http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/ en Wed, 22 May 2013 12:15:40 GMT vBulletin 15 http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/cpstyles/meguiars/misc/rss.png http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/ http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?59002-Pictures-from-May-18-2013-Advanced-Class&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 16:13:08 GMT Advanced Classes are great fun, and the group we had over the weekend was just awesome - great enthusiasm, open minded and fast learning to boot! Following the classroom portion of the day we went out to the training garage for some hands on work. First, a demonstration of hand sanding. Here... Advanced Classes are great fun, and the group we had over the weekend was just awesome - great enthusiasm, open minded and fast learning to boot!


Following the classroom portion of the day we went out to the training garage for some hands on work. First, a demonstration of hand sanding. Here we're wrapping a sheet of 1500 grit Unigrit Sandpaper around the backing pad.


This is true wet sanding - the abrasive media had been soaking in a bucket of water overnight, and we used plenty of water on the area to be sanded. It is critically important to keep the abrasive media clean in order to avoid deep scratches, called tracers, from forming.


Keep your hand flat on the backing pad to avoid pressure points that will cut deeper into the paint.


We also did some DA sanding, which is a damp sanding process instead of true wet sanding. By that we mean that the abrasive discs do not need to be soaked in water and you only need a few sprays of water on the area you're sanding. DA sanding is actually less aggressive than hand sanding, all else being equal.


The white foam is actually the clear coat being abraded away.


We DA sanded with 1500 grit and 3000 grit. In the area below you see the reflection of the student getting cut off. This is because we sanded an area with 1500 grit and then just half of that area with 3000 grit. You can see that after proper 1500 grit sanding there is no reflection at all, but the area that was refined with 3000 grit has noticeable gloss. Imagine how much easier it is to then buff out the 3000 grit sanding marks than the 1500 grit.


Laying down a bead of M105 to be picked up by the wool pad on the rotary buffer. Again, from this angle you can see the difference in gloss between the 1500 grit only section (the right side end of the product bead) versus the more refined 3000 grit side (the area directly under the bottle).


About to pick up the bead - with a slight tilt of the pad the bead is picked up and pulled under the pad to eliminate (or at least greatly reduce) sling.


We also showed the foam cutting pad. While not as aggressive as the most aggressive wool pads, the foam cutting can generate a lot of heat in a very short period of time.


This image shows what NOT to do on a panel edge. The pad is spinning in a clockwise motion and the way it's being held against the panel here it is riding up on the edge. This makes it very difficult to control the tool but more importantly it risks damage to the paint. Remember, the paint on a panel edge is very thin, and aggressive buffing will burn through in a matter of seconds. This process will do just that - burn the paint right off the edge. Proper technique here would be to tip the pad so that the side you see here is lifted slightly off the paint. The pad is then just dropping off the panel on the other side, which is the safe way to go.


A quick break for lunch and it was time for the students to get to work.


A nicely hand sanded section, done with 1500 grit. This would be followed with 2500 grit to refine the finish.


True wet sanding - plenty of water to lubricate the surface.


1500 grit sanding marks up close. Notice the small dirt nib that has yet to be completely leveled. To address just this small nib we would use either our Unigrit Sanding Blocks or a 3" sanding disc on a mini DA air tool.


When rotary buffing, keep the pad as flat as possible with maybe just an easing up of one edge to keep the pad from wanting to skip. The panel being buffed here has a slight curve to it so the pad can't be totally flat, but the centerline of the pad is in contact with the panel, which is what you want.




Using the foam interface pad on the DA sander along with foam finishing discs affords a lot of leeway when it comes to sanding over some body contours.


Using the pad washer to clean a wool pad prior to compounding.


Sanding done, it's time to bust out the rotary.


This is after sanding with 1500 grit and removing all gloss, refining with 3000 grit, then compounding with M105 and finish polishing with M205 on a black foam finishing pad. Nice work!!


A portrait of a man in action.


Another portrait of the finished process. Like looking into a mirror!
]]> Pictures from our Advanced Classes Michael Stoops http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?59002-Pictures-from-May-18-2013-Advanced-Class http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?58352-Pictures-from-March-2-2013-Advanced-Class&goto=newpost Mon, 04 Mar 2013 21:57:42 GMT Our first Advanced Paint Care Class of 2013! Beautiful weather, a very enthusiastic and eager to learn group, and some fantastic results - not a bad way to spend a Saturday! Following our classroom portion of the day we stepped out to the garage and faced the tools for the day. Image:... Our first Advanced Paint Care Class of 2013! Beautiful weather, a very enthusiastic and eager to learn group, and some fantastic results - not a bad way to spend a Saturday!

Following our classroom portion of the day we stepped out to the garage and faced the tools for the day.



Time to demo - damp sanding with a pneumatic DA and 1500 grit finishing media.


Keep that abrasive media clean by simply spraying it with some plain water to rinse the slurry away.


