gtmustang00
New member
im looking into buying a foam gun to wash vehicles. I'm on autogeek.net and there are a few different ones. Autogeek, pinnacle and wolfgang, pint and half gallon. Which version is the better one?
educate me on foam guns
- Thread starter gtmustang00
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Accumulator
Well-known member
There are a lot of different ways to use the foamgun...that video is *SORTA* like the way I do it except I use a BHB for the initial passes and I'm a lot more gentle/careful about the whole thing (no long, sweeping motions, that's for sure).
I prefer the small canister as it's easier to use when directing output at the point where my wash medium contacts the paint. A larger canister would bump the vehicle too often; it's hard enough to do it right with the smaller one.
I just keep diluted shampoo mix in a gallon jug, and I refill the foamgun from that. Only takes a few moments and it solves the too-small-canister issue.
I prefer the small canister as it's easier to use when directing output at the point where my wash medium contacts the paint. A larger canister would bump the vehicle too often; it's hard enough to do it right with the smaller one.
I just keep diluted shampoo mix in a gallon jug, and I refill the foamgun from that. Only takes a few moments and it solves the too-small-canister issue.
Interesting video.
So do you still use a bucket with your normal carsoap in addition to the foam, or are you washing exclusively with the foam, just occasionally dunking your mitt in a rinse bucket?
What's wrong with the "long, sweeping motions" shown in the video and how else would you wash large panels?
So do you still use a bucket with your normal carsoap in addition to the foam, or are you washing exclusively with the foam, just occasionally dunking your mitt in a rinse bucket?
Accumulator said:
What's wrong with the "long, sweeping motions" shown in the video and how else would you wash large panels?
gtmustang00
New member
so who has the small one and who has the half gallon one? Which one is more worth it?
Accumulator
Well-known member
Inzane said:
Again noting that there are a lot of different ways to do this stuff...
I do dunk my BHB/mitt in a wash bucket to make sure they're fully saturated with shampoo mix. With the mitts, I submerge them and *fill* them with shampoo mix, which then seeps out providing additional flusing/lubrication. When the mitt's empty I stop, rinse and refill it (if I haven't determined the need to do so even sooner).
The BHBs will flush/self-rinse pretty well with the foamgun, but that might be a function of my boosted water pressure so I dunno if it'll work for anybody else. I only rely on that if the vehicle isn't too dirty.
With the foamgun The mitts need rinsed out pretty much the same as with conventional washing (at least for my peace of mind) but note that the initial passes with the BHB get most of the big stuff off.
Ah, good question, glad you asked! This is one of my more frequent rant-topics
IMO those long/sweeping motions are a primary cause of vehicles looking all marred up. IF, more like *WHEN* a speck of abrasive gets caught between the wash medium and the paint, you get marring, right? That's how almost all the marring happens IMO and no matter how careful you are or what technique you use (foamguns included), it's gonna happen to some extent.
If this wash-induced marring is long (from those sweeping motions), you get a long, very noticeable scratch; e.g., a speck of abrasive [stuff] gets caught during the first inch of travel and then gets dragged six additional inches- resulting in a 6" scratch that everybody can clearly see.
If, OTOH, the scratch were only, say...1/4-1/2" or so long, it wouldn't be nearly as noticeable. IME the way to make that more likely is to "jiggle" the wash medium across the panel, with frequent interruptions and slight changes in the path (every few inches). With the foamgun providing constant flushing/lubrication, those pauses and changes in direction offer an opportunity for the abrasive [stuff] to get flushed away. And even if it *doesn't* get flushed away during the first pause(s), and you get a scratch anyhow, it won't be something uninterruptedly long and obvious but rather something short that looks more like micromarring than a "spiderweb" or "halo".
Also, I'd *never* cover a distance like half a hood (or half any other panel) without stopping to rinse out my wash mitt. Just too great a chance that it's retained something abrasive. I *might* do it with the BHB (given the aforementioned water pressure) but I'm working slowly and carefully, so a whole lot of foamgun-flushing goes on by the time I cover much area. By the time all the shampoo mix has drained out of the mitt I stop to rinse/refill it, and that doesn't add up to a very large area being covered each time.
Yeah, I go through a lot of shampoo mix.
And yeah, it's much more labor-intensive (to put it politely
) and time-consuming to move across a large panel inches at a time with frequent stops to rinse/refill a mitt. But it's nice to not mar the paint badly enough to require polishing very often.Thanks for the tips.
I'm of course curious now, how long does it take you to wash an entire (typical) vehicle using your method?
Accumulator said:
And yeah, it's much more labor-intensive (to put it politely
I'm of course curious now, how long does it take you to wash an entire (typical) vehicle using your method?
Eliot Ness
Active member
I have a 1/2 gallon version and about a year or two ago I bought the quart size (jar only). I would say most members here use the quart size and it probably is a little easier to maneuver. Personally I have gotten so used to the 1/2 gallon size that I have never even bothered using the smaller jar.gtmustang00 said:
Even though I like the 1/2 gallon size I'd recommend the quart size mainly because you can pick up a larger 1/2 gallon jar later if you think you'd benefit from having to refill less often.
