Kevin Brown Method

**SuperBee364** · 03-12-2009, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by Accumulator

Well, I wouldn`t go quite *that* far, though sometimes when I *am* using all the buckets along with my method...well, I wonder if I`m just wasting time/effort/product for the sake of my peace of mind (not that *that* isn`t worth something).

I sure would. But then again, the whole washing/drying process is something I`m very passionate about, and tend to get on a soap box about it with little provocation.

Your mar free method of washing is just languishing in a very seldom viewed corner of Autopia. It should be made a sticky on the front page. Honestly, it should be a check box new guys should have to check when registering. "I agree to the terms and conditions of Autopia, and that I have read Accumulator`s Mar Free Wash method, and agree to use it from now on."

But then again, if everybody used your method, I`d be out of a fun and lucrative hobby.

**Accumulator** · 03-12-2009, 01:39 PM

SuperBee364- Well, I need to update that thread sometime.

Now enough of this threadjack and back to the KBM before somebody spanks us

Originally Posted by MotorCity

And I remember the good ole` days when the heated discussions were about if Zaino and Duragloss were the same or about every other product just being a relabeled CG product or what wax was best.....

Heh heh, we always find *something* to :argue about, huh?

**imported_Detailing Technology** · 03-12-2009, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by MotorCity

And I remember the good ole` days when the heated discussions were about if Zaino and Duragloss were the same or about every other product just being a relabeled CG product or what wax was best.....:cooleek:

This one has been cool. I think people know the limitations of sanity now.

Its only a typed conversation on the Interent.

**SuperBee364** · 03-12-2009, 02:08 PM

Originally Posted by SuperBee364

....Also, once a pad is saturated, you might find that adding additional polish just exacerbates the whole flashing problem and polish sticking on paint. If your pad gets to that point, don`t take it off! You`ve hit the "sweet spot". Keep polishing using no additional polish! You can keep going until you`re no longer seeing any cutting/polishing going on. At that point, spur (or brush) the heck out of the pad, apply four more dots, and start the process over again.

It`s really cool when your pad gets to the saturation point. There`s hardly any residue left behind, and you can immediately see (without having to look through residue) at the result you are getting. It feels pretty strange to buff out a whole section of a car without seeing any residue left behind or using any additional polish. The first time I did this, I kept thinking, "What are you doing?? You`re *dry buffing* this paint! whatareyoumental?" You`ll get over it fast when you see the results, though.

Originally Posted by weekendwarrior

One more thing to point out about the KB method. Some people have asked if you don`t use a ton of extra product with the pad priming. Well, one thing I noticed is sometimes, when you finish one area, you can then move to the next area WITHOUT adding any additional product to the pad. Since the abraisives don`t diminish, as long as there is a sufficient amount of lubrication left, you don`t always have to add more product to the pad.

Glad to see there`s someone else around here that uses this technique.

**imported_Detailing Technology** · 03-12-2009, 02:59 PM

Dry buffung? I didn`t even know that`s what its called.

When I started polishing 20 years ago we used to hit the surface with the rotary until all polish was gone.

One of my first "shocks" when reading Autopia back in 06 was that people stopped polishing before the polish was gone.

Full circle are we?

**Junebug** · 03-12-2009, 04:12 PM

When I worked at the bodyshop after school, back in the wonderful 70`s, the painters would compound after DuPont single stage - they only used one compound, I don`t remember the name but they would use tons of it, buff with soft wool till it was gone and then I`d get to wash it. I don`t remember any halograms or swirls, but that was old school single stage. But, interesting simularities here, lots of product, buff with pressure and then ease up and finish light.

**imported_Detailing Technology** · 03-12-2009, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by JuneBug

When I worked at the bodyshop after school, back in the wonderful 70`s, the painters would compound after DuPont single stage - they only used one compound, I don`t remember the name but they would use tons of it, buff with soft wool till it was gone and then I`d get to wash it. I don`t remember any halograms or swirls, but that was old school single stage. But, interesting simularities here, lots of product, buff with pressure and then ease up and finish light.