After doing a large demo area with 1500 grit we then refined part of that spot with 3000 grit.


You can see the lack of gloss on the left side, which was sanded only with 1500 grit, and some regained gloss on the right after refining the sanding marks with a 3000 grit finishing disc. Guess which one will be easier to buff out?


Speaking of buffing out the sanding marks, a clean pad is a must so we clean this wool pad with a spur.


We also demonstrated the Pad Washer, which is great for both cleaning pads on the fly and when you're done with the project before putting them away. This works equally well on wool, foam or microfiber pads when using either a rotary or DA buffer.


Picking up the first bead of M105 under the 10 o'clock/2 o'clock line of the pad.


Keep that pad flat when buffing, and move it slowly and smoothly to remove the sanding marks.


No need to force the issue, though, as the rotary is easier to handle if you don't fight it.


This is a sure fire way to create a bunch of holograms in the paint. We like to demo how to do things right, but also show how to do things wrong so you know what it looks like. This is wrong.


Sanding marks gone, it's time to refine the finish with some M205 and a W9207 Soft Buff 2.0 foam finishing pad.


Not too shabby.... or is it?


This is where really good lighting becomes critical. With poor lighting anything can look good, but under very close scrutiny you want to see something like this:


If you get up close and personal with the paint using a good light and you see this after compounding, you aren't done with the compound and cutting pad yet (whether that's M105 or M100 with wool, foam, etc.). These are fine sanding marks still present in the paint. This is NOT ready for finish polishing yet as a finishing polish won't remove these sanding marks.


After the initial demo and some lunch, it was time for the students to replicate the demo. Everyone had a chance to sand, compound and finish polish.


Nice overlapping strokes, but what those edges!


After 1500 grit sanding this should be the result: a very uniform, smooth, dull surface.


The same panel after 3000 grit sanding: notice the gloss is coming back and you can now see some reflection of the overhead lighting. But the surface is still very uniform, which is the goal here (ignore the oval shaped spot as that's a burn through from a previous session).


Now it's time to compound and remove those refined sanding marks, keeping that pad nice and flat.


This is getting really close, but again these are sanding marks so a bit more compounding is still needed. Just because it's close does not mean it's ready for a finishing polish - you must remove all the sanding marks before moving to the next step.


There is no right or wrong way to hold the buffer - find something that's comfortable for you, whether with or without a handle.






Foam pads need to stay clean, too, and a pad conditioning brush is the fastest way to keep them that way.


Sanding, buffing, watching, learning.


Thanks again to everyone for coming out and make this day a huge success! ]]> Pictures from our Advanced Classes Michael Stoops http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?58352-Pictures-from-March-2-2013-Advanced-Class http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?56747-Pictures-from-October-27-2012-Saturday-Advanced-Class&goto=newpost Fri, 02 Nov 2012 18:02:09 GMT Our final Advanced Class of the year saw a group of very enthusiastic students with a great willingness to learn. We saw some excellent work from this group, and that always makes these classes both fun and rewarding for us. Following the classroom portion of the day we headed out to the garage... Our final Advanced Class of the year saw a group of very enthusiastic students with a great willingness to learn. We saw some excellent work from this group, and that always makes these classes both fun and rewarding for us.

Following the classroom portion of the day we headed out to the garage for some live demos and then hands on work by the students.

We start by damp sanding with 1500 grit finishing media on an air powered DA sander, then we refine those sanding marks with 3000 grit finishing media for easier buff out.


Before you start compounding though, make sure you've got a clean pad. Here we use a spur to clean a wool pad before removing the sanding marks.


First pass with M105 and a wool pad on the rotary buffer.


Inspecting the progress - a good light really is important here.


Flat panels are fairly straightforward, but working on contours require a bit of a technique adjustment to reach some areas.


Monte has already completed his damp sanding and is working on compounding out the sanding marks.


Yes, this is Monte's reflection in the surface that he just finished compounding. Nice work!!




The following images show the progression of the process: This is how the surface should look after damp sanding with 1500 grit. It's nice and uniform and you can't see any reflections in the surface.


The next step is to refine the sanding marks shown above with 3000 grit finishing media. Look at the improvement in gloss by sanding with a really fine abrasive. Buffing this out will be very easy and with minimal impact to the paint.


After compounding with M105 and a wool pad. When done properly, with a clean pad that his held flat to the paint and with slow movements, you can create an excellent finish that is almost completely free of holograms.


Not too shabby, eh?


Here are a couple examples of what you do NOT want to see. The pattern you see here was caused by the sanding disc not being held flat to the paint. This results in the uneven sanding you see here, with rows of angle cuts into the paint. If this had been done with even more aggressive media and no foam interface pad, you could have a serious problem on your hands as the paint would look very wavy if you just buffed out something like this. You should be shooting for a very uniform and consistent finish when damp sanding.


