How do I avoid swirl marks in the paint?

[Junkman2008]

Okay, first off, outstanding video! You really showed me a lot and I got a very good look at exactly what you are doing. First, let's address what you are doing incorrectly.

1. You're using way too much product!!! Allow me explain the the technical reason why using too much product renders your technique ineffective.

The pad that you use has holes or "pores" in it. The bigger the pores, the more cut the pad has. This is similar to those facial exfoliating sponges that women use to deep clean their faces. By using too much product, you totally clog up the pores in the pad and render it useless! You could be using the most aggressive polish known to detailing but if the pad has no cut, you're just exercising! You should either be using a very thin bead around the pad or 3 pea-sized drops as I do in my videos. Less is more with this stuff. As they say in medicine, just because 1X is good doesn't make 2X better.

2. Always start with a clean pad. I didn't understand if you had used that pad earlier in the day or the day before but if that pad had sat overnight with product in it, you definitely want it cleaned before you start using it.

3. Crank the speed up on that polisher! You are using one of the safest polishers on the market. You are NOT going to hurt anything as long as you don't get crazy with it and the polishes you use. Work on a speed setting of 5. You can spread the polish around within the area that you are about to work on a setting of 1 but other than that, the setting of 1 is totally useless on that machine. When I was looking at the polish you were using, I couldn't understand why the paint wasn't finishing down as it should (according to you, the paint was dull looking and didn't "pop" like you thought it should). Now you know why. You were not allowing the polish to do the work that it can do by working it at such a low speed. Speed of 5, using 9-15 pounds of pressure. The pressure you use includes the weight of the polisher.

4. You are working WAY to large of an area! That fender should have been split up into 3 different sections. There is no way that you can work that large of an area with that polisher. You should only work a 1.5' - 2' area with each application of polish. Bring your work area down to those parameters.

5. You are working much too fast! You need to slow it WAY down. You are not allowing the polisher to do anything at that speed. The polisher needs time to correct the paint because of its limited abilities and the faster you work, the less work you allow the polisher to do. Sloooooow down! Watch how I work the polisher in this video. You need to go SLOWER than I'm going. Also notice how small of an area that I am working. That is how small of an area you need to work also.

6. You really need to consider using M105/M205. There's nothing wrong with the product you're using but it is a more advanced product which needs to be followed with something else. This is the problem with Meguiar's professional line. You can go in a few different directions with the stuff they make and that causes confusion among novice detailers. Also, some of their compounds are made just for the rotary and not the orbital. The M105/M205 combination has eliminated that confusion. One removes the paint damage and the other brings the shine back. This is just like Adam's Swirl & Haze Remover and Fine Machine Polish. Simplicity rules in novice land. I highly suggest you go that route if you want to use the Meguiar's line.

I would also suggest that you check out the Lake Country pads over at AutoGeek.net. Their orange pad may have more bite than the pad you're using. The pad you have appears to be an older design. If your back plate is a 5" plate, go with the 5.5" pads that Lake Country sells. All you need is the orange for M105 and the white for M205.

Okay, those are the major things that I see which need to change. One thing that I am not sure of are those towels you are using. I went to the site where you buy them and it looks like they sell some of the same "made in China" towels that you can buy over the counter. Those towels are horrible. You should have taken you son's suggestion and gotten a close up shot of the towels. When he said that, I was like, "Yes!" Then you shot his suggestion down and I want to bonk you over the head with that polisher. Tell he he did good.

Zaino and Adam's both have some excellent microfiber towels. I would highly suggest you look at either the Zaino Borderless Blond towel or the Adam's Superplush White towel. Both are excellent as I said before.

One thing that I was happy to see was your overlapping sweep technique. Up and down, back and forth is exactly how it should be done. I also appreciate you being honest with your technique and showing me exactly what you were doing. That gives me the opportunity to direct you to a successful resolution to your problem. You provided plenty of information which is always the best route to go. Kudos to you on that.

If anyone else wants to make a video for me to critique, this should be the template that you follow. Again, kudos to you KC on a really good production.

 

[kcobean]

Okay, first off, outstanding video! You really showed me a lot and I got a very good look at exactly what you are doing. First, let's address what you are doing incorrectly.

1. You're using way too much product!!! Allow me explain the the technical reason why using too much product renders your technique ineffective.

The pad that you use has holes or "pores" in it. The bigger the pores, the more cut the pad has. This is similar to those facial exfoliating sponges that women use to deep clean their faces. By using too much product, you totally clog up the pores in the pad and render it useless! You could be using the most aggressive polish known to detailing but if the pad has no cut, you're just exercising! You should either be using a very thin bead around the pad or 3 pea-sized drops as I do in my videos. Less is more with this stuff. As they say in medicine, just because 1X is good doesn't make 2X better.

Got it. Thanks! I always assumed it was the polish doing ALL the work, so you had to put on enough that it couldn't all absorb into the pad. Now I know!