I did that in the 80`s! It didnt change!

**yomiuri** · 03-13-2009, 02:29 AM

much-anticipated method i wanna know and learn. thanks for a great thread

**blackjz** · 03-13-2009, 06:55 AM

i have tried the KBM, using PC and 5" LC flat orange pad...it left haziness on the surface i did...i did 6-7passes with speed 5..anyone hv any idea what cause hazing?

**Setec Astronomy** · 03-13-2009, 06:59 AM

Originally Posted by blackjz

i have tried the KBM, using PC and 5" LC flat orange pad...it left haziness on the surface i did...i did 6-7passes with speed 5..anyone hv any idea what cause hazing?

Did you lighten up your pressure for the final passes?

**gmblack3** · 03-13-2009, 07:04 AM

Originally Posted by blackjz

i have tried the KBM, using PC and 5" LC flat orange pad...it left haziness on the surface i did...i did 6-7passes with speed 5..anyone hv any idea what cause hazing?

The hazing is normal, you need to follow w/ M205 or a finishing polish that will remove the hazing.

**imported_Detailing Technology** · 03-13-2009, 07:34 AM

I was under the impression that the Kevin Brown process was a 1 step using a single media.

I guess each paint and color is different.

**Setec Astronomy** · 03-13-2009, 07:35 AM

Originally Posted by jdoria

I was under the impression that the Kevin Brown process was a 1 step using a single media.

I guess each paint and color is different.

Actually, what I got out of the description was it allowed you to do a 2-step, rather than a 3-step, on heavily marred finishes.

**Accumulator** · 03-13-2009, 09:30 AM

Yeah, a lot of this *does* seem reminiscent of the way we did things long ago, but there are a lot of variables that`re different too. Heh heh, funny how we used to be able to work paint with a rotary/wool and *NOT* have any issues...different paint; seems like you had to really mess up to get holograms on old-school single stage. Sheesh, just discussing it makes me think of how heavy that Milwaukee felt by the end of the week.

M105 is different from the old-school compounds I used. The analogy that related it to Unigrit sandpaper put it quite well.

It`s not like you want to buff *all* products dry just because we`re doing something like that here. People have instilled micro (and sometimes not-so-micro) marring by working some products "until they`re powder" and I don`t *think* that`s what we`re doing here but I`d rather have somebody like Kevin Brown comment on that.

And yeah, the residual hazing (or lack of it) from a M105/orange combo will be dependent on the paint no matter what your technique. I did *NOT* get it on the M3 with either the Flex 3401/orange or the PC/4" yellow; some would call the resulting finish ready-to-wax. But there are plenty of paints that M105 will haze up no matter *how* you use it (since they haze with the use of much milder products).

**imported_weekendwarrior** · 03-13-2009, 06:42 PM

Originally Posted by jdoria

I was under the impression that the Kevin Brown process was a 1 step using a single media.

I guess each paint and color is different.

There seems to be a misconception that the KB method is solely for use with M105. It can be used for several products...M86, M105, M205, Ultimate Compound, SwirlX, the new ScratchX, D151 and the other non diminsihing abraisive products.

One thing to point out is you still need to do a test spot with the KB method, using different pad/product combinations. On some cars, I got a not so great finish (although I did remove defects) with M105, but when I did a second test spot with M86, instead of M105, I was able to remove the same defects, and was left with a better finish...a finish that a lot of people would consider LSP ready. Doing the test spot is crucial, especially if the client is only paying for a 1 step, and you want to get as nice of a finish as possible in 1 step.

Regarding D151....when I bought this product last year, I was disappointed, as I didn`t feel as though it was removing enough defects in 1 pass as I had thought it would. Many areas on cars I was using it on were requiring 2 passes...which I thought kind of defeated the purpose of using an AIO. I have now found a place in my arsenal for the D151. After polishing the car with the KB method using M105 or M86 (and cutting out the defects), I can go back over the entire car with the D151 on a finishing pad, again using the KB method to refine the finish, and to lay down a layer of protection all at the same time.