Any car detailing hobbyists?

[Make Angels Great Again]

Gonna try my hand at clay baring and waxing my car this weekend.

Got myself a black and decker random orbital polisher for 30 bucks at Lowes, hoping I don't totally screw up my cars paint.

Most of the products I bought were Mother's brand, including the wax. Anyone have any products or tips you recommend?

[Blarg]

Mother's is fine just be really careful with that polisher. 

Wash the car thoroughly,  use a bug and tar remover for any sticky stuff. Maybe a light scratch remover for anything that stands out,  do not use a polisher with any compounds,  rubbing or polishing,  you will burn the paint. 

After everything is as clean as can be seen you are ready for the clay bar. It's really easy,  spray the surface with what came in the kit,  if you only bought the bar get some Maguire's quick detailer spray or Mothers Show Time detailer. 

Spray a small section of the paint,  no more that 2 foot areas and start running the clay over It gently. You don't need to press down hard,  the clay will suck up sediment for you. Make sure to make even passes and I prefer single direction. After a few runs fold the clay to give yourself a clean section to work with. Don't worry about it being uneven, the point is the clay picks up dirt not if it looks nice. 

After you've run it back and forth and before it starts to hang up because a lack of moisture,  wipe the entire area well with your micro fiber towel. Then rub your fingers across the area and they should glide over without any rough spots. Also run your hands over the section you haven't done to feel just how much dirt is embedded in your paint after washing the car. It is eye opening because if you just washed and waxed you would just be grinding all that dirt into the paint causing scratches and swirls. 

Don't clay bar over visible dirt,  you don't want a chunk embedded in the clay to scratch the surface. Keep folding the clay,  it will get ugly looking but is reusable through multiple car cleanings. 

Once that is done apply your wax coats in the shade and only small areas that won't dry too quickly making it harder to remove. Most paste and bottled waxes should be thinned with water and use a clean wet applicator that never touches a dirty surface. So if you drop it on the floor get a new one because you don't really have the time to try and clean every spec out of the pad while wax drys. 

The orbital needs fresh pads and don't start until the wax has skinned over with a chalky haze.  If you put too thick of a coat of wax and it doesn't dry even that will clog the pads and just spread more goo over the wax ready to buff up that causes chuncks to form on the pad and uneven streaks in your wax job.

So do small areas,  don't try to do a half a car at a time,  make sure the surface is ready to go,  don't spend much time on corners because you are more likely to rub the wax completely off because of the added friction. Then go over the entire area with a clean microfiber towel to make sure all of the dry wax is lifted off. Use a toothbrush to clean seam lines and around window frames. 

Then just about the time you are finished  check the weather report,  you've probably created an incoming rain storm. 

[Blarg]

Oh and don't  believe the whack jobs that say you need deionized water for everything. It's a car not a lab test. 

[Make Angels Great Again]

Some good info there Blarg, thanks.

This is the polisher I bought. https://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-WP900-6-Inch-Polisher/dp/B000077CPT/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1472663030&sr=8-4&keywords=wp900

I rigged it up a bit like the top review on it says with the industrial strength velcro, so that I don't have to use the crappy bonnets that it comes with.

[Tank]

make sure you use deionized water. 

[NJHalo]

28 minutes ago, Tank said:

make sure you use deionized water. 

this

[NJHalo]

4 hours ago, Blarg said:

Mother's is fine just be really careful with that polisher. 

Wash the car thoroughly,  use a bug and tar remover for any sticky stuff. Maybe a light scratch remover for anything that stands out,  do not use a polisher with any compounds,  rubbing or polishing,  you will burn the paint. 

After everything is as clean as can be seen you are ready for the clay bar. It's really easy,  spray the surface with what came in the kit,  if you only bought the bar get some Maguire's quick detailer spray or Mothers Show Time detailer. 

Spray a small section of the paint,  no more that 2 foot areas and start running the clay over It gently. You don't need to press down hard,  the clay will suck up sediment for you. Make sure to make even passes and I prefer single direction. After a few runs fold the clay to give yourself a clean section to work with. Don't worry about it being uneven, the point is the clay picks up dirt not if it looks nice. 

After you've run it back and forth and before it starts to hang up because a lack of moisture,  wipe the entire area well with your micro fiber towel. Then rub your fingers across the area and they should glide over without any rough spots. Also run your hands over the section you haven't done to feel just how much dirt is embedded in your paint after washing the car. It is eye opening because if you just washed and waxed you would just be grinding all that dirt into the paint causing scratches and swirls. 

Don't clay bar over visible dirt,  you don't want a chunk embedded in the clay to scratch the surface. Keep folding the clay,  it will get ugly looking but is reusable through multiple car cleanings. 

