Detailing thread

Discussion in 'Non Technical' started by mtopxsecret6, Nov 11, 2015.

  1. mtopxsecret6

    mtopxsecret6 Member

    I need to do a "how to" on here, I was suppose to do this a while ago.
    I'll get onto this soon.
     
  2. nick300zxtt

    nick300zxtt Member

    looking forward to it.
     
  3. gmbrezzo

    gmbrezzo Moderator

    Whilst at ZedFest 2016 Orange, I was put onto two excellent products.

    I was busy doing my usual "Show" routine when karl (90TTZ) came up to me and asked why I was still using "Old Products" and showed me the Mothers Synthetic Wax.
    He offered me his bottle and told me to try it.
    Well after finishing up with Meguiars Wet Look, I did a 50cm x 50cm square on the bonnet with spars application of the Mothers product.
    After buffing off I looked directly over the polished spot. Holly cow ! The reflective surface was mirror like.
    I HIGHLY recommend this product as a finishing polish.
    [​IMG]


    The other item I found was when I was in Auto Barn and looking for an Armorall like product to lift the dull/sad look of the standard motor in the Grey car (Black Opal).
    The guys put me onto High Gloss Classic shine.
    A light misting over the motor and a 2" paint bush to get into all the awkward paces and the engine bay looked spotless like a freshly detailed engine.
    I also applied it to one tyre wall to see how it handled the days driving.
    We left on our 200km round trip cruise for the day, and during the day drove over a couple of dusty parts on the road.
    On returning to the Caravan park I popped the bonnet expecting to find the usual dust layer that accompanies Armorall like products.
    NOTHING ! Even the test tyre was still clean.
    This product even has a very pleasant smell.
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2016
  4. marsbar

    marsbar Member

    Last edited: Apr 12, 2016
  5. mtopxsecret6

    mtopxsecret6 Member

    I was going to start this tomorrow, but I cant sleep, so I'll make a start on it now.

    This will be done over several post's I think, I want to give plenty of information, though not an information over load either. There will probably be a bit of block text, that will be where I get excited and get carried away.

    I'll just start with this post as the official start on "detailing how to".

    *Dislaimer.. I am NOT a professional detailer, just an avid enthusiast*

    Ok, So your all probably wondering who/why I'm doing a how to. Who is this guy? and whats to say he knows what he is doing?
    Well, I'm actually a Boilermaker by trade, I have/can fabricate items from 60t power transformers to exhuast's on race cars and in between, I can stick/mig/tig.. This has nothing to do with paint, though I fabricate in my spare time to keep my hands in the trade.

    Ok, something a little more confidence building now, haha.
    I've learnt paint from two different sources.
    Firstly my dad is an automotive spray applicator(spray painter), he has(still) taught me everything in automotive paint(started from when I was in primary school) from products to application to detailing. I was spray painting my rc planes before I'd even finished primary school. haha This does NOT make me a spray painter though.
    Secondly, I just happen to be the production manager of a paint coating manufacturing company.. Surprise! haha. I've been in the paint coatings industry for just over 10 years, so I know the chemical breakdown of paint coatings right across the board. Automotive, house paints, grass advertising paints etc etc.. We manufacture our own Housing paints water/solvent based and for other paint companies out there. One company you might know is PPG.. most people know them.

    Ok, so that paragraph wasnt a 'hey look at me im a tosser!' More of a 'this dude actually knows what he is talking about'.
    Just to show my detailing skills, here is a few photos of a couple of cars I did recently in my spare time.

    [​IMG]
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    [​IMG]

    And this
    [​IMG]
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    As you can see, where in good hands! Thats enough for tonight, it's past midnight now.
     
  6. mtopxsecret6

    mtopxsecret6 Member

    starting a detail

    Ok, so when you've decided that you want to do a detail, the first question should be, how far do i want to go with the detail? do I just want a wash, wash and paint clean? or actually start buffing and waxing the paint?

    Knowing where you want to go with the detail will get you in the right mind set for how much effort your about to apply, no point doing a detail and only putting in a half arsed effort, the results will show.

    Next step is cleaning the car. The point of this is to decontaminate the paint, that's what washing a car is all about. The paint has many different contaminates, dirt/dust etc, plus micron sized iron/tar etc. There's many ways of doing this. The best outcome is to remove these without scratching the paint surface.
    There's a few way's of doing this, This stage is the most important part of detailing your car. And washing your car in general.

    Foam wash.
    [​IMG]

    The principal of the foam wash is the foam bonds to the surface and pulls off all the particles, ie dirt dust tree sap bird crap etc etc., you need one that is ph neutral and using soft water is best. Some foam up alot, some don't. The more foam the better of course. You need a pressure washer and foam gun to achieve this.
    Once the foam wash is done, it's recommended to wash the car with the TWO BUCKET system, which is one bucket with soap, the other bucket with clean water, these have particle trays in the bucket to drop the dirt to the bottom of the bucket.

