4 things for Newbs to think about, from a Newb

[Dellinger]

I had a few things that I wanted to spotlight, to help those who are new to the forum and looking to get serious in protecting and beautifying their ride. This is not necessarily for the already `established` business minded detailer but more for the weekend warrior who is out for doing it on their own vehicles (like me.) Although feedback on my topics from pros are absolutely and certainly welcomed.



Since reading here and finally signing up, here are a few items that blew me away and wasn`t expecting as a newb. If you are new to the site, read up. There`s nothing sexy here, a la the latest and greatest new pad or polish. I`m not going to mention product names or any of that sort because I have only used very few of `these good` products. And to bring up specific products does no one an ounce of good as I have no authority to speak to their abilities vs. others of the same caliber.



I`ll add a final preface to the post with this:

I find myself to be pretty `reasonable`. I don`t blow money even though I have it. I don`t buy stuff on a `whim` (well, not usually.) I find that Wal-Mart trash bags are just as good as Hefty, that Safeway frozen vegetable are just as good as Bluebird, that Tender Bird chicken fillets are just as good Tyson, and the analogies go on.



In paint care, it seems that `generic` (read- OTC) really can`t compare to `name brand` (read- mostly dedicated, mail order) products. Mind you, I`m a newb too, and I don`t have vast wealth of knowledge on detailing. These are just my thoughts and findings so far...



1.) Good MF towels (general purpose and dedicated drying)... wow, all I can say is, night and day difference. Absorption, feel, application, removal, overall performance and their feel after having been washed. Really wasn`t expecting this. The generic ones at big box stores don`t hold a candle to a quality MF. Realize, I did buy a MF laundry soap to care for them when washing. I didn`t want to spend good money on MFs and throw it away with improper care.



2.) Good wash soap, diluted properly... again, wasn`t really expecting this. But I purchased a car soap/ shampoo for $16/ gallon and the performance was really amazing. Followed the directions and the suds were crazy (the entire time, my rinse/soak bucket was just a foamy as my wash solution after a quarter of the vehicle) along with the cleaning action, the gloss enhancement and the lubricity of the soap felt amazing. Goes to show that even a popular car care maker`s soap at the auto parts joint isn`t the same.



3.) The two bucket system with grit guards... get `em. You would simply not believe what`s hiding underneath the suds at the top. I let the buckets sit for 4 hours after I had finished a second wash (after claying) so the suds would disperse. I couldn`t believe what came off the vehicle. Not that the grit/ dirt particles were huge or lots of it but it was still there in the bottom of both buckets. Some may say my wash & clay job may be lacking, that`s fine, I can accept that... but what I`m trying to point out is- that grit guards are imperative to minimize self-inflicted defects.



4.) This isn`t necessarily a product recommendation as much as it is a primer for compounding/ polishing/ paint correction. I had ZERO experience with a D/A although I have worked with a rotary in previous years. To prep my truck, (short version) I washed, clayed, washed, my vehicle and then went over it with a cleaner wax with a D/A on speed 3 on a black pad. I went about this as if I was actually compounding/ polishing. I`m a methodical person... that is, I learn best by developing a system and it becomes like second-nature. I needed to practice section passes, arm speed, lighting setups, pad cleaning on the fly, etc. This was just a `run through` to get my mind, arm, and approach to the process correct. Was it the correct method for waxing? Arguably not but I did not feel there would be any chance my so-called practice method would cause harm. At the same time, I learned some things about the nature of the D/A. Another tip- I sectioned off the hood into 6 portions. I then measured the tape with a ruler and marked off the inches on the tape. This was to help me visualize my arm speed and what 1-2" vs. 2-3" looked like when moving. Also helped me see what 16"X16" vs. 2`x2` looked like, as a section. Lengths are generally easier to imagine when you have a horizontal or vertical surface. The curved sheet metal of an automobile makes it a bit hard. (I`ve worked as a machinist before so an 1" is a football field, lol.)





Keep in mind, compound/ polish is going to perform drastically different from a cleaner wax but I found the cleaner wax to be forgiving (as one would obviously expect) with the DAT makeup, cleaned nicely, and left a solid shine with some protection. I`m at the very least, now prepped, for using the D/A with a more dedicated correction liquid.





That`s all I got so far... hope it helps the new folks.



