"Product"rich....." How to " poor

[dubbadog]

Just recieved new 7424 PC from Coastal Tool and did the following to a 2000 red F-150.



Wash + Clay Bar

DACP ( with orange pad )

AIO ( with White pad )

SG By hand



My question is with the technique.... should I work the DACP til it is dust ? or is this too long.?



Second...I wiped off the AIO with a MF towel as soon as I was done a section. .... is this ok?



Third.... I had trouble wiping off the SG and used a little detailing spray to remove the product.......Should I have let it dry?



Any advice would be welcomed.

 

[Dalton]

I AIO/SG'ed my car this morning for the first time. Same method. I did the WOWO method with the SG and did not have one problem with it.

 

[aznatama]

I don' tthink you ahve to clay bar since the DACP will take care of all the minor inperfections... it's like using 3000 grit paper before using 2000 grit...

 

[Eliot Ness]

.........My question is with the technique.... should I work the DACP til it is dust ? or is this too long.?



Second...I wiped off the AIO with a MF towel as soon as I was done a section. .... is this ok?



Third.... I had trouble wiping off the SG and used a little detailing spray to remove the product.......Should I have let it dry?.....

If you haven't clayed for a while I think that was a good idea, it really is amazing what clay will remove and it's better to get it off your finish before polishing and have the risk of a contaminant marring your paint, JMHO.



The official application guide from Megs on DACP is to "Work the product until the diminishing abrasives have broken down, but you haven't gone completely to a dry buff." That being said, I (and many others) find it works best when worked to the point that it dusts away. If I use DACP with an orange pad I usually follow up with a white pad, but if your paint comes out looking good w/o any hazing or marring I'd say you're good to go.



I don't use AIO or SG, but your application sounds right to me. Here is a guide that many find helpful when applying SG:

http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=30989&highlight=official+wipe+on+off



EDIT: You may want to get some more pads, the white (polish) pad will be used most often and you don't want to use different products on the same pad.

 

[dubbadog]

Thanks Ness

I have read about the wipe on wipe off method, but have also read where some detailers apply SG to the whole vehicle before going back to wipe off.

 

[Eliot Ness]

Thanks Ness

I have read about the wipe on wipe off method, but have also read where some detailers apply SG to the whole vehicle before going back to wipe off.

Yep, it kind of boils down to what works best for you. You can put some on one panel and let it sit for a while, some on another panel and do the WOWO method and see which method (in your climate and under your conditions) you prefer.

 

[Accumulator]

I don' tthink you ahve to clay bar since the DACP will take care of all the minor inperfections... it's like using 3000 grit paper before using 2000 grit...

I'd clay anything before I polished it. Claying and polishing accomplish different things; claying wont remove any imperfections but it will pull contaminants out of the paint. Polishing will remove imperfections, but it will often round off contaminants rather than remove them. This can lead to "rust blooms" when the contaminants are ferrous (such as "rail dust").



Dubbadog- You may very well need another, milder polishing step after the DACP. Many get some micromarring from it when using it by PC/hand. Many people work the DACP until it turns to powder. Removing it too soon, before it's broken down, is a common mistake.



The only downside to letting the SG set up for a while is if you get contaminatin/dust on it while it's setting up. I have a dust-free garage so I let it cure overnight before buffing it off. Just use whichever method works for you. The real "trick" to using SG is to put it on so thin you can hardly even see it. In fact, when I put it on white/silver, I *can't* see it.