What I have Learned Over a Lifetime!

[DSSG]

Well only regarding "waxing" my cars! The rest of what I've learned will take another post!

I have tried many products claimed to protect the paint, and my conclusion regarding the various claims made by the manufacturers is most of it is snake oil.

Modern cars use a 3-step painting system: Primer, color coat, and clear coat. When you wax your car, you are conditioning or enhancing the clear coat to bring out the true nature or natural color of the second coat. I ran across this on the Internet which explains this idea:

http://arrc.ebscohost.com/ebsco_stat...CUSSES_CLE.htm


Notice I use wax or waxing as a general term to describe the process so many devote a good part of their weekends to. In any case, it can best be described as a 4-step process:

1. Wash the car

2. Clay the car to remove anything that isn't paint still stuck to the surface.

3. Polish

4. Wax

The first two steps are mandatory. The first for obvious reason, and claying is mandatory to produce a level clean surface. You don't want to apply wax over dirt or bird droppings.

Number 3 can also include products like cleaners and glazes which are some what similar to polishes. I know there will be a lot of controversy here, but I'm going to only discuss polishes. Unless your paint, actually the clearcoat, is full of scratches, swirls, or badly deteriorated, I'd skip this step.

The first problem is that a polish is abrasive substance whose purpose is to level the paint surface and remove irregularities. It is difficult to apply by hand thus requires a machine application. One needs a fair level of skill to use it properly, and it is easy to burn through the clear coat and end up in the color. When the color of you pad changes, you'll know you've gone too far. BTW, if you do use a polish, make sure it is has an ultra fine abrasive.

Finally the wax. Unless they are truly a real wax like carnauba, I call them synthetic waxes. If they are a one-step product, then they are some concoction made in a chemist's laboratory generally referred to as a polymer. Nu Finish, Black Magic Liquid Car Wax, and most of the stuff on the shelves of auto parts stores are such and should properly be called sealants.

The one-step products do their magic through chemistry and do work great. They'll out last a true wax, and they bring out the paint's color by enhancing the window through which they are viewed, the clear coat.

[2PUTT]

believe it or not, using an orbital is not that aggressive. i have used them for years. i started with the entry level Porter Cable and have since moved to a Flex. the polish and pad combo together with the speed and pressure applied from the orbital is the magic formula in taking care of the painted surfaces. (keep in mind that there are different abrasive grades for polishes and pads.)

i learned most of my detailing skills from emailing/calling Phil@detailersdomain. i suggest you give him a ring. he can probably suggest you a nice kit to start with. i think he has his black friday sale starting tomorrow.

here are a few tools you can check out. the Griot's tool is a great one to start with. it is not strong enough to burn paint. it is comparable to the Porter Cable that i started with.

http://www.detailersdomain.com/Orbit...hers_c_59.html

here is one of my cars when i first started getting into detailing.
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...ed-S4-lt-lt-lt

here is another black car i detailed years ago.
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...lt-lt-lt-lt-lt