Detailing a fresh paint job

Alright, I ordered one of the basic wool and one of the carpro marino wool mitt. I also ordered a 16oz container of the duragloss and 32oz (smallest they had) of the optimum wash. I'll compare, and then next time I'll know which to get. 


 


Haha yeah she is more understanding than she was. I got her some of her own detailing supplies a few months ago so she could clean her car. I taught her how to do it right, how to wax it, etc. Once it was done she couldn't believe how much better it looked.
 
Accumulator & dfoxengr-


 


Yesterday I did my first wash since I got my baby back, and oh man I owe you some thanks!


 


The foam gun came in last week so I used that. The thing is awesome! I don't know how you do 2-3 cars, dfoxengr, I guess the brush is just a lot faster lol. But it was so much easier since the foam loosened up all the salt before I got to it. Plus it looks really cool :D


 


Optimum Wash - wow. I had no idea what I was missing out on. The lubricity is fantastic, it suds up well and doesn't fade, and most of all it rinses off so easily! The Meg's GC always takes forever to rinse off.


 


And finally, the wool mitt is fantastic. So soft, and I see what you mean now about not holding on to the dirt. It rinses off way easier than the MF mitt I had been using. I used the basic mitt this time, but next time I'll try out the CarPro Merino wool mitt.


 


So thank you guys. I am so glad I took you're advise. All of these things made the wash really gentle on my new paint. 
 
Haha I didn't think you would be too shocked.


 


I do have a question about the feasibility of the BHB technique you use. It seems to me that it would be hard to properly control the BHB with one hand while also spraying the foam gun with the other, especially on top panels like the hood and roof. The BHB is going to be wet on the end making it even heavier. So even if you could manage to hold its awkwardly long handle and place the brush in the correct position, I don't see how you could control it well enough to give a light touch. Perhaps I misunderstood, but I thought you were spraying the foam gun at the point of contact while using the BHB. I could see a scenario where one hand is holding the BHB and the foam gun and the other is holding just the BHB, but that still seems cumbersome. Hell, it even seems hard with the mitt. I ended up not spraying at the point of contact this time, not until I have better control with the foam gun.


 


Also, the quick connect set that is built into the foam gun is restrictive, like the Gilmore set I have; it is not full flow. Did you swap that out for a full flow set?


 


I actually liked the feel of using the trigger, but I'll try it without the next time. If I decide to keep the trigger, I'll probably swap it out for one from the store since the one that comes with it feels cheap.
 
BlueBeast14GT- Noting that I now have a *LOT* of experiece with the BHB (which I've used since the '80s) and the foamgun/BHB combo (which I've used at every wash for over a decade)....


 


If you're using the same BHB I'm using (maybe that's the issue...), I just hold it more or less in the middle of the handle.  It's not really what I'd consider "heavy" even when wet with shampoo mix.  I move it in a short/interrupted/"jiggling motion" while, yes, spraying the foamgun at the point of BHB-to-paint contact...with the output going *ahead of* the BHB direction-wise so that the area to be cleaned gets output in the moment before the BHB gets there.


 


I also "prime" the BHB by spraying it with the foamgun, IMO this contributes more to it than the shampoo mix from the wash bucket (I consider the wash bucket primarily a repository for my wash media, a safe/clean place to keep 'em all during the wash).


 


IMO using a shutoff on the foamgun instead of the pistol-grip greatly helps facilitate the whole process, flicking the shutoff on/off with my thumb is quick and easy.  The pistol-grip is not only less comfortable to me (have to hold it "open") but it's at the completely wrong angle for getting the output where I want it and it's hard to get close enough to the paint safely.  Simply 100% wrong for this specific situation., not that I have anything against pistol-grip  sprayers in general; use 'em al lthe time for other things.


 


IMO the full-flow fittings are preferable but not mandatory.
 
BTW, getting back to the original topic, the OCW is protecting the repainted front bumpercover of my wife's A8 just fine. I do reapply after each wash, but I'd be doing that with a glaze anyhow, and with the OCW it only takes a moment, not appreciably longer than it'd take to use some QD while drying.
 
Accumulator said:
BTW, getting back to the original topic, the OCW is protecting the repainted front bumpercover of my wife's A8 just fine. I do reapply after each wash, but I'd be doing that with a glaze anyhow, and with the OCW it only takes a moment, not appreciably longer than it'd take to use some QD while drying.
Click to expand...


Yeah I picked up the OCW, and the Ford body shop manager agreed that Ford approves of it, but he still recommended waiting 30 days for any kind of wax sealant, so I haven't used it yet. He said to bring it back in 30 days, he'll polish it for me, then I can start using the OCW.
 
Accumulator-


Thought you might be interested in this. The male quick releases at HD now have an auto-shut-off feature. I had bad luck with their connectors in the past, and they aren't full flow, but that is a pretty convenient feature if they hold up.
 
BlueBeast14GT- Yeah, I can see that being helpful, though I myself always have a shut-off at the end of each hose anyhow.
 
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