    Chemical clean the paint
    The iron/tar can be removed from the paint with an iron remover and tar remover. These simply spray onto the surface and sit on the paint and dissolve the contaminates. This is pressure washed off after this. When activated the cleaner turns the contaminates purple, and leaches like its bleeding.
    [​IMG]

    This stage is considered chemically cleaned. Some say doing a chemical clean gives a finished surface ready for polish etc.
    Honestly, it still needs a physical clean. This is where claying comes into the job. There is 3 different types of clay bar. There is actually clay, synthetic clay and a clay rag. All preference based.
    [​IMG]
    I've tried all 3, the traditional clay works the best for me.
    The clay bar needs a lubricant, the clay cant be used with straight water/ car wash. This will dry out the clay bar. The clay stage WILL scratch the surface of the paint, no matter what anyone says, your physically dragging particles across the paint surface.

    This is what the surface looks like with lubricant and wiped with a clay bar. The clay bar glides across the surface and picks up the last of the physical contaminates.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    The smoother the surface, the better the reflection you will get at the end result, this is the reason for the decontamination process.
    Finished result after claying.
    [​IMG]

    Once the clay process is finished, the clay residue needs to be removed. IPA, no water wash, spray wax etc do this.
    The car is now cleaned and ready to continue to the stage you want to achieve from here.

    So to recap.
    foam wash
    two bucket wash
    chemical decontaminate
    clay decontaminate
    final quick paint clean
     
  7. WazTTed

    WazTTed Grease Monkey

    Where do you get the iron free from ?
     
  8. mtopxsecret6

    mtopxsecret6 Member

    Specialised detailing shops.
    Wax it car care
    Car care products
    Zas car detailing products
    Etc etc
     
  9. STocKi

    STocKi Member

    Curious about that ironzero spray. Where do you buy that from?

    Here's a good question,

    How do you get stubborn hard water marks off windows?

    Product, procedure?
     
  10. Gunwarm

    Gunwarm Kamikazee Special Corps

    :D Mr Sheen :rolleyes2: in fact that's all I ever use on all my cars bikes from 1972,towl like cloth run hot water on cloth ring out spray mr sheen both sides way you go,it is in fact a dry clean so rust, wiring problem,s less of.:rolleyes2:
    No its not a joke.:br::zlove:
     
  11. mtopxsecret6

    mtopxsecret6 Member

    Mr sheen is a "alcohol based silicone". The combined formulation being
    Naphtha, Butane, Propane, Isobutane, methylbutane and mentha-diene.
    the coating, the coalescent, the propellant, the flashing off properties and dispersing vehicle.
    So, your actually putting a protective coating on your substrate "solvent silicone" so to speak. It works for you, there is other "softer" solutions for vehicle purpose though, which everyone else use.

    The water scaling on your windows is mineral/calcium scaling. Same as water etching on the paint.
    You can mechanically remove it, or chemically remove it.

    chemically there is a few options,
    (kamikaze silica scale remover) make a mineral deposit remover, though you could try water etching remover(Duro gloss 505 water spot remover).
    Autoglym make (glass Polish), wipe on, wait to dry then buff off(prefer with a buffer).

    Then there's mechanical,
    This is buffing the glass with a buffer, though this is with a special attachment which is physically removing a micron layer off the glass. (carpro ceriglass), this is a last resort, as glass doesn't like heat, your glass will explode if you get this wrong.
     
  12. Gunwarm

    Gunwarm Kamikazee Special Corps

    :br: Thank you for all that :zlove:
     
  13. STocKi

    STocKi Member

    Thanks for the info mate. I'll have a better look for those products you've mentioned :)

    I've so far tried a meguires glass polisher and even CLR with hobby steel wool and still hasn't cleared the marks. I'm sure I'm going to have to buff them out but my only concern is preserving the rubbers and trims around the windows
     
  14. mtopxsecret6

    mtopxsecret6 Member

    My car has the same problem, I haven't had a chance to try this as I haven't had my car for the past 3 month's.
    Any way, chux magic eraser, kamikaze silica remover or solutions back black.

    I haven't had a chance to try this yet though.
     
  15. mtopxsecret6

    mtopxsecret6 Member

    I'll have to do an update to this diy detail course soon.
     
  16. mtopxsecret6

    mtopxsecret6 Member

    Here is a video of my wash technique i use on my car.

    IF you have a properly protected car, you only need to do a foam wash with blow dry, though I did a full wash to show correct procedures to use.

    [YT]fSGX9AUfKLQ[/YT]
     
  17. MAX

    MAX Ex Zedder

    More steps than I used to do but funny to see the same techniques. My only difference is I wash from the rear quarter, round the front the the back last. The back is always the worst so I don't like to do that till last.

    What is the bottom car cover? Silk?
     
  18. mtopxsecret6

    mtopxsecret6 Member

    If the car has proper protection, natural or synthetic, you only need to foam and rinse off, and dry with an air drier.
    Unless you have a car that's blowing diesel smoke out everywhere the rear shouldn't be any different to the front.
    Its a sof silk cover, to protect the car from the 2nd car cover, as my paint is very soft, a microfibre cloth will scratch the paint.
     

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