Long time lurker - out of the shadows

[Aura_XR]

Well, guess it is time I finally introduced myself. My name is Mark and I have been reading on MOL and a few other detailing forums for a while now. I got back into detailing last year after a hiatus of 10 years because of bad experience when I burned through the paint on my old Grand Prix with a orbital. It left a bad taste in my mouth and I feared detailing again, but last year the bug bit me again and I went out and bought some stuff including a PC 7424 and a few LCC pads and stuff. I even bought a Gilmour foam gun and trying to figure out what ratio to use for Hyperwash (hint, that's a question that search can't help Mike).

I intended on showing up with a full write-up on how I detailed my old car; but I haven't had nice enough weather up here to do anything. I figured I could get some practice on my old Beastie, my 1994 Saturn SL2. The color is blue-black (midnight blue) and I played with it with some Meg pads (burgundy cutting and a polishing pad) and some 3M compound that the autobody store sold me. It seems to have helped, but there are still some swirls. I can't wait for the spring to try some of the new stuff/pads that I bought. The paint must be really soft because I never seen a paint that scratches so easily; I think it must be due to the flexible panels. I also have clear coat failure on the rear spoiler, a common problem with Saturns.

I figured if I burned the paint, I wouldn't care because it is so shot now, it is not even funny. After that, I was going to work on my wife's 97 Civic, a car that has never been waxed. About 2 years ago, I washed the car, rubbed it out by hand (2 coats) and waxed (2 coats) by hand. I could not sleep that night my arms were so sore. That's part of the reason I bought the PC, I am a bit rotary-shy now from that experience with the Pontiac. Once her's is done, then to move onto my pride and joy, a 2007 Aura XR in Onyx black. It has some mild swirling but nothing major, stuff a PC should be able to tackle. Just don't want to try it on a new car yet, let me practice on the messed up cars first.

So that's my story. Some of the posts have discouraged me a bit, I get the impression that buying the PC was not a great idea because of the rotaries being so much better. I don't know, other sites also show amazing results with the PC, so time will tell.

[EAT HEMI]

Re: Long time lurker - out of the shadows

Hi Mark, welcome to the forums.

I too like you was scarred from any early detailing experience on my first new car. Years later, when I got a real job and a real salary, I bought my Charger and decided that I had to learn the right way. I took a detail class from a detailer with good street cred.

Since then I practiced on the daily driver, and even improved those blemishes I made a long time ago. Then I finally started detailing the Charger. While I still make mistakes, I find that you can usually dig yourself out of whatever hole you create - as long as you stick with the Dual Action polisher anyway.

For instance, I accidentally used the #7006 cutting pad with the #9 swirl remover, which left a lot of micromarring in the paint. I freaked out for awhile, fearing again that I had the detail jynx. Then I turned to the forums and after a lot of research, I was able to remedy the situation successfully (#8006 pad with #80).

I also know that if something gets out of my league, I have a good professional detailer that'll help me out.

The #1 motto from what I have seen on this site is to use the least aggressive product that'll get the job done.

Anyway, my recommendation is to take a class from a professional. Then use the less aggressive motto. Practicing on the beaters is a good idea too, but I discovered, the paints may be completely different. What works on one car might have completely different results on the other.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Long time lurker - out of the shadows

Well, guess it is time I finally introduced myself. My name is Mark and I have been reading on MOL and a few other detailing forums for a while now.

Hi Mark,

Welcome to Meguiar's Online!

I went out and bought some stuff including a PC 7424 and a few LCC pads and stuff. I even bought a Gilmour foam gun and trying to figure out what ratio to use for Hyper-wash (hint, that's a question that search can't help Mike).

We'll see if we can locate that information.

I played with it with some Meg pads (burgundy cutting and a polishing pad) and some 3M compound that the autobody store sold me. It seems to have helped, but there are still some swirls.

Meguair's doesn't recommend using cutting pads or compounds with DA polishers, while these types of pads and products will remove defects they tend to scour and haze the paint and most people, especially people new to machine polishing don't have the knowledge, experience or expertise to undo the damage they do, for these reason we keep everyone working safe by sticking with polishing pads and our cleaner/polishes and we're happy to say that most people can successfully tackle about 95% of anything they want to work on with this approach.

Can't tell you how many guys have read other discussion forums and taken the advice from their members and tried cutting pads and compounds on their car's paint and then come to us to learn how to undo the damage. Quite a compliment to us actually.

The paint must be really soft because I never seen a paint that scratches so easily; I think it must be due to the flexible panels. I also have clear coat failure on the rear spoiler, a common problem with Saturns.