2. Always start with a clean pad. I didn't understand if you had used that pad earlier in the day or the day before but if that pad had sat overnight with product in it, you definitely want it cleaned before you start using it.

I had been using the pad just prior to making the video, it was clean 10 or 15 minutes prior to the video.

3. Crank the speed up on that polisher! You are using one of the safest polishers on the market. You are NOT going to hurt anything as long as you don't get crazy with it and the polishes you use. Work on a speed setting of 5. You can spread the polish around within the area that you are about to work on a setting of 1 but other than that, the setting of 1 is totally useless on that machine. When I was looking at the polish you were using, I couldn't understand why the paint wasn't finishing down as it should (according to you, the paint was dull looking and didn't "pop" like you thought it should). Now you know why. You were not allowing the polish to do the work that it can do by working it at such a low speed. Speed of 5, using 9-15 pounds of pressure. The pressure you use includes the weight of the polisher.

Got it! Speed 5, I'll probably go with the heavier end of the 9-15 pounds for now...some of these scratches are pretty deep.

4. You are working WAY to large of an area! That fender should have been split up into 3 different sections. There is no way that you can work that large of an area with that polisher. You should only work a 1.5' - 2' area with each application of polish. Bring your work area down to those parameters.

I figured that since I"m working a narrow strip about 6-10" wide, the longer section would be about the equivalent of 2'x2'. I'll work smaller areas from now on though.

5. You are working much too fast! You need to slow it WAY down. You are not allowing the polisher to do anything at that speed. The polisher needs time to correct the paint because of its limited abilities and the faster you work, the less work you allow the polisher to do. Sloooooow down! Watch how I work the polisher in this video. You need to go SLOWER than I'm going. Also notice how small of an area that I am working. That is how small of an area you need to work also.

Got it. Thanks! I would never have guessed....are there any guidelines for how hot the paint surface should be after completing a section? Is it possible to go TOO slow?

6. You really need to consider using M105/M205. There's nothing wrong with the product you're using but it is a more advanced product which needs to be followed with something else. This is the problem with Meguiar's professional line. You can go in a few different directions with the stuff they make and that causes confusion among novice detailers. Also, some of their compounds are made just for the rotary and not the orbital. The M105/M205 combination has eliminated that confusion. One removes the paint damage and the other brings the shine back. This is just like Adam's Swirl & Haze Remover and Fine Machine Polish. Simplicity rules in novice land. I highly suggest you go that route if you want to use the Meguiar's line.

I will definitely pick up a bottle of each 105/205, I just didn't have any on hand, it's not available locally that I'm aware of, and I wanted to get this video up for your critique, which I genuinely appreciate!

I would also suggest that you check out the Lake Country pads over at AutoGeek.net. Their orange pad may have more bite than the pad you're using. The pad you have appears to be an older design. If your back plate is a 5" plate, go with the 5.5" pads that Lake Country sells. All you need is the orange for M105 and the white for M205.

Roger!

Okay, those are the major things that I see which need to change. One thing that I am not sure of are those towels you are using. I went to the site where you buy them and it looks like they sell some of the same "made in China" towels that you can buy over the counter. Those towels are horrible. You should have taken you son's suggestion and gotten a close up shot of the towels. When he said that, I was like, "Yes!" Then you shot his suggestion down and I want to bonk you over the head with that polisher. Tell he he did good.

Zaino and Adam's both have some excellent microfiber towels. I would highly suggest you look at either the Zaino Borderless Blond towel or the Adam's Superplush White towel. Both are excellent as I said before.

Hmmm....the towels I'm using are a "zaino approved" towel...by Sal Zaino himself. What website did you look at? I looked on Zaino's website and couldn't find anything indicating that they sell a towel.

One thing that I was happy to see was your overlapping sweep technique. Up and down, back and forth is exactly how it should be done. I also appreciate you being honest with your technique and showing me exactly what you were doing. That gives me the opportunity to direct you to a successful resolution to your problem. You provided plenty of information which is always the best route to go. Kudos to you on that.

I'm a total newb (as if that wasn't obvious!), and you obviously are very good at this, so I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to do this "virtual clinic". I just want to have the best looking car possible.

If anyone else wants to make a video for me to critique, this should be the template that you follow. Again, kudos to you KC on a really good production.

Thank you Junkman! I really appreciate the input!

 

[Junkman2008]

Don't forget to tell your son about his good suggestion!

If Sal approved those towels, then use away. Sal wouldn't approve anything that isn't worthy. I would more than trust his judgment. Here are the towels that I bought from Sal to see what they felt like and how they performed:

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This is by far one of the best towels on the market. I couldn't find them on his site either. Maybe they are back ordered. I would contact him and inquire as to their status (can you tell that I was doing a write on microfiber towels? ).

