"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
11/16/2014 at 17:56 • Filed to: None
0
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"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
11/16/2014 at 17:56 • Filed to: None | 0
| 8 |
Something I want to learn is how to properly detail the outside of a car. I plan on purchasing the necessary items and attempting a full detail on my old car and then eventually doing my newer car. Now from what I have read so far, here are the steps I will need to follow:
Wash the car with car soap (two bucket method preferred)
Clay bar (2ft sections at a time)
Polish/Compound
Wax
Tire dressing, windows, etc.
Now the most I have done for a car in the past have been simple hand washing with a single bucket and minor scratch polishing by hand. I plan on learning how to clay bar first and then polishing and waxing. I believe that this is a time intensive project so I will dedicate a whole day to it. Now what I am curious about is if I need to add any washing steps in between each step. I will of course be watching many tutorial videos on each task and working in small sections until I get it right. Anyone have some input towards this?
Stupidru
> Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/16/2014 at 18:15 |
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Steps 1-3 are probably your most important steps to take that have been drastically simplified. Different soaps, towels, lubricants, clays, abrasive compounds, abrasive pads, type of DA polisher, jeweling compounds, jeweling pads, pressure, passes, passing methods, temperature control, etc.
The fact that you care about this is important though- just stick with it and you'll pick it up in due time. Remember that if you have a DA polisher, almost anything you do to your paint can be cured by proper technique and materials. I'd suggest going to a junk yard and getting a scrap hood or something that has been beaten up pretty badly and practicing on that before you try your own vehicle.
Good luck & happy detailing!
48 Spoons
> Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/16/2014 at 18:23 |
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I find that this guy has really good vids on auto detailing: https://www.youtube.com/user/AMMONYCdo…
Axial
> Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/16/2014 at 18:42 |
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Here's what I do:
1. Wash car; start from the top and work your way down. Rinse and dry each section as you finish to minimize chances for water spots. Do a preliminary drying wipe over the windows so they are easier to clean, later.
1a. Wash tires; get a tire brush and just have at the sidewalls and tread edges.
1b. Wash wheel faces; you'll want a wheel brush/sponge for this if your wheels are more complicated than a simple 5 spoke. After you've washed and rinsed each wheel, wipe them down with something dry to, again, minimize spotting.
2. Clay bar; you'll need clay and a lubricant. I just use Meguiar's Quick Detailer as a lubricant, some people suggest slightly soapy water, others use just straight water (if you go this route, I suggest getting some distilled water so you don't get spots). Lightly spray the section you want to work on, usually about 2.25 to 3 sq. feet. Clay bar in a back-and-forth motion. You may not even need to clay your whole car. Run your fingers along your paint to find rough patches to hit.
3. Compound; I have no idea how to use a DA, nor do I have one, so I do this all by hand. Grab an applicator pad and a small dab of your cutting compound of choice to it. In a 2.5 to 3 sq. ft. area, rub in a circular motion, making about 30 passes around every spot in that area. You'll want to keep up the elbow grease, because this stuff doesn't work without some pressure. Wipe the area when finished so nothing remains, then move on to the next spot. Don't worry about swirls, the polish will take care of that.
4. Polish; this step is exactly the same as the previous, but use a polishing compound instead. By now, your paint should feel like glass after you've hit an area with the polish. If it doesn't, you've probably missed a spot with the clay bar or cutting compound.
6. Wax; take your wax, take your applicator, apply it thinly and evenly to the entire car sans rubber and windows with circular motions, and then let it all sit for 10-15 minutes, or dry to a hazed look. When it's a bit crusty, it's time to remove it. Take some microfiber towels and go to town, taking care to not use the same motion for too long or the wax will cake on the fibers and make them all start pointing the same way, reducing the towel's effectiveness drastically. Also take care not to let particulates get in, or you'll scratch that surface you've worked so hard to make shiny. You might need a Popsicle stick to wrap your cloth around to get inside shutlines and other seams and crevices.
7. Detailing wax. Spray on microfiber rag, wipe over car in circular motions, wipe off with clean microfiber rag.
8. Tire shine; spray onto tires as evenly as you can, wipe around with a rag to make it even more even, and repeat until thoroughly shiny.
9. Trim touch-up; this only applies if you have black plastic bits around your car's exterior. Take a compound such as Back to Black and just rub it into the plastic. If you haven't done this before and your car is not exactly brand new, the difference is somewhat dramatic.
10. Clean windows; some people say use a piece of news paper, I say yuck to that. I have some lint-free, burr-free linen cloths I use to clean the glass. Any window cleaner will do, you just have to take care to use as little as possible because more cleaner means more streaks to get after. A flashlight helps locate streaks.
11. Step back and admire your handiwork!
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Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
> Axial
11/16/2014 at 19:06 |
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I have tried hand polishing before and found that amount of effort needed to be pretty astounding. I am definitely interested in using a Dual Action buffer. I definitely do not want to damage paint though so I want to find a relatively 'safe' tool. I have been considering this one: http://www.amazon.com/PORTER-CABLE-7…
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Axial
> Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/16/2014 at 19:14 |
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I am not really informed enough to offer a meaningful input on a DA polisher. Obviously, don't linger on one spot too long and mind your pressure, but otherwise I'm just as in the dark as you.
Conan
> Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/16/2014 at 19:39 |
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Tavarish has some good guides/product suggestions on his site.
Buick Mackane
> Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/16/2014 at 22:05 |
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Looks like you forgot to get a 'grit guard" for your buckets. They let the dirt settle to the bottom of the bucket and not on your wash rag or mitt.
ViperGuy21
> Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/17/2014 at 12:09 |
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Check out Autogeek.net. I've learned most all of my stuff from them. Watch the videos, read the step by step instructions, take notes even. And you will need an entire day. Especially if you want to do interior too. If you would like me to send you a detailed(pun intended) list/outline of what I suggest and what I've gathered from hours of research, drop me an email and I will send you it as a .pdf, word doc, or pages doc. However you like! Hope I can help because I remember when I was in your shoes, and man, it's confusing as crap!