Don't assume the paint is soft because it scratches easy, hard paints scratch easy too, it's called "Scratch-Sensitive". Again, this is the type of logic typed about on "other" forums, not here, check out our "Hot Topics" forum where there are 2-3 articles on paint hardness and softness.

Here's one, there's more in Hot Topics
What is the meaning of soft paint?

About 2 years ago, I washed the car, rubbed it out by hand (2 coats) and waxed (2 coats) by hand. I could not sleep that night my arms were so sore. That's part of the reason I bought the PC, I am a bit rotary-shy now from that experience with the Pontiac.

The machine will always outperform the hand as you have learned, the DA polisher is a great way to go, all you have to do now is learn more about pad and product choice and get your techniques down for using it.

So that's my story. Some of the posts have discouraged me a bit, I get the impression that buying the PC was not a great idea because of the rotaries being so much better.

Strange? Most of the posts on this forum are success stories, not stories that would discourage you. Can you share some links to threads on this forum that show what you mean by this?

The rotary buffer is a powerful tool, before jumping from working by hand to the RB you want to get good with the PC, most people that don't get the results they're looking for are using the wrong products or the wrong technique.

We wrote a little article that discusses this completely.
Tips & Techniques for using the G100/PC Dual Action Polisher

I don't know, other sites also show amazing results with the PC, so time will tell.

Again... don't understand why anyone would say this about our site, we lead the cyber world in training and success and often times find our "how-to" information borrowed and posted without giving credit from where it came from.

Please feel free to post any of your how to questions to our Detailing 101 forum.

[Murr1525]

Re: Long time lurker - out of the shadows

Be sure to order the "How to Get a Show Car Shine with the PC" DVD from autodetailingsolutions.com/

As far as the foam gun, you can do it a number of ways:

For instance, with a regular soap like #62 that is 128:1 recomended, you could put 5oz in the 1 qt container, fill with water, and set the gun to 20:1. Or you could put more soap in the container, and use a ratio higher than 20:1.

Since Hyperwash is recomended at 400:1, you might use 2oz of soap in 32oz container, then set the gun at 20:1, and it will only be a slightly strong solution. Or could use 2.5oz of soap and the 32:1 setting. It is really just a matter of playing with the math if you want the exact number. Although I usualy just eyeball it in the end..... the dirtier the car, the more soap it gets.

I like to use more water and then a stonger setting on the gun, so that it is a fairly watery solution, and moves through the tubing easily.

[Aura_XR]

Re: Long time lurker - out of the shadows

Thanks for the help on the dilution for the foam gun Mike, I look forward to it. (edit: and Murr, you posted while I was typing this).

Now I offer an apology; I didn't mean to say that there are posts bashing DA over rotary. I bought the PC under the impression it can do as good as a rotary without the fear of paint burn-through. I am finding reading some posts like PC + 83 not "Cutting" it posts that maybe some of my RIDS are too tough for the PC and I s/h bought a rotary. It just shows that the PC is not the be all end all and safe all that I thought it would be but is a sort of in-between stage.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Long time lurker - out of the shadows

I bought the PC under the impression it can do as good as a rotary without the fear of paint burn-through.

I am finding reading some posts like PC + 83 not "Cutting" it posts that maybe some of my RIDS are too tough for the PC and I s/h bought a rotary.

It just shows that the PC is not the be all end all and safe all that I thought it would be but is a sort of in-between stage.

Your correct, the PC is not a replacement for a rotary buffer, it doesn't come anywhere close to the power offered by the direct drive feature the rotary buffer offers.

It's a great transition from hand to machine and most people after perfecting their technique with the PC will often move up to a rotary buffer for more serious paint correction if they're serious about this craft.

Buffing with a rotary buffer is a huge ordeal compared to buffing with a DA polisher, we think we touched on this in this article here,

Can a Rotary Buffer like a Makita or DeWalt be as Idiot-proof as a PC?

[yalerd]

Re: Long time lurker - out of the shadows

Hello and welcome to Meguiar's Online

Sorry to hear about the accident with the rotary, maybe that's why you should practice and control the rotary with a part that you don't care for.

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Long time lurker - out of the shadows

to mol. This is the place to learn how to give your car a "show car shine" Good luck.

[Heatgain]

Re: Long time lurker - out of the shadows

Once her's is done, then to move onto my pride and joy, a 2007 Aura XR in Onyx black. It has some mild swirling but nothing major, stuff a PC should be able to tackle. Just don't want to try it on a new car yet, let me practice on the messed up cars first.

Welcome Mark. I'm waiting to do my '07 Aura too!
I've done two cars now, my wife's '96 white Saturn SC2, and a friend's '91 silver Honda Accord. Both came out great, with the help of weeks of reading this forum. I might tackle my Techno Gray XR this weekend, but I have to work up the courage.
Nice XR ya got!