The Detailing Thread

[FoMoJo]

Gave mom's Q5 a good wash n wax treatment before winter. Paint's looking good ~62k miles in.

Did she tip you?

[giant_mtb]

Did she tip you?

Nah, they've been letting me use their garage for the last 10 years to run my business...they owe me nothing.

[12,000 RPM]

Question- I wash my cars with waterless car wash spray. Can I compound after using that? They def leave some kind of protective waxy film when I'm done. I think the residue on the G is just about gone so that should be fine, but there are some clearcoat oxidation spots I wanna hit on the Civic before I put it on the market.

[giant_mtb]

If you're gonna buff, you want to actually wash it.  You want your paint to be as clean as possible.  Not washing it would be like wiping your body down with butt wipes before putting on a suit for a wedding.

[Rupert]

I had the XTerra interior detailed at the dealership when it was in for the 60 kmile service (only place open on a Saturday in Boise, $$$), and they did a really good job de-dusting the dust machine, but then they had to Armor All the plastic. Oh well, the only part of the bill that was cheaper than expected was the detail, so I'll take what I can get. They threw in a thorough exterior wash too.

[giant_mtb]

Nothing like paying money to have somebody slab bacon grease on your dashboard.  Ugh.

[12,000 RPM]

What do you recommend for drying? Just some regular microfiber towels? I saw someone on YT dry their car off with a leafblower but that shit didn't work at all for me.

[CaminoRacer]

Chamois

[giant_mtb]

What do you recommend for drying? Just some regular microfiber towels? I saw someone on YT dry their car off with a leafblower but that shit didn't work at all for me.

I'll sometimes run my ShopVac as a blower if I'm looking to wax immediately after washing (ie, I'm not doing the interior)...works really well to blow the air out of the side mirrors, bumpers, and all the other cracks.

[12,000 RPM]

Practicing detailing on the Civic, which I thought had pretty decent paint. Def makes a huge difference, I'm pretty shocked! And it's pretty fun too.

Some more questions though.............

-How many times can I use the same pads? Or I guess another way to ask is how do I know when a pad must be tossed?

-I got something weaker than polish, polish and compound and 3 levels of pads. I'm using the harshest pad and the 2nd harshest polish, and there are still some scratches that aren't coming out. They don't seem that deep. Do I need to go up to compound or just make more passes?

-Are polishes/compounds from places like Autozone OK to use? Like Meguiars and Turtle Wax and shit? I have some momentum going and I like what I'm seeing with the Civic so I want to try the G next. But I'm pretty sure I'm gonna run out of this polish (though it looks like I will need to go harsh on the G)

- How the **** do you clean behind door handles?

[giant_mtb]

Pads will last a long time.  If you're compounding, I'd recommend washing the pads after the vehicle is done. But for a soft pad you're just using to wax that isn't doing lots of actual work, you don't have to wash them too too often unless they get pretty caked. Normal laundry detergent is fine. There is pad/microfiber specific stuff you can buy and use in the washing machine, but I honestly didn't notice a difference over normal, additive-free detergent.  I have pads that are a few years old and they still work fine even with moderately heavy use.

If something isn't coming out and you think it will with a stronger compound or pad, do it. There's nothing wrong with going over spots a couple times if need be, especially with how safe random orbit is.  I typically keep the pads and compounds "together."  By that I mean I only use a heavy cutting pad with a heavy cut compound, as they're designed for it.  There's nothing wrong with using a stronger pad with a lower compound, though, or vice versa. ie, it won't harm anything either way.

Yeah, auto zone stuff is just fine. If they carry anything from Wizards, I highly recommend them.  I use a lot of Meguiar's products, including stuff that's available at the store. Their Mirror Glaze lineup is basically pro level stuff. Also highly recommended.  A bottle should last you a long time, shouldn't take a whole 16oz to buff a car.  Use enough, but not too much.

Door handles are tricky. You can carefully work the pad in there as much as possible. Try doing it by hand, too. Anything helps. Otherwise, those drill attachment cone pads are probably you're best/only real option.

[giant_mtb]

Also, I'm glad you're enjoying it. Practice makes perfect, and once you find a groove, it's an awesome process.  Therapeutic even (which is why I enjoy it as much as I do...instant gratification). Being comfortable with the tool and understanding the compounds you use are the most important parts.