This shot shows fine sanding marks still remaining in the paint. You can make out all the tiny little tic marks that cause the paint to look hazy. This isn't a bad thing, it just isn't finished being compounded. A lot of people just starting out with the sanding process look at this and think they're ready to move on to their finishing polish. In reality, since these marks were created by the sanding step, they still need to be removed by compounding with a wool or foam cutting pad - a finishing polish and finishing pad won't do it. Continue compounding until all the sanding marks are gone, even if you create some light holograms in the process, before moving on to your finishing polish step.
]]> Pictures from our Advanced Classes Michael Stoops http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?56747-Pictures-from-October-27-2012-Saturday-Advanced-Class http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?55984-Pictures-from-August-11-2012-Saturday-Advanced-Class&goto=newpost Mon, 13 Aug 2012 16:02:50 GMT


Advanced Class - Pictures & Comments
Meguiar's Car Care 201
Saturday August 11, 2012

Another great day of wet sanding and rotary buffing, with a special surprise guest!

Just as we were getting ready to start the class, Barry Meguiar pulls up in his '32 Ford Roadster and asked if it would be OK to interrupt us and say "hi". Would it be OK???? Well of course it would!!! Barry may be the consummate car guy, but he's primarily a people person and loves talking cars and car care with other car guys.


After our usual classroom portion of the day we step outside and get down to some serious work. Since sanding and rotary compounding can remove significant amounts of paint, we want to take some paint thickness readings before we start.


Here we talked about the importance of using the foam interface pad when damp sanding. In this shot, without the interface and using a sanding disc over a body contour you can see how we not only lift the abrasive media off the paint in the low spot, but we also put undo pressure on the high spot. This can quickly lead to sanding through the paint on the high spot.


In this shot we have the foam interface pad in place and we're using a foam backing finishing disc. You can clearly see how the foam allows the media to conform to the contours of the body panel. Now, we still wouldn't recommend just blindly sanding over this area like this, but if you do it this way you have a huge safety margin over not using the interface pad.


OK, let's get starting sanding. We start with 1500 grit finishing media, using our Unigrit finishing discs.


Properly sanded, the surface is very uniform with zero gloss.


Here we've followed up the 1500 grit sanding with 3000 grit and you can start to see the reflection of the overhead lights. That's right, we were still sanding the surface, but we actually increased gloss by sanding. This yields a very uniform and predictable sanding mark that is much easier to remove with the rotary buffer and M105 Ultra Cut Compound. It's also much less invasive to the paint compared to trying to compound out a coarser grit sanding mark.


Of course we want to make sure we have a clean pad to start with, so we cleaned our wool pad in the pad washer.


First step with the buffer is to compound using a wool cutting pad and M105


Don't fight the rotary - you control it, it doesn't control you.


And do NOT run the pad up on edge like this!!! This only leads to buffer swirls (AKA holograms). We repeat - do NOT run your buffer in this attitude.


Wiping off the M105 residue reveals a return to a gloss finish.


But the first pass didn't make the paint perfect. We still have some sanding marks and a bit of buffer swirl, so we need another pass.


Cleaning the wool pad with a pad spur to make sure it remains clear during the compounding process. Do this regularly and the work will go faster and you'll get a better result.


If you're not familiar with using a rotary buffer but are skilled with a DA, you should be able to make the transition easily enough, but you need to keep in mind that everything is amplified when using the rotary. That includes heat, and that can be dangerous. Here we show the escalation of heat on the paint surface with a wool pad. 95F was reached fairly quickly, but that temperature is well within the safe zone.


It didn't take long to bump that up to 117F, however, so you really need to keep an eye on things and not get overly aggressive with this tool.


A foam cutting pad will generate a lot more heat, and much faster, than a wool pad will. Here we hit 133F in just a few seconds.


And a few seconds later we reach 204F on the paint surface! This is extremely dangerous and can do real damage before you know what's happened. You really want to avoid this at all costs.


OK, back to correcting the paint. Here we've moved to a foam finishing pad and M205 Ultra Finishing Polish. Again, you don't need to fight the rotary, just control it. Relax, don't tense up.


Following the demo it's time to turn the students loose and see how they get on with all these processes.


With the sanding done and the first round of compounding with M105 and a wool pad we see some light holograms, but the sanding marks are gone. This is good!


Following with M205 on a foam finishing pad we end up with crystal clear paint. This is awesome!


A clear reflection on his good work!


If you aren't having fun when doing this, you're just doing something wrong!


Finishing off black paint with M205 - beautiful!


Thanks to everyone for coming out on a sweltering Saturday and being so enthusiastic about learning these advanced paint care processes, and a special thanks to Greg for taking such great pictures during the demo! ]]> Pictures from our Advanced Classes Michael Stoops http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?55984-Pictures-from-August-11-2012-Saturday-Advanced-Class