water blade 1st time review

T

THERUSE

New member
Hey guys,



I was really in desperate need of a quicker drying method. Even though I flow the water off the surface when I feel like taking the nozzle off the hose, and then blotting (not dragging, rubbing) whatever is left I still hate drying the MOST.



So today I bought the blade ($21.20 at autozone) and am impressed with it. Drying was way quicker (even though I was careful because it’s the 1st time), and only couple places (under the spoiler, door handles, bumpers) I was unable to reach and had to use the absorber. For anybody that thinks they will scratch their surface, well, my car has 2 layers of z5, and 4 layers of z2 on it, and I couldn’t notice anything in the final inspection in direct sun. My theory: you will only make mistakes (scratches) if you get sloppy and try to finish quickly, don’t wipe the blade after every pass (I did), or will not wash thoroughly.



Thanks for you attention, and all the great posts on here, i have learned a lot, and saved so much paint by not experimenting with everything :D :xyxthumbs .
 
I love my CWB! Mine has been used for a few years now with great results. As with any product, a little common sense goes a long way....



:wavey
 
It takes me 4 minutes to dry my car with a large microfiber towel I use to use the water blade but I like the MF towels better I use the water blade for the windows!
 
I'm afraid of using the CWB because even if you're careful, one scratch within the time frame of many uses is too many. I use the Absorber and then sometimes just drive down the road at 60 mph to dry the remainingwater drops.
 
This has been discussed a lot. The CWB certainly is convenient, but I strongly recommend against it unless you're willing to risk scratches in exchange for its time-savings and convenience.



Unless you believe you can get every last piece of micro-grit off your car every time you wash (I know I don't), sooner or later you will pick one up with the blade, drag it down your hood and end up with a nasty, long scratch in your paint. It isn't the blade itself doing the scratching (which is why they can make the advertising claims they do), it is the grit it drags, and it will make a nice long straight scratch. I bought one, and thought it was great too the first few times I used it. But then I got lucky and I saw this happen, right as it happened. I can guarantee you, sooner or later you absolutely, positively will scratch your paint with the CWB.



I use mine only on glass these days.



As an alternative I recommend theThe Perfect Drying Technique. (And I have tried about every drying method under the sun.)
 
I use the California Water Blade on all of my cars, and find it to be an essential tool for drying. However, I use it knowing that each swipe will cause a micro-scratch.



How do I know that? On my Passat, the door panels near the glass and B-pillars are coated in a very fragile black paint. This paint can get swirled or scratched easily; the slightest mistake can lead to hours of SMR’ing. So while I was drying the car, I carefully swiped the paint with a clean blade like I would normally do. And all I saw left were SCRATCHES! They were all going the direction the blade was going...



Granted that the rest of the paint on the car is much better, just be sure you know that it does scratch. It's just that you can't see it.



~bw
 
I also agree with carguy .................if the blade picks up a grain of sand it scratching it all across the car GO with MF towels for safty
 
carguy said:
This has been discussed a lot. The CWB certainly is convenient, but I strongly recommend against it unless you're willing to risk scratches in exchange for its time-savings and convenience.
Click to expand...



Ding ding we have a winner!:up



Please put down the WB and step away from the car.............:nono
 
I agree with carguy and others. In theory the CWB is a good idea but I personally would not use one. The risk of scratching is just too great. When washing your car it'simpossible to remove every piece of micro dirt, in fact some of it is probably bonded to the surface and washing will not remove it. It's these particles that can cause the micro scratching from the WB.:nono



I do like using it on windows though.
 
carguy,



As much as I like your Perfect Drying Technique, isn't there still a possibility that micro-grit can cause a scratch when you pass over it with the MF towel? No matter what you use, when you pull it or swipe it, the grit will scratch your finish.



I have a CWB and I use it with some fear, but scratches happen even with the most careful or "perfect" drying techniques. nasty scratches are just an inevitable result of washing, drying, and sometimes... even polishing.



Your technique is great though and I do employ it. I was just wondering if this ever crossed anyone's mind. Let me know if I am wrong.





carguy said:
This has been discussed a lot. The CWB certainly is convenient, but I strongly recommend against it unless you're willing to risk scratches in exchange for its time-savings and convenience.



Unless you believe you can get every last piece of micro-grit off your car every time you wash (I know I don't), sooner or later you will pick one up with the blade, drag it down your hood and end up with a nasty, long scratch in your paint. It isn't the blade itself doing the scratching (which is why they can make the advertising claims they do), it is the grit it drags, and it will make a nice long straight scratch. I bought one, and thought it was great too the first few times I used it. But then I got lucky and I saw this happen, right as it happened. I can guarantee you, sooner or later you absolutely, positively will scratch your paint with the CWB.



I use mine only on glass these days.