Take any good before/after pics?

[giant_mtb]

Also, I will say that a lot of detailing is trial and error.  If something works, it works. If it doesnt, try something else. Experimenting is experience. With all the different pads and compounds and products out there, there's no cookie cutter process beyond the generalities.  Don't be afraid to experiment to find what works for you with the tools you have! 

[12,000 RPM]

Thanks and thanks for all the advice.

I got started on the G.... I think it's making a difference, but it's def not final. Would it make sense to follow up with a lighter polish after? The Civic was good to go but the G def needs something else, even after 3 passes. Do harder compounds/pads leave scratches that lighter ones can take care of?

[giant_mtb]

Think of it like sanding wood.  You start with a heavy grit and finish with a lighter grit.  Sanding all day with 80 grit isn't going to get you 800-grit results...it's just going to eat all the wood.  Especially for black paint, going through a multi-stage process is key to get the results you want.  Your cutting compound is like 80 grit paper, and your polish/finish compound is like 200-400 grit.  Wax/glaze/etc is your super smooth 800-1000 grit (ie, virtually non-abrasive). 

So, cut, polish/finish, and seal/glaze/wax.  You don't necessarily want to go over it multiple times with heavy cutting compound if it's not garnering the results.  Heavier pads/compounds can and do leave swirls behind because of the fact that they're more abrasive, and it can be especially noticeable on black paint (black paint is always tough, but super rewarding when done).  You want to use your lighter finishing polish to take care of the remaining swirls and fine scratches left behind by heavier pads/compounds, as that's what it's designed for.  Black paint generally requires you to be thorough and go through the process from top to bottom to get it as close to perfect as possible.

[12,000 RPM]

OK, that makes a lot of sense. I will have to come back to it another day. Is there any risk in waiting a week after just having done nothing but the compound? I finished up with a spray on wash/wax that got rid of the milky haze. Looking forward to seeing it in the daylight tomorrow.

[giant_mtb]

No risk at all.  Just make sure she's washed nicely again before you finish the job. 

[giant_mtb]

What exactly do you mean by three passes?  Do you mean that you compound a section, wipe it off, and then repeat two more times?  Or do you mean that while compounding, you get three passes on the panel area before it's time to wipe off?  Just want to clarify so my advice is accurate. haha

[12,000 RPM]

Three passes before I wipe it off..... wiping off between passes seems like a huge waste of compound

[giant_mtb]

Three passes before I wipe it off..... wiping off between passes seems like a huge waste of compound

Oh, okay.  I didn't mean wiping off between every pass, I meant like buffing a section with multiple passes, wiping it off, and then repeating two more times.  Gah, I dunno, I'm confusing myself now.

Three passes before you're ready to wipe the polish off isn't abnormal at all and probably a good place to be, so edit that part of the brain.  I don't think I've ever really consciously counted my passes, but it probably ranges anywhere from 3-5 and I overlap about 1/3 to 1/2.  Temperature and humidity can affect how the polish acts, or sometimes you just feel like you should do another pass or two...not a problem.  The polish will tell you if and when it's time to knock it off, if anything, as that's often what I go by.  You'll get the feel of it eventually

Either way, the whole sandpaper concept still applies.

[12,000 RPM]

I have to count out loud or I will be super inconsistent. I learned that about myself in the gym. For trouble spots (I think the PO had trouble finding the door handles in the dark and would try and find them with their nails ) I probably went over like 5-7 times in total. It was hard work though, damn.... kind of sore today.

I guess my last 2 questions are... well for now at least.... you see the nostrils and creases on my front bumper. Will I just have to attack that by hand? Orbital won't spin over those kinds of ridges. And also, is there ANY easy way to clean wheels? I got one of those spray things and it did jack shit.

[giant_mtb]

Yeah, detailing is kind of a low-impact, low-intensity workout. Nothing particularly strenuous, but you're constantly holding onto a weight (at least while buffing), putting your body in weird positions, etc.  Just make sure you're not applying too much pressure on the buffer...let the tool do the work.  Moderate pressure is totally fine, especially for digging a bit at some deep scratches, but on the same lines as sanding, you want to lessen the pressure as you go through the stages.  Light pressure during finishing polish, and then virtually no pressure besides the weight of the tool for your final wax and such.

