, medium kinda plush, Baldwipe, chinchilla, eagle edgless, freshly washed, washed s while ago and just pulled from storage.

It was weird...

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

[EdLancer]

Static electricity only appears if the humidity level is below 35%. I used to work in the electronics field where the elimination of ESD is crucial and it was one of my responsibilities to make sure that plant was above 35% humidity at all times. If the MF is a bit damp there should be no static electricity in any condition.

[Accumulator]

Static electricity only appears if the humidity level is below 35%...

I wonder how I get MF lint stuck to my vehicles then. The dehumidifier in the shop takes a while to get things down after a wash, and I only have it set to ~45% anyhow. The humidistat thinks it`s always at least that most of the time anyhow, not that I watch it all the time. Not arguing, just wondering...

[EdLancer]

I wonder how I get MF lint stuck to my vehicles then. The dehumidifier in the shop takes a while to get things down after a wash, and I only have it set to ~45% anyhow. The humidistat thinks it`s always at least that most of the time anyhow, not that I watch it all the time. Not arguing, just wondering...

Are you sure it isn`t the MF that is shedding it`s lint and sticking to the damp surface ?
The clearcoat is a polymer so it will behave like plastic to generate ESD when rubbed with a polyester material like MF in under 35% relative humidity, but if the MF dampened it shouldn`t generate ESD.
The shock you get from static electricity for those of us that live in regions with winter months with indoor heating is around 20,000 volts before you can feel it, but static electricity is also present if the charge is below 20,000 volts.

[Accumulator]

EdLancer- Good point, two different issues: MF lint and compound/polish/LSP residue dust sticking to the surface. The MF lint is *FAR* more of an issue, the powdery product residue comes off easily enough with my current (good) MFs. MF lint from my cheaper/worn MFs can bug me...

[BudgetPlan1]

EdLancer- Good point, two different issues: MF lint and compound/polish/LSP residue dust sticking to the surface. The MF lint is *FAR* more of an issue, the powdery product residue comes off easily enough with my current (good) MFs. MF lint from my cheaper/worn MFs can bug me...

As I`m going about removing the 22ple HPC that created the majority of this issue for me, I`m beginning to lean towards user incompetence regarding removing all polishing oils before coating. As I`m removing the 22ple HPC the paint (black) is actually getting darker in areas the coating is removed and under a Sunmatch light, there are faint towel marks in/under (dunno which) the coating. While I did hose the paint down with Gyeon Prep prior to coating, I`m thinking the particular nature of this Honda Paint leads it to be a bit more difficult with regards to polishing residue removal.

As I`m currently removing the coating with Scholl S20 and S40, I`m finding faint residue which is requiring extra attention to remove despite thorough wiping when done with each polishing cycle. This faint residue (smearing, with traces of towel wiping) is not visible under the garage fluorescents, a ScanGrip Multimatch at ground level and/or mounted on a tripod, nor the LED worklights I have mounted on a tripod. A recent acquisition of Scangrip Sunmatch and Matchpen are the only indicators of this leftover residue...once you know what to look for and the particular angle the light needs to be held to illuminate the panel.

Having never had this problem before (wipedowns with Gyeon Prep and/or WG Perfekt Finish Paint Prep removed all prior residue...uh, apparently) I`d guess a combination of the particular paint type of the Honda led to the incomplete removal of the last step polish residue (in that case Rupes Diamond Ultra Fine Gel Polish). I saw a Scholl-related post recently from Mary B. where she mentioned that the S40 was much easier to remove than the Rupes Diamond, leading me to believe that the Rupes Diamond was not likely removed completely before I started slathering 22ple HPC on there; while it was not visible to the eye I`m guessing had I had a Sunmatch light and bothered to check carefully, I woulda seen it. I can`t believe leaving polish residue, however faint on the surface, wouldn`t cause some kinda attraction for linting/dusting when applying coating, hence the troubles I had there.

