How can I mark the spots that I want to fix?

I

imported_zenhog

New member
While doing the paint/finish examination I'd like to mark the spots (imperfections, nibs, chips, etc) as I go so I can know where they are as I'm working the car.



What can I use to do that? I know it goes against the grain here, since we're trying to REMOVE crap from our finish, not add it. But I find so many small imperfections that I need this type of reminder. Old age? Maybe... lol



I found some Glass Chalk, claims to be harmless. I'm thinking of a dab of that...



Any thoughts or suggestions? (other than "you're nuts")...



Craig
 
zenhog, I was just reading a post over at an NSX forum where a guy was doing a wax test so he needed to divide the hood up into sections. He used a wax pencil, and he did this to his NSX hood...so I'm assuming for his sake it was a non-damaging procedure. Maybe that would be a solution for you. Circle the imperfection in your paint to remind you where it was then hit it with some 50/50 Alcohol/Water to remove the wax before you begin working on it.

What do you think? :nixweiss
 
I'm assuming you want to spot imperfections, mark them and fix them in one session. If so, just use some of that 3M painters masking tape and put small piece on. It comes off without a residue and won't harm your finish. Lots of people use this stuff to mask off trim and body seems with no problems



If you need to mark them and then drive the car around, my suggestion would look real funny.......kinda like a bad shave with bits of TP to stop the bleeding.



Just a thought.



Michael
 
Fr0zen said:
try useing a crayon it will come off with a degreaser easly.
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:scared

Actually, BradB and I met with zenhog this afternoon, and we offered that idea as a crazy :LOLOL suggestion. We knew Craig would recognize its inappropriateness.



Takes all kinds .... :rolleyes:



mpauly, I like your tape idea. I too have faced this problem. When I'm doing really detailed work on the car, I'll notice a little something that needs later attention: a bit of wax residue here, a section that needs claying there, but I never thought of a way to "flag" them.



This is really helpful to me. :up
 
A white china marker would probably work...and they are supposed to be easy to remove. You might try it underneath the bumper or something and see. I used one recently to mark a pinhole in a tire as I was doing an underwater leak test
 
Yup. Met Brad B. and Lynn yesterday at a function - Lynn was extremely kind in recognizing one of her responsibilities as a moderator is to run product to someone who needs it over the weekend and didn't have a large enough brain to order it before the job is scheduled. She might say it was only coincidence and that she was really coming to town for another gathering but that's only modesty.



Thanks again Lynn. You're an icon for detailing fellowship.



Ok, enough of that. I think I'll bite on the "white china marker". What's that?



C
 
I can't help but think it's asking for trouble to "write" on the car with markers, chalk, whatever. I know, I'm just paranoid, but I use white wax pencils for marking tires (backsides of course) and there's just NO WAY I'd get that on my paint.



For polishes/glazes/waxes I just flag the area with whatever product I'm going to be using. VERY LIGHTLY, as some products can stain the finish. Or, as MPauly said, mark with blue masking tape.



But USUALLY, If I see something that needs attention, I'd rather just deal with it RIGHT THEN. Wax residue- off it comes NOW. Otherwise, yeah, I'll trust my memory or WRITE IT DOWN. I often take notes while detailing when I'm afraid something will slip my mind.
 
If there were few things to deal with I'd just write them down. But this is the first job I'm doing on the car, bought it at 21,000 miles and after looking it over (on the surface it looked great) see a TON of water mark etchings, etc. Plotting the debris locations for the shuttle explosion would be easier than taking notes on what I'm finding on this car.



Not that there's anything I can do about lots of this stuff (I'm told there's nothing you can do about these water spot etchings that look like moon craters in my clear coat) but it gives me lots to ***** about. LOL



c
 
LOL, OK, I see. For your craters (many of which you're gonna have to live with, I'm afraid) I'd mark them with a dab of your RC. BTW, I've dealt with this on relative's cars, and found that by the time you polish/compound them enough to REALLY look great, you've often taken off too much clear. Get them a LOT better, then protect with a good sealant. Yeah, it's a compromise, but hey, it's a used car that has only recently been given Autopian-level care, right?
 
On one hand, yeah I know you're right. And like anything else, most other people won't even notice it (with the exception of autopians, and especially you lol). So.. before you look at my car I have to give you a 3-stouges eye gouge. Hey, maybe that's the solution for admirers..... yeah...