As an alternative I recommend theThe Perfect Drying Technique. (And I have tried about every drying method under the sun.)
Click to expand...
:bow
 
I don't think the CWB is any more prone to scratch than anything else, except maybe plush cotton toweling. I love the Absorber too, and it has ZERO nap, so isn't it just as likely to cause scratches as the CWB?? But, I have not found that to be the case either. When you think about it, the edge of the Blade is made of soft slick silicone. How is a piece of grit gonna attach itself to the bottom when you rake it across the finish? If anything, it will simply pass under the blade or get caught up, or suspended, in the water trail that it creates. I simply don't buy that it will automatically cause scratches regardless of how you use it. Like I said, common sense and proper use is the key to everything in life...



:wavey
 
I disagree with your comment mike, because I have scratched my car with the cali water blade. I used all the correct methods but now there is a long scratch down my hood. This never happens with my absorber or MF towels. Here is my theory. The blade is elastic and it exerts a force onto the paint, this is how it skims the water off. If a piece of dirt is caught on the blade, the force the spring tension(if you will) is exerting will push itself into the paint. When using an absorber or MF towel you do not exert a force on the paint. This I believe is the difference.
 
Good point Al! I see what you're saying and it makes sense to me. Maybe I use too much Z5 and never even notice, dunno. ;) I am pretty picky though, and if I ever notice any effects from it (or anything else) damaging my paint, you better believe I'd stop using it immediately. But that goes for any product I guess... I've even pretty much given up on Fieldcrest towels, even though they are very nice, because I always noticed very very slight marring when using them. Now I use other, and better IMHO, brands, but that's beside the point and I digress from the main issue here. I'm sorry others have had negative experiences with the CWB, I found it to be a pretty good product for what it is. I completely agree that if a larger piece of grit was caught that it would potentially pose big problems. I always thoroughy rinse my car just before using it, so I try to ensure as completely contaminant free surface as possible. Maybe this is part of my success with it. Dunno...but it hasn't failed me yet through many uses, and I hope it won't...but who knows...



:xyxthumbs
 
I hate to disagree with you AlBoston, because I believe a scratch can occur with the CWB, but I also think it can occur with an Absorber or an MF towel.



The force exerted on the paint is the weight of your hand (plus the towel) or the force of your arm as you wipe the surface with the MF towel. I am aware of the technology behind MFs, but I still do not believe that scratches are impossible unless it is a frictionless procedure. Certainly not the case with either application.



I wonder if it is possible to calculate the coefficient of friction with regard to the verious methods. I believe this would be very informative to all of us Autopians in our life-long search for a scratchless drying technique of our automobiles.







AlBoston said:
I disagree with your comment mike, because I have scratched my car with the cali water blade. I used all the correct methods but now there is a long scratch down my hood. This never happens with my absorber or MF towels. Here is my theory. The blade is elastic and it exerts a force onto the paint, this is how it skims the water off. If a piece of dirt is caught on the blade, the force the spring tension(if you will) is exerting will push itself into the paint. When using an absorber or MF towel you do not exert a force on the paint. This I believe is the difference.
Click to expand...
 
Schnitzer said:
I hate to disagree with you AlBoston, because I believe a scratch can occur with the CWB, but I also think it can occur with an Absorber or an MF towel.



The force exerted on the paint is the weight of your hand (plus the towel) or the force of your arm as you wipe the surface with the MF towel. I am aware of the technology behind MFs, but I still do not believe that scratches are impossible unless it is a frictionless procedure. Certainly not the case with either application.



I wonder if it is possible to calculate the coefficient of friction with regard to the verious methods. I believe this would be very informative to all of us Autopians in our life-long search for a scratchless drying technique of our automobiles.
Click to expand...



Maybe you dry differently but the force of my hand is definitely not a factor. I think you are forgetting that you also have to use a force(of your hand) to even use the CWB! This means even great force! Just like with the PC, if u press it into the surface(force) you get more agressive cleaning. Same thing with the CWB.
 
aw jeez.... are we still arguing about this? :rolleyes: Can't we all just get along? :nixweiss The car duster scratches too if used incorrectly but I see people condeming the CWB when they swear by the CCD. Just be careful and you'll be fine. That is the same advice with any product. CMA's big blue towel will scratch your car too if its not used properly. Just be careful.
 
B'sides, when you gotta clean the BIG daily driver, like the wife's Ody, the CWB makes the unenjoyable part of cleaning a lot less painful. ;)
 
I have stopped using both the blade and the micro fiber towels.

The towels can keep dirt in the fibers even after a washing I found out. I actually scratched a charcol colored benz that I detailed for about three hours and hand to wet sand it out. Also when I dont feel like using steel wool on the windows I just use towels. During the second wipe down with a separate towel I always press very hard on the towel to buff any residue away. However, with the micro fiber towels the extra pressure is in vain. You push hard on the towel your hand slides right off the towel and ends up touching the window.



The Blade I found has many hiding places for dirt. In the corners obove the T bar, Bottom of the T bar, in the handle etc. Dispite wiping and spraying with water I have scraped a few cars. Athough this is very rare I feel that the scratches with this thing are more severe if a piece of dirt gets on the edge of the T bar.

If your going to use it anyway I would suggest doing the windows first so any dirt would hopefully float away on them instead of the paint. They really do work well though and I hate going back to using 8 towels to dry my car but I feel its safer.
 
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