For your front bumper, yeah, just do what you can.  Use the buffer on all the surfaces you're comfortable touching with it and do others by hand.  You'll probably be the only one to be able to notice a real difference, as it'll just blend together to most people, especially down low on a bumper.  The more you buff, the better you'll get at using the tool on trickier surfaces.  You could also consider getting a drill attachment that accepts smaller ~3" buffing pads, which can be useful in tight spots, on headlights, etc.  https://www.autogeek.net/drill-backing-plate.html

For wheels, not sure what you mean about spray things (foam gun?), but using the right wheel cleaner is really the only thing that matters.  Using something like Meg's Wheel Brightener or CarPro IronX will make your wheel cleaning life so much easier.  Apply, wait the appropriate amount of time, wash with a brush and soapy water, rinse, and repeat if necessary.  I haven't used a store-bought wheel cleaner in years, so I can't really suggest which one may be best.  Wheel Brightener is my everyday go-to wheel cleaner and it tackles 90% of the wheels I see with relative ease (ie, one pass).  IronX is a bit stronger, but is tangibly more expensive, so I only use it when I have to.  A gallon of Wheel Brigthener is $20 on Autogeek and you can dilute it into spray bottles 4:1, so it's well worth the money.  I also highly recommend a Speedmaster Wheel Brush, especially for wheels like yours where the inner wheel is really visible.

https://www.autogeek.net/meguiars-d140-combo.html
https://www.autogeek.net/daytona-special.html

[12,000 RPM]

Cool, I will jump on that. I hope you are getting AG referral money

The LED floodlights I use in my garage are harsh AF. Under diffuse daylight the G looks great. Still a lot of blemishes like bird shit etchings and just general nasty scratches, but the spider web shit and acid rain marks are gone. I think tonight I might attack the headlights.

Ha, another question... how do I clean my pads? I tried to throw them in the washing machine I read something about soaking them. What do you do

[giant_mtb]

Yeah, sunlight is almost always much prettier than harsh shop lights.

I clean my pads in the washing machine. I'll do a load of microfibers and pads that are generally clean and a separate load of microfibers that are legit dirty.  Did they not come clean well?  I used to soak mine in the sink with Dawn and then scrub them out by hand, but I got sick of that and just started washing machining them with my microfibers, haven't looked back. Warm wash, cold rinse, like everything I wash.

As I mentioned a few comments up, I've used both detergent and microfiber-/pad-specific cleaner and didn't notice too much of a difference.  I'm gonna use up the bottle and go back to dye/additive free detergent. Don't use dryer sheets or anything above low heat (no heat recommended).

[CaminoRacer]

I was gonna sand & polish the headlights on the Mazda6 this week, but it's kinda tough to wetsand in 15 degree weather.

[12,000 RPM]

I need to do fix the paint on the KIA. Just thinking through the process

Wash
Clay? (How do I know if I need to clay? There aren't any sap spots or anything like that)
Use least harsh compound
Seal/wax (W/a synthetic, correct? Should I apply with the orbital buffer?)

Paint is nowhere near as bad as the G but it is black so it needs some help.

[MrH]

Definitely clay before using any compound. You're getting to wreck your clear coat otherwise.

[giant_mtb]

You know you need to clay if, when the paint is clean, you can still feel 3D contaminants on the paint. Just gently run your fingers around to find out. If you're planning to buff, clay barring is good practice anyways, and you'll be glad you did it.

Also highly recommend a clay bar mitt.  So much faster and easier, available on autogeek.net.

Feel free to apply your wax/sealant with the orbital buffer, just turn the speed way down and use a finishing pad or jeweling pad.  Wax doesn't have to be synthetic, my go-to right now is Collinite's Insulator wax.  Sealants are generally always synthetic and will likely last longer than a wax, but both will provide similar results.

I much prefer waxing with the buffer, as it's faster and more consistent. Does a lot more motions than by hand, so the wax gets spread really nicely and evenly.

[CaminoRacer]

Wtf is this KIA deal? I don't see a thread.

[12,000 RPM]

Wtf is this KIA deal? I don't see a thread.

I totalled the G at the speedway