jeweling the paint
- Thread starter pgp
- Start date
atgonzales
New member
By the way, another detailing term for jeweling is burnishing.
There are a many detailing methods to "jewel" a paint and just as many polishes. One of the favorites has been Menzerna`s 3800 using a soft foam finishing pad (like a Lake Country blue or black foam). Another method is to use M205 and slightly clean the finishing pad with water and then buff/polish with the residue left on the pad at a slower buffer speed. Another detailer-preferred polish was 3M`s Ultra-Fina, but I do not hear of it being used that much anymore.(maybe in body shops that use 3M products, as that is the standard-defacto material supplier to many auto body repair shops.)
I think today many detailers, pro and hobbyists, are using the McKee`s Jeweling wax or CarPro`s Essence or the afore-mentioned Menzerna`s 3800.
If you are wondering WHY detailers jewel a paint , it`s to get that 110% reflection and perfection in a paint and it requires a skilled detailer to properly achieve it, not to mention the time involved. If you have a show car or a garage queen, it might be worth the time and effort. Jeweling a vehicle is subjectively done to a soccer-mom`s daily driver mini-van or the construction worker`s or sportsmen`s off-road-used truck.
Can I tell difference between a car that has been "jeweled" and one that have been "just polished"? Probably not. Some of the professional detailers do absolute finishing magic to "just polished" vehicles, but then again they have the skill and knowledge of vehicle finishes and what polishes work best on them AND how to apply those polishes. It truly is a skillful art form and workmanship that separate the truly professional from those that are just hobbyist (like me!). Hey , if it were easy, EVERYONE would do it.
There are a many detailing methods to "jewel" a paint and just as many polishes. One of the favorites has been Menzerna`s 3800 using a soft foam finishing pad (like a Lake Country blue or black foam). Another method is to use M205 and slightly clean the finishing pad with water and then buff/polish with the residue left on the pad at a slower buffer speed. Another detailer-preferred polish was 3M`s Ultra-Fina, but I do not hear of it being used that much anymore.(maybe in body shops that use 3M products, as that is the standard-defacto material supplier to many auto body repair shops.)
I think today many detailers, pro and hobbyists, are using the McKee`s Jeweling wax or CarPro`s Essence or the afore-mentioned Menzerna`s 3800.
If you are wondering WHY detailers jewel a paint , it`s to get that 110% reflection and perfection in a paint and it requires a skilled detailer to properly achieve it, not to mention the time involved. If you have a show car or a garage queen, it might be worth the time and effort. Jeweling a vehicle is subjectively done to a soccer-mom`s daily driver mini-van or the construction worker`s or sportsmen`s off-road-used truck.
Can I tell difference between a car that has been "jeweled" and one that have been "just polished"? Probably not. Some of the professional detailers do absolute finishing magic to "just polished" vehicles, but then again they have the skill and knowledge of vehicle finishes and what polishes work best on them AND how to apply those polishes. It truly is a skillful art form and workmanship that separate the truly professional from those that are just hobbyist (like me!). Hey , if it were easy, EVERYONE would do it.
Bill D
Hooked For Life
It`s difficult to learn just from reading too. It requires lots and lots of practice. Probably years of experience.
rlmccarty2000
Active member
Yes.
jrock645
New member
True jeweling can only be done by rotary with a DAT polish and a soft pad with no cut. I managed to do it on my car when I applied Gloss Coat. I wouldn`t call it hard, but it`s time consuming and you have to be very focused through the process. There`s a thread around here somewhere from one of the Rupes guys outlining the jeweling process, which is what I used as my how to so to speak.
RaydiantDetail
New member
Jrock - this is the one I have references many times for Jewelling paint which I believe Todd from Rupes produced:
https://www.autopia.org/forums/the-...imate-shine.html?highlight=how+to+jewel+paint
I should add I have never actually jeweled paint using this method. Never had a customer or car I have worked on that would warrant it and I think as mentioned for most cars and even my own finishing with Essence on a Gloss Pad for example gives a pretty great finish with the Boss.
