Our first compounding project

[Expertcarpetcare]

A work in progress, but we had to start somewhere, so we chose this extremely scratched up old Mudbogger to do our first test on. Came up pretty good considering. The only thing that went wrong is the 110 burned out sending it back for a new one under warranty!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpjONEacXyo

[cnfowler]

Re: Our first compounding project

Is Ultimate Quik Detailer your normal clay lube? If so, theres a lot cheaper alternatives. Last Touch off the Detailer line or just good ol' Quik Detailer.

Truck looked good. It was hammered.

Colin

[Clutch34]

Re: Our first compounding project

Nice work!

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Our first compounding project

Huge improvement. Looks good.

[Expertcarpetcare]

Re: Our first compounding project

We had some regular QD but it came with the QD kit. I'll check pricing on both next time.
Also I wonder if UQD isnt the best because it has a bit of quickwax in it and I believe regular QD doesnt.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Our first compounding project

We had some regular QD but it came with the QD kit. I'll check pricing on both next time.
Also I wonder if UQD isnt the best because it has a bit of quickwax in it and I believe regular QD doesnt.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Ultimate Quik Detailer does contain hydrophobic polymers that are similar to what is in UQW, but it is NOT recommended for use as a clay lube. It has to do with the level of lubrication more than anything.

Last Touch diluted 50/50 really is the best and most cost effective clay lube Meguiar's has.

Another thought - if you clay the vehicle with UQD hoping to gain the "wax like" benefits, you will remove those benefits once you polish or compound the area.

As for the video, I had a few pointers and questions: first of all, it looks like you are covering too much area too quickly...ie arm movement speed is too high. The product needs more time to stay in one area and work - especially with a dual action polisher.

Also, it looked like you were using a bit too much product. What product was that?

One last pointer, if that was a polish or a compound you don't want to leave it on the truck to dry. Unlike a wax or a sealant, there is no benefit from letting a polish or compound dry on the paint - and in fact letting it dry makes it harder to remove, and you run the risk of marring or scratching during removal.

Hope this helps!

[Expertcarpetcare]

Re: Our first compounding project

Thanks for the post Mark and us Noobs need all the tips we can get to improve! I'll try to answer your questions best I can.

Ultimate Quik Detailer does contain hydrophobic polymers that are similar to what is in UQW, but it is NOT recommended for use as a clay lube. It has to do with the level of lubrication more than anything.

It seemed to work pretty well, but I'll try to get a better product to use for clay lube.

Last Touch diluted 50/50 really is the best and most cost effective clay lube Meguiar's has.

I'm not sure if I can get this line in Canada. I haven't seen it anywhere. There are a lot of Meguiar's products not available in Canada unfortunately and I'm so upset about it I am considering sending Jerry Meguiar a "Strongly Worded Email" about it.

Another thought - if you clay the vehicle with UQD hoping to gain the "wax like" benefits, you will remove those benefits once you polish or compound the area.

I totally agree, I wasn't really trying to get a wax benefit. I just didnt have any more QD left and thought it should work.

As for the video, I had a few pointers and questions: first of all, it looks like you are covering too much area too quickly...ie arm movement speed is too high. The product needs more time to stay in one area and work - especially with a dual action polisher.

Even during the video I was focusing on an even, slow movement, I'll back it off even further. That was actually my first time compounding and I'm still getting used to the "runniness and splatter" from the product. You can see how it runs down the panel so easily, not like a wax. I wish it was a little thicker.

Also, it looked like you were using a bit too much product. What product was that?

That was Meguiar's Medium Cut Compound. I could have probably gotten away with Heavy cut for this particular truck, but I was worried the medium was going to be a bit rough.

One last pointer, if that was a polish or a compound you don't want to leave it on the truck to dry. Unlike a wax or a sealant, there is no benefit from letting a polish or compound dry on the paint - and in fact letting it dry makes it harder to remove, and you run the risk of marring or scratching during removal.
I actually had Heather (wife, co-owner and detailing shop foreman) to come in behind me immediately and wipe up before it got too dry. It was a good system and we finished the truck pretty quick that way. The other stuff you see on the truck is paste wax, later in the video.


Hope this helps!

[Expertcarpetcare]

Re: Our first compounding project

[cnfowler]

Re: Our first compounding project

Even during the video I was focusing on an even, slow movement, I'll back it off even further. That was actually my first time compounding and I'm still getting used to the "runniness and splatter" from the product. You can see how it runs down the panel so easily, not like a wax. I wish it was a little thicker.

When using a DA, apply the product to the pad, not the panel. You would apply the product to the panel when using a rotary, or circular buffer. This will prevent the splatter, too.

Colin

[CieraSL]

Re: Our first compounding project

You might want to apply your wax a bit thinner. Looks like it's kinda thick, and that's just a waste of product. Looks pretty good though!