Accumulator
Well-known member
Inzane said:
Heh heh, ah...there's the downside! Noting that I move very fast and don't waste a moment from start to finish (in its own way it's as demanding as a tough workout), a *fast* wash of a not-filthy vehicle will take me about two hours. Washing something like the DenaliXL when it really needs it can take a lot longer than that. Yeah, I know...
But note that I spend a lot of time doing the undercarriage, engine compartment, back sides of the wheels, every surface on all the hinges, etc. etc. I do that stuff *every* time; my version of a "quick wash" is actually similar to some of my friends' concours preps. Just blowing the water out of the nooks and crannies can take me half an hour. I haven't washed a vehicle without doing all that stuff for so long that I dunno how long a "just the regular stuff" wash would take me.
IMO the actual foamgun-centric wash method doesn't *really* add all that much time. Longer than more conventional methods, but it's not all that bad unless you take *my* degree of care on every square inch.
If you just a) always do the jiggle-thing, b) always keep the foamgun output flowing at the point of contact, and c) rinse out the mitts as soon as they're soiled, you can cut down on the marring a *LOT* without adding much time. Doing a pressure washer or BHB/foamgun prewash will add a little time but will do even more to cut down on the marring.
My whole approach might sound ridiculously over-blown, but I keep some of my vehicles for decades and I'm sorta fanatical about both keeping the original paint and not having marring (two somewhat mutually exclusive things when you're talking long-term). Plus, I'll admit that I enjoy washing more than any other aspect of detailing and I pretty much *hate* doing correction. I simply can't imagine knowingly marring/damaging my paint when I know how to avoid doing so, but I understand if others see it differently.
Accumulator
Well-known member
BigAl3 said:
Heh heh, I'm not about to get my picture or views of my shop (video or otherwise) up on the world wide web any time soon; I'm *far* too cyber-paranoid/security conscious for that
Yeah, I know, if Accumulatorette wakes up tomorrow morning with skills like Orson Welles we could do it without compromising PERsonalSECurity, but that's not too likely and the only film maker I know isn't about to do a short of me washing a car (interesting thought though, wonder what he'd say :think: ).
E300Diesel
New member
Silly question, where does one buy the larger screw on container for the cleaning solution? I have the smaller quart? size and wouldn't mind also having the larger one in case I need it.
Setec Astronomy
Well-known member
If I had it to do over again I'd try the Foamaster II, just because my adjustment bar gets a bit sticky from time to time on the Foamaster I, and there's no little threaded plugs to lose. Having a dial with letters on it is also better than a bar with holes, IMO.
Foamaster II Quart
Disclaimer: I have not used the Foamaster II, only the original.
Foamaster II Quart
Disclaimer: I have not used the Foamaster II, only the original.
Accumulator
Well-known member
I go back and forth regarding which model I oughta buy, but I end up getting the original with the metal mixture-setting bar.
Which reminds me- I've noticed that some of my foamguns have brass mixture bars and others have what're apparently chrome-plated ones :nixweiss
I'm assuming that the Foamaster II can be field-stripped for cleaning, right? I too can see some potential advantages to the all-plastic construction...some water is pretty corrosive and I've had to soak my foamguns' parts in vinegar a few times.
No problems with losing the little screw-on bits since I started Lok-titing them
Which reminds me- I've noticed that some of my foamguns have brass mixture bars and others have what're apparently chrome-plated ones :nixweiss
I'm assuming that the Foamaster II can be field-stripped for cleaning, right? I too can see some potential advantages to the all-plastic construction...some water is pretty corrosive and I've had to soak my foamguns' parts in vinegar a few times.
No problems with losing the little screw-on bits since I started Lok-titing them
Eliot Ness
Active member
I bought my smaller container from Autogeek when they were selling both sizes separately, but since they seem to have quit listing them I'd contact Gilmour directly about them selling you the larger container. Also ask about a longer pick-up tube or just get some tubing from a hardware store.michakaveli said:
Foamaster®
tom p.
Active member
This is the version I have w/qt bottle:
I think I've been using this for about 1 year. I've been pleased with it. I would not purchase one of these where you don't have direct control of soap dilution ratio. The unit I have makes that very simple.
These units are great for their ability to offer a "pre-soak" of dirty surfaces. Junk comes off the surface far easier.
I utilize the Accumulator-sanctioned strategy of keep gallon jugs pre-mixed and ready to go. I can wash two cars with the qt bottle filled up. The only downside to these units, IME, is initial cost and you do use a lot of soap.
The units is handy for all sorts of other tasks including washing horses
I think I've been using this for about 1 year. I've been pleased with it. I would not purchase one of these where you don't have direct control of soap dilution ratio. The unit I have makes that very simple.
These units are great for their ability to offer a "pre-soak" of dirty surfaces. Junk comes off the surface far easier.
I utilize the Accumulator-sanctioned strategy of keep gallon jugs pre-mixed and ready to go. I can wash two cars with the qt bottle filled up. The only downside to these units, IME, is initial cost and you do use a lot of soap.
The units is handy for all sorts of other tasks including washing horses
Accumulator
Well-known member
tom p- Any way to disassemble the part with the mixture-dial (can't quite make out the number on the diagram)? Like if it got some mineral build-up or something....