From time to time I think about practicing the method but then it always gets pushed aside. The rotary is definitely something I would like to practice with and master at some point.
https://www.autopia.org/forums/the-...imate-shine.html?highlight=how+to+jewel+paint
I should add I have never actually jeweled paint using this method. Never had a customer or car I have worked on that would warrant it and I think as mentioned for most cars and even my own finishing with Essence on a Gloss Pad for example gives a pretty great finish with the Boss.
From time to time I think about practicing the method but then it always gets pushed aside. The rotary is definitely something I would like to practice with and master at some point.
Accumulator
Well-known member
Right, and that term is used in this context in many areas and IMO ought be the standard term for this (whereas "jeweling" means something *VERY* different in other contexts).
No big deal IMO...get things marring-free (genuinely...as in "no finishing polishing artifacts" which I generally can`t see under normal conditions anhow)and then improve the gloss by additional polishing until it doesn`t/presumably can`t get any better. It`s all relative...anything beyond "perfectly corrected" qualifies as "burnished" in my book because it`s all a matter of degree.
One guy`s "burnished to perfection" is another`s "Finish Polished"...one guy`s "before" is another`s "after". Consider that my results from M205, which appear "absolutely perfect, as good as it can get" to everybody I know IRL, seldom satisfy me and yeah I`ve tried everything to make that stuff work for me. And I get things marring-free (zero micromarring/etc.) before I even switch to M205. I don`t really think of improving upon M205 as burnishing, but others might.
And yeah, guys who are genuine Rotary-Meisters can sometimes attain finishes that *as per a glossmeter* are indeed unequaled, even if many people can`t see the difference.
I generally used 1Z High Gloss, always via Cyclo, but seldom bothered to do it on anything but the S8 (yes it made a diff despite all the orangepeel). And note that use of the past tense.
IMO unless somebody can keep the finish marring-free (under any/all lighting/inspection conditions), burnishing is a waste of time/effort/clearcoat. And even if ya can keep it perfect, don`t expect anybody else to notice that you burnished it.
jrock645
New member
Yep, thats the technique i was referring to. Same approach i used with great success
The Driver
Detailers Workshop
Bingo!
SF4500 + LC Jeweling compressor pad + Rotary = Incredible
IMO - You can`t Jewel with a PC, throw will always have some effect on clarity.
jrock645
New member
https://www.autopia.org/forums/clic...-optimum-gloss-coat.html?highlight=Gloss+Coat
RaydiantDetail- this is my thread from when I did my car, for a point of reference.
RaydiantDetail- this is my thread from when I did my car, for a point of reference.
FYI,
Menzerna SF4500 is now relabeled as Super Finish Plus 3800 (or just SF38000)
The LC Jeweling Pad is Lake Country Mfg`s Gold Foam Jeweling Pad (Part No 78-44800 for an 8" flat pad Diameter or PN 78-44650C for 6-1/2" diameter Curved edge)
Driver:
I am not sure what rotary machine you are using: Flex, DeWalt, Hitachi.
What you cannot "convey" in words in using a rotary for jeweling is:
1) Pressure (IE, elbow grease) on the machine (usually none for jeweling; just machine weight or even actually lifting up on a heavier machine??)
2) Movement speed of the pad/machine (IE, travel in inches per second) over the paint
3) Overlap of the pad travel strokes/path (IE, with an 8" use about a 4" overlap or half the stroke/path)
4) Machine polishing speed or variances of the speed of the rotary and WHEN those variances occur (timing) in the jeweling path and process (subject to paint/clear coat manufacturer (IE, manufacturer of vehicle) , color of base coat, ambient temperature and humidity, not to mention jeweling polish being used).
Still think ANYONE can jewel properly? This is why correcting(compounding) and polishing and jeweling with a rotary machine is an artful skill that requires experience and practice, practice, practice to perfect. AND, if you do not have an instructor/mentor to show you HOW to do this and WHAT to look for, you could be doing it, but doing it incorrectly. Kind of like watching Charles Barkley shoot free throws (or "golf", if you can call it golfing! Sorry Charles!)
RaydiantDetail
New member
I gave it a read! Great work and write up. The car turned out great!
The Driver
Detailers Workshop
I`m using the flex PE-14-2.
The only thing I worry about it 3800 has more cut, 4500 has zero cut imo. To Jewel you need little to no cut, I`m sure you could get away with it but I have a bottle of 4500 stashed away
