any of you guys detail at night

6

6']['9

New member
do any of you guys do this at night, i would like to buff out cars but i dont think any halogen light will show siwrls will it.
 
I do it more at night more often than during the day. Even during the day, I would do it in the garage so it's not like I get that much more light.



During the buffing/polishing process, I am not actively looking for swirls. I just concentrate on working polishes evenly over the paint; therefore, I do not need to actually see much more than the polishing haze. It is only after I put down my orbital buffer that I inspect my results. 1000 watt halogens provide a good amount of light, but when I really scrutinize what I've done, I'll shine an incandescent flashlight right up next to the paint and examine it inch by inch.
 
great, now does that 1000 watt halogen make it visible to see swirl marks that a rotory can make? if so where can i get one of those lamps or bulbs
 
No!!



By the time it is dark (it will stay light to almost 9:30 here in Northwest GA during the summer months) I am exhausted, hungry and need a beer!!:o
 
1 Clean WS6 said:
No!!



By the time it is dark (it will stay light to almost 9:30 here in Northwest GA during the summer months) I am exhausted, hungry and need a beer!!:o
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True, but right now, it is getting dark by about 6:30 and the rain has me way behind.



Come summer though, I want to be done by 6:30 PM so I can spend a couple hours on my inlines at the local park. Only got out 3 times in February, the weather was so bad.
 
I dont normally plan it that way, but sometimes it happens.....If the client needs an evening detail, no problem...I really prefer to have the sunlight for my final inspection though.....
 
~One man’s opinion / observations ~

Great marketing idea Frank



With a local pick-up / delivery of the vehicle the client would only lose the use of the vehicle during non office hours.



I could see that working well, with little competition (initially) with some Metal Halide or Halogen lights as the only extra expense besides premium time wages.



~ Hope this helps ~



Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/

justadumbarchitect * so i question everything*
 
6']['9 said:
.. does that 1000 watt halogen make it visible to see swirl marks that a rotory can make?
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It'll show really bad "buffer swirl" but not holograms. And as raymond_ho2002 said, using a harsh incandescent ("regular light bulb" will show most marring better anyhow. Halogens (like fluorescents) are good general illumination to work under, but not the best for inspection. IMO, of course.



Actually, using an incandescent at night is a good way to spot swirls (think of how they seem VERY noticeable under parking lot/gas station lights). But rotary-induced holograms will only show up under bright natural sunlight.
 
I wash my car in a basement car park with flourescent lighting, it shows up any swirls and scratches much better then in daylight. I suggest you try a handheld flourescent light to pick out any swirls.







Accumulator said:
Halogens (like fluorescents) are good general illumination to work under, but not the best for inspection. IMO, of course.
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I got a steal of a deal at Home Depot about a week ago. I bought the last (floor model) of the 1000 watt twin lights contractors model. List $79.88 I got $50.00 off - what a steal. Used it last Friday evening and got every defect out of hood paint (and there were quite a few) and cleaned up a couple of my painting/clearcoat messes. Confirmed this the next evening at an informal cars show under the lights at a Sams Club parking lot. I'd say high intensity halogens are a God-send. With the money I saved on the jumbo model, I also bought a 500 watt hand held.
 
NY detailer said:
one problem about night detailing, is that it is very hard to dry the vehicle after a wash.
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Especially between fall and spring when the temperatures quickly fall near the dew point. Summer isn't bad though.
 
derekz said:
I wash my car in a basement car park with flourescent lighting, it shows up any swirls and scratches much better then in daylight. I suggest you try a handheld flourescent light to pick out any swirls.
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Heh heh, not many light sources (or variations of same) that I haven't tried, except for metal halide (and I've spoken with people who've tried those).



I have tried several hand-held fluorescents: shot/long, single/multiple, etc.- and I still use them as trouble-lights when doing mechanical work (less chance of injury/fire/etc.) and as general illumination sources for detailing undercarriges. Maybe everyone's vision is different, but there's no way *I* can reliably see micromarring under *ANY* fluorescent light including the fluorescent ring on my illuminated magnifier (I *can* see scratches and other severe marring under most ANY light source, but that's not good enough for me). Note that besides those hand-helds, my (~40' X ~40') shop has *54* cool-white fluorescent tubes in it that are controlled by six separate circuits (lots of possible combos between bright and dim); I really do know what I'm talking about here. Artificial, *incandescent* lighting is, *FOR ME* (and for everyone who's ever been in my shop) the most unforgiving for inspecting a finish for "regular" marring, with halogens an easy second. But again, maybe some people's vision is better optimized under different lighting conditions.



But when it comes to *rotary-induced holograms*, you GOTTA have bright, natural sunlight. I've never met ANYONE who could see them under artificial light of any kind, including a "wall of lights" at a paint shop.



Simple experiment: get any finish "perfect" under your current lighting conditions. Try OTHER types of lighting (natural/incandescent/fluorescent/halogen, different wattages and "whitenesses", near/far, etc. etc, lots of variables) and see if you see any "new" marring. If not, keep using the current setup, if so, consider changing.
 
I do, with a flick of the switch it is daytime :)



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