Thinking out loud... [Luster, have a look too]

J

JonB

New member
I just picked up a new shop lite from Costco. It's a pretty bright, flat, 1 foot square flourescent light with a handle and a base. The reason I bought it is that I do almost all my detailing in the garage which has and overhead flourescent in addition to the garage opener light on the ceiling. I have detailed a few cars, and with the current lighting settup, I can't see swirls or even light scratches until I take it outside. Once I spent a couple of days doing the whole routine on a car, only to find that the prep was not as good as it could have been! :eek: The new flouescent seems to give me a much better view of the defects. I don't know if a regular incandescent light would be better, but the flourescent gives off no heat, which is a good thing when the garage temp is 105 deg's. I am still experimenting on which direction to hold the light to pick up the defects..



Just curious what others are using and doing to catch and mark the locations of the problem areas so when you take it back into the garage you know where the swirls or scratches are. I have seen wax type markers for the windshield but don't know if these are safe on paint.



H
 
Yet again, here I am thinking out loud. Don't crucify me too bad :devil:

So we have windshield washer fluid.... here, it's like $2 a gallon. It's made of water, with some chemicals to act as cleaners and anti-freezing agents.

Concerns with Windshield washer fluid.

1. Millions of gallons throughout the year are pumped onto the windows and eventually... into the ground. Environmentally safe? Probably not when such massive quantities are used [I am not a tree hugger.... faaaaaar from. But I am looking for reasons to try this]

2. Chemicals in windshield washer fluid. Can they hurt the paint? Plastic trim? Rubber? Some concerns with particular blends.

What if we....







Mix ONR with water and use that for the fluid?

ONR has the ability to separate debris to prevent scratching, and the ability to clean surfaces. Diluted at 2oz to 1 gallon, that would be like paying $1 a gallon of fluid. What about a stronger dilution? What about adding IPA to the solution for drying purposes and cold weather use? I found a thread on people wanted to make their own solutions, and many involved IPA and water with a soap of the sorts. With ONR, do we not have the perfect candidate on our hands?

I know this would not work in freezing conditions, but for some reason it seemed like this could be something worth trying. I always carry a small Microfiber with me anyways. If I need a little quick detailer, I'll just hit the washer fluid button and get some on my MF :D

Again, may just be something I am thinking of, but missing an obvious wall that I will hit if I try this. Any input? Thoughts? I added Luster's name to the title as he has been contributing threads on ONR lately and he may have some additional thoughts.
 
Leadfoot - as long as you have some sort of anti-freeze (glycol based or otherwise) additive it should work in the colder climates.
 
As mild as ONR is, I can't imagine it having anything in it that would harm the washer system, BUT..... I don't know that for a fact. It obviously won't hurt painted surfaces, rubber, plastic, metal, etc. because it's designed for washing. Well..... let us know how it works!

(Only concern would be freezing temps)
 
I've used the 1Z kristall klar fluid for a while with no apparent issues on trim and paint.


Also, how does ONR behave in -10 degree temperature?

Maybe ONR is good to use in the warmer climates?
 
ONR is water-based, i.e. it uses water as its solvent, whereas most windscreen washers use a chemical solvent with a low freezing point
 
Yeah, that's why I made a point to address the freezing issue. But in many climates that would never be a concern.

And I know there are environmentally friendly solutions, but I added it as ONR is safe for the environment. Again, it was just a thought. I like the smell, I like the finish it leaves, and I thought it might be an alternative.
 
As far as environmental issues I don't think that windshield washers have that much of an impact. Unless you sit there and constantly keep the washer spraying all the time to allow it to drip on the ground. I mean generally it is sprayed on the winshield with the wipers going for a very short time and what does get on other areas will dry before it does get to the ground anyway IMO.
 
I've been using the P21S washer fluid additive for some years now and I love it.

The ONR idea is intriguing to me in a non freezing environment.
 
What ratio of IPA to water? 50/50? Won't that remove any sealant/wax on top of car? My sprayers are 3 holed ones and spray a generous amount of cleaner which then runs over the roofline of the car.

The IPA will also remove any glass treatment.

IPA will also dry out the rubber wiper blades, causing skipping and chatter.

I use RainX windshield washer fluid.

Eco-Green makes one that is environmentally friendly.
 
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