-Dellinger

[Nth Degree]

Sometimes people who do things daily forget what it is like to be unfamiliar with it. I was recently helping a friend learn to use a DA and forgot to tell him to keep the pad to the paint when machine was on. Needless to say a pad went flying.



Noobs might be as well off reading the experiences by other noobs as they are by reading from the pros. The pros often post with the expectation that the people reading already have an understanding, so some basics are left out.

[Dellinger]

Nth degree-



Absolutely. That`s the thing about forums with specialization(s)... when someone Google finds a topic of interest, it generally leads them to a forum of `specialists`. The forums generally has about 20+ sub-forums, each with 100+ pages of threads. It`s a daunting task orienting yourself and finding a `starting place`, if you will, to begin building your knowledge.



This topic was really only created to showcase some items I really didn`t expect. As I stated above, I assumed OTC products were just as good as the mail order stuff. Boy was I wrong! I`m still shocked how different the towels and wash performed.



And the cleaner wax was just an avenue for people to `wade into` correcting without the risk, sizable money investment, and worry.



Usually every Joe Schmoe (like me) has a bottle of cleaner wax somewhere. They could pick up a D/A at HF, a OTC clay kit, order some MFs and wash solution plus a few black pads for a total out of pocket of around $120-140 (depending on shipping of course.) This way they could `test drive` detailing without investing too much. And if the D/A system wasn`t for them... with a warranty at HF, they could take it back and recover the $50-60, still have some good wash soap/ clay/ cleaner wax for the future and at worst be stuck with a few black pads.



I`m sure someone has already elaborated on this but I`m sure it doesn`t hurt to be stated again.



Best,

Dellinger

[Dellinger]

Uhh... guess I`ll reply to my reply, lol.



Anyway, I was toying around trying to figure out how to upload pics, so I figured it out. Thought I would through up some pics of my experiment on my truck.





Note: I just learned what an absolute horrible photographer I am, lol. Where`s the forum for that... (not serious).





half-way done, passenger`s side completed





done



Disclaimer: Sorry for the lack of 50/50s but even if I wanted to shoot some: A.) there was little if any correction taking place, although the cleaner wax eliminated some of the water spotting and knocked down some of the RIDS so there weren`t so apparent B.) the lighting was poor.

[Accumulator]

Dellinger- I commend you on going about this stuff in a sensible, and well thought-out way :xyxthumbs



It`s really something about the better shampoos, huh?!? I too went the cheapie route for far too long and trying better stuff was a real eye-opener.



Interesting about your experience with the grit-guards. I`m so used to my (foamgun centric) approach (which leaves the rinse water, let alone the wash solution, quite clean) that I sometimes discount how helpful the guards can be for somebody who`s washing in a more conventional manner.

[Dellinger]

Accumulator, thanks for the kind words. Yeah, the wash solution... I would have called B.S. all day long on being better. The towels...well, I gave it a 50/50 shot a them having a chance of being better. And yes, the grit guards... well, they sell themselves.



Trying to be sensible is TOUGH. But I`ve gone ADHD, OCD on `things` before that I`ve discovered in a more thorough fashion via the internet. It`s hard to decipher just how many things to purchase for paint care, especially when the `specialists` have most of them.



So, I`ve tried to be reserved as possible, knowing full well, even if I had every product, towel, and tool that the pros use; I wouldn`t be able to achieve the results that I`m seeing posted by them. It requires skill and experience, neither of which are sold. So, there`s an inverse law to `diminishing returns` for newbs... I should claim it and register it for the economic sciences as...."Dellinger`s law of pre-diminishing returns"...ok, while it amused me, probably not you who are reading.



Bottom line- choose wisely what you purchase when you are `new` to this detailing thing. Don`t go overboard! Try to use some stuff that`s on your shelf with the D/A or rotary. To boot, I just happened to luck out with some good feedback from Accumulator, Pwaug, and others, who recommended quality, affordable options and sensible recommendations. (Many thanks again!)

[QINGJIE]

Charlie, in my years of wandering about various forums

[Accumulator]

Dellinger- Heh heh, actually I do find your take on this stuff interesting. Good to see somebody applying a bit of well-considered reasoning to the subject.



And yeah, while I`ve uhm...accumulated a huge stockpile of products and have my reasons for choosing one over another, most people would make it *harder* on themselves by having so many choices (for a number of reasons).