So, in the end the poor results and trouble I was having most likely stemmed from incomplete polish residue removal or, put another way, self-inflicted failures due to over-confidence (never hadda check that closely before...guess I was just lucky) and poor technique. The towels were not the problem, the static was not the problem, the panel wipe was not the problem; *I* was the problem.

I did check some other products I have had clean residue removal with before on other paint (HD Polish+, M205) and they left slight residue as well, even after a quick panel wipe on this current black Honda paint. Would that make this paint `sticky` as some paints are referred to?

Perhaps the unclean surface is also the reason the 22ple HPC is coming off with a mere polishing pad and Scholl S20? I dunno...

Regardless, while a PIA to rectify, it does add a step to the process of careful, close-up examination of the surface AFTER wiping down with whatever panel prep I`m using; I`d just always assume the panel wipe was a fire and forget type item...

Isn`t learning fun? Although it is nice to hopefully be able to pin it on user error as opposed to some product related thing; easier to fix my own stupidity because I`m so used to doing it, lotsa experience!

[atgonzales]

Just tried Duplicolor`s Grease and Wax remover, picked it up at Advance Auto, worked very well, I used Meguair`s shine towel to wipe off

[RaskyR1]

Just tried Duplicolor`s Grease and Wax remover, picked it up at Advance Auto, worked very well, I used Meguair`s shine towel to wipe off

Did it flash fats or slow? I tried one of their wax and grease removers and it took forever to flash with tons of wiping.

[atgonzales]

It flashed slow, went to another panel, wiped the 2nd panel, went pack to the first and product was gone, here is what I used

[Accumulator]

Atgonzales-Ah, good to know. No issues with swelling/etc. I gather...

I might try my Eastwood Pre next time just to see how it compares to my HiTemp AkyraClean (sheesh, I have a lifetime supply of that stuff).

BudgetPlan1- Hey, I found a lot of interesting points there!

Yeah, Polish/Polishing Oil residue can drive me nuts too, hence my dislike of M205. And experiences like yours confirm that I just don`t want to roll the dice with a coating application (even if there weren`t the other deal-breaker issues).

I`m really glad you posted about how only the ScanGrip SUNMATCH would show that! I`ve had similar things that I could only see under my 3M SunGun and now that its batteries are dead (again) I plan to replace it. Sure don`t want to buy something that can`t do the same job just as well, and it sounds like the MultiMatch would`ve been wrong for me after all (you just saved me a bundle!).

And, heh heh...I`m also really glad that you`re able to maintain a positive mindset about those experiences rather than letting it get you down.

[BudgetPlan1]

I`m really glad you posted about how only the ScanGrip SUNMATCH would show that! I`ve had similar things that I could only see under my 3M SunGun and now that its batteries are dead (again) I plan to replace it. Sure don`t want to buy something that can`t do the same job just as well, and it sounds like the MultiMatch would`ve been wrong for me after all (you just saved me a bundle!).

I`d guess if I took down/moved the MultiMatch around, it *mighta* seen it; it`s just that the handlheld Sunmatch and PenMatch show a more focused beam with illuminated the `rays of flaws` emanating out from their more focused point of light. I do have to say that I thought the MultiMatch would gloriously bathe and area in telling light no matter where you put it; again, perhaps user error is making harder for me to utilize properly. It`s a nice piece but I find things quicker with the Penmatch and Sunmatch...just more mobile and handy. The Sunmatch is, in my opinion, the most useful of the collection. I still gotta try the headband one which I got on sale last month.

[Accumulator]

BudgetPlan1- Well, reasonable user-friendliness counts for a lot in my book, so when some people suspect user-error I think..."well, not everything good is sufficiently Accumulator-proof" and I consider the source...despite your self-deprecating comments, when *you* find something iffy/tricky I`m inclined to assume that I would too and I`m just not gonna struggle with stuff any more; easy-peasy or else I pass.

I look forward to hearing how you like the headband version.