Dellinger
New member
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
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