BUT on the other hand it's a car I'll have for about 3 years and damn, it looks fine. And I want it to look it's best! How much for a paint job? lol. I lucked out once and suffered through a sand storm in Palm Springs with a camaro I had. The insurance company must have had a few martinis the day they approved the estimate from the shop I took it too - a place just down the street from Warner Brothers and he did most of the cars for the movies they shot. So I got this german paint put on it (Glasrit?) and it was wet sanded until it looked literally like glass. Only problem with having a daily driver like that is the paranoia every time I parked it...



So where's the nearest sandstorm?
 
I use little round orange stickers that people use as price tags in yard sales. You get a bazillion (technical term) in a pack, they are easy to spot, and they peel right of and leave no visible residue.
 
zenhog, thanks for your kind comments. Aw shucks. :o But ... you think that was generous??? Just wait til someday I tell you what Accumulator loaned me!!! He da man! :bigups



But USUALLY, If I see something that needs attention, I'd rather just deal with it RIGHT THEN. Wax residue- off it comes NOW.
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Accumulator, I don't think this is always productive in terms of time-efficiency. Say you're claying the car, and you notice a spot on the bumper that needs wax residue removed. Does it really make sense to put down the clay, snag your cleaner and tackle the wax residue, then back to claying? I don't think so. Me, I want to clay overall, then polish overall, etc. I don't want to be bouncing back and forth between processes/products. But maybe that's my own weird approach. I know you've done a heckuva lot more of this than I ever will. :bow





A "white china marker" is sorta like a grease pencil. But writes in white. Obtained at places like Michael's or Hobby Lobby, in my experience. But I would never, never use this -- on paint, or other areas that might need attention, like rubber/vinyl moldings. I think the blue tape (perhaps with a note written on it with a Sharpie) is a much more conservative recommendation.



Plotting the debris locations for the shuttle explosion would be easier than taking notes on what I'm finding on this car.
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But.. if I forgot one... Someone might think I bought this at a yard sale...
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Zenhog, you're cracking me up! :lol Just remember, however many tiny imperfections you and Brad pegged yesterday, it IS a GORGEOUS car. Don't lose sight of the forest for the trees. :up



Let us know how it's turning out. Yesterday you said you'd be done by today. I know that the pro detailers can achieve miracles in that amount of time. But for me, it's usually several days. (And, Accumulator, I think you've had similar experience?) Don't rush yourself. But definitely DO give us pix when you're finished -- or at happy milestones along the way.
 
Datelog 4:37. Making good progress, have gone over the car with PiIII RC, flopping between while foam cutting and white wool cutting pads. Decided to go back to the foam if only for the reason that I don't have a swirl remover and the haze the wool was leaving was definately going to make that a problem.



Am now applying the AIO and have one side remaining. (smoke break). Damn, if I had to make a living at this I'd starve - at the rate of one car a day! Or.. I'd have to have huge suckers for customers so I could charge them $500 for a detail (exterior only in one day's work) job. uh-huh. I better not quit my day job.



This AIO goes on fast, doesn't seem to harden much and comes off easy. And I want to do this again in a couple of weeks as I'm sure there are things I should have caught that didn't.



I'd really like someone to take a look at this - I see fine scratches that I think should be removed but I don't know this stuff and may be asking too much.



So I'm debating leaving the SG for that time and putting the ps21 Carnauba on top of this. If nothing else, so I can finish TODAY.



Does the SG go on as fast and easy as the AIO? Do i need to use the PC to put it on? Funny, but the instructions on AIO say "wipe on, wipe off". No wait time, nothing. Now if that's all you had to do I'd declaire that a miracle of the first degree....



If I do skip the SG (sorry Lynn) and I put it on in a week? Would there be any point to that?



C
 
My understanding: Yeah, you could hold off on the SG. (BTW, I never did believe you'd get to it this weekend. heh...heh...heh... :D I knew you were being over-optimistic, as I was when I started on this journey.) But if you apply a carnauba today, to get you thru the week, you'll need a Dawn wash next weekend when you come back to it.



My best advice: PM your local StL guru and see if you two could chat, evaluate your polishing results so far, and plan next course of action. :up
 
Oh Lynn.. that is sooo much a challenge. If I was completely certain that I don't have to backtrack after my "guru" looks at it (took your advice and sent the PM, I hope he can do it this week) then I'd get the SG on, and the wax, and probably .. go to Sonic to show it off!



I think I'll put on the wax and hope to hear from B



c
 
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