Once that is done apply your wax coats in the shade and only small areas that won't dry too quickly making it harder to remove. Most paste and bottled waxes should be thinned with water and use a clean wet applicator that never touches a dirty surface. So if you drop it on the floor get a new one because you don't really have the time to try and clean every spec out of the pad while wax drys. 

The orbital needs fresh pads and don't start until the wax has skinned over with a chalky haze.  If you put too thick of a coat of wax and it doesn't dry even that will clog the pads and just spread more goo over the wax ready to buff up that causes chuncks to form on the pad and uneven streaks in your wax job.

So do small areas,  don't try to do a half a car at a time,  make sure the surface is ready to go,  don't spend much time on corners because you are more likely to rub the wax completely off because of the added friction. Then go over the entire area with a clean microfiber towel to make sure all of the dry wax is lifted off. Use a toothbrush to clean seam lines and around window frames. 

Then just about the time you are finished  check the weather report,  you've probably created an incoming rain storm. 

You're hired. How soon can you get to Jersey and take care of my Porsches?

[Blarg]

The last time a detailed a car car in Jersey you got Katrina. That's why I only work the drier South West. 

[mp170.6]

I'd be extremely careful with that polisher around 1) the edges of body or door panels, 2) natural creases (bends) in the body panels, 3) anywhere you have preexisting paint damage, 4) anywhere you have stripes, badges, or decals applied to your paint.  This is because the paint is thinner or more vulnerable in these areas. 

On a car finish, even a mildly abrasive pad can be the same as course sandpaper if the polisher is used inappropriately. 

[Tank]

1 hour ago, Blarg said:

The last time a detailed a car car in Jersey you got Katrina. That's why I only work the drier South West. 

tell the truth . . . it's because you didn't use deionized water, isn't it?

[Make Angels Great Again]

2 hours ago, mp170.6 said:

I'd be extremely careful with that polisher around 1) the edges of body or door panels, 2) natural creases (bends) in the body panels, 3) anywhere you have preexisting paint damage, 4) anywhere you have stripes, badges, or decals applied to your paint.  This is because the paint is thinner or more vulnerable in these areas. 

On a car finish, even a mildly abrasive pad can be the same as course sandpaper if the polisher is used inappropriately. 

I thought abrasiveness was based on the product you use? 

I know there are pads meant for different purposes, but I thought that was more about firmness of the foam or material.

[NJHalo]

2 hours ago, Blarg said:

The last time a detailed a car car in Jersey you got Katrina. That's why I only work the drier South West. 

We got Sandy, but point taken

 

New Orleans got Katrina

[Tank]

2 hours ago, NJHalo said:

We got Sandy, but point taken

 

New Orleans got Katrina

Katrina also brought an amazing amount of, you guessed it, deionized water.

[gotbeer]

This thread makes me realize, I know nothing about keeping up the appearance of my car.  I think the only thing I understood about @Blarg's post is that if I wash my car, it will rain. 

[mp170.6]

4 hours ago, Make Angels Great Again said:

I thought abrasiveness was based on the product you use? 

I know there are pads meant for different purposes, but I thought that was more about firmness of the foam or material.

The pads have varying degrees of abrasiveness and so does the product you apply. 

[ten ocho recon scout]

I used to be really into detailing my car, but havent had time in years. 

[Biergott]

Anyone have experience with the coatings like CQuartz, OptiGloss, etc?  I know you have to do intense paint correction prior to applying these, but are the legit?  People that have had it done swear by it, but I'm wondering if that is just because they spent so much on them that they would feel stupid if they didn't say the coatings were fantastic.

Either way, they aren't cheap if you have someone do it for you, and sound like a major pain to do yourself.  But if they truly work like they say they do, I might consider one.

[Tank]

turtle wax shines in three to five hours.

turtle wax.

[Lou]

long, tedious work is actually a hobby? are there any roofing enthusiasts here? 

 

white people

 

[Adam]

Shouldn't the thread title, be "Any Mexicans?"

[Lou]

48 minutes ago, Adam said:

Shouldn't the thread title, be "Any Mexicans?"

you detail Mexicans?

perv 

[AngelsLakersFan]

5 hours ago, Lou said:

long, tedious work is actually a hobby? are there any roofing enthusiasts here? 

 

white people

 

I thought for sure this thread was looking for someone to wash / detail his car for free.

[Tank]

4 hours ago, Lou said:

you detail Mexicans?

perv 

wax on, wax off, amigo.

[Blarg]

18 hours ago, Tank said:

turtle wax shines for three to five hours.

turtle wax.

Fixed

[OCAngelsNotLAA]

When I was 17 I used a spray on wax for my truck.  I didn't read any instructions or anything, hosed off my car and then sprayed on the wax and wiped the whole truck down.  I had so many swirl marks it looked ridiculous! I waited for my truck to get dirty again so you couldn't see the swirl marks and traded in the truck for a new car.  I haven't attempted to wax my car since.