On the subject of hot paint or going to slow. The only way that you are going to remotely get that paint hot is to park your car in direct sunlight. Your polisher does not spin anywhere near close enough to get the paint hot and the more pressure you apply, the less work it does. Furthermore, the dual action of your polisher cannot heat the paint up because the pad never sits in one spot. I guess you can work too slow but the only thing that will come from that is it will take you longer to get done. You definitely are not going to damage your paint. It takes the power and spin action of a rotary to get the paint hot. That's not a problem you can have with the machine you have. Even if you park your car in direct sunlight, you still can't mess anything up with that polisher. The paint can get all the hot it wants. The PC style polishers are all still safe enough to work with.

I work in direct sunlight at every show or clinic I put on. I need to be able to see the paint damage and a shady garage won't work for me. In my garage at home, I use 500W halogen lights. That's how I stay cool and work indoors. I highly suggest you invest in a set with two lights.

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One thing about your deep scratches. Like I said before, the more pressure you apply, the less work the polisher does. If you start killing the rotation of the pad with pressure, that leaves only the oscillation of the pad to do the work. That means that you have killed 50% of your polisher's capability. This is why technique is so important. The correct amount of pressure coupled with the right product and pads is going to yield the best result. Skimp anywhere in that arena and satisfactory results will skimp you. Technique trumps all however, as the wrong technique will yield nothing no matter who's products you're using.

 

[kcobean]

Don't forget to tell your son about his good suggestion!

If Sal approved those towels, then use away. Sal wouldn't approve anything that isn't worthy. I would more than trust his judgment. Here are the towels that I bought from Sal to see what they felt like and how they performed:

You must be registered for see images

You must be registered for see images

You must be registered for see images

This is by far one of the best towels on the market. I couldn't find them on his site either. Maybe they are back ordered. I would contact him and inquire as to their status (can you tell that I was doing a write on microfiber towels? ).

On the subject of hot paint or going to slow. The only way that you are going to remotely get that paint hot is to park your car in direct sunlight. Your polisher does not spin anywhere near close enough to get the paint hot and the more pressure you apply, the less work it does. Furthermore, the dual action of your polisher cannot heat the paint up because the pad never sits in one spot. I guess you can work too slow but the only thing that will come from that is it will take you longer to get done. You definitely are not going to damage your paint. It takes the power and spin action of a rotary to get the paint hot. That's not a problem you can have with the machine you have. Even if you park your car in direct sunlight, you still can't mess anything up with that polisher. The paint can get all the hot it wants. The PC style polishers are all still safe enough to work with.

I work in direct sunlight at every show or clinic I put on. I need to be able to see the paint damage and a shady garage won't work for me. In my garage at home, I use 500W halogen lights. That's how I stay cool and work indoors. I highly suggest you invest in a set with two lights.

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One thing about your deep scratches. Like I said before, the more pressure you apply, the less work the polisher does. If you start killing the rotation of the pad with pressure, that leaves only the oscillation of the pad to do the work. That means that you have killed 50% of your polisher's capability. This is why technique is so important. The correct amount of pressure coupled with the right product and pads is going to yield the best result. Skimp anywhere in that arena and satisfactory results will skimp you. Technique trumps all however, as the wrong technique will yield nothing no matter who's products you're using.

Thanks Junkman. I've learned a ton from you. I spent a while out in the garage today using what I've gathered, and I was able to make some progress, but I'm still not getting through those deep scratches, and even a few little patches of these odd looking 'pinfeather' shaped scratches...ugh, this paint is such a mess. I'm guessing the combination of a bad pad and product that's probably 6 years old is getting me nowhere fast. Time to invest in some new stuff.

 

[Junkman2008]

Thanks Junkman. I've learned a ton from you. I spent a while out in the garage today using what I've gathered, and I was able to make some progress, but I'm still not getting through those deep scratches, and even a few little patches of these odd looking 'pinfeather' shaped scratches...ugh, this paint is such a mess. I'm guessing the combination of a bad pad and product that's probably 6 years old is getting me nowhere fast. Time to invest in some new stuff.

I'm pretty sure that the age of that stuff will have some serious bearing on its performance. Most of that stuff is good for a year in order to remain at the tip of it's performance although it can last longer. Six years is really pushing it!

Let'***** it again when you get the new stuff in. We can even do a phone conference if necessary. Just let me know.

 

[kcobean]

I'm pretty sure that the age of that stuff will have some serious bearing on its performance. Most of that stuff is good for a year in order to remain at the tip of it's performance although it can last longer. Six years is really pushing it!

Let'***** it again when you get the new stuff in. We can even do a phone conference if necessary. Just let me know.

I may take you up on that phone conference! I just ordered 32 oz each of M105 and M205, and some Lake Country orange/white pads from AG, so hopefully next weekend I'll be able to get this baby looking right!

Thanks again, I really can't wait to see this car shine.

 

[Junkman2008]

Those are the size bottles I buy! That a lot for one car. You won't put a dent in those bottles if you use the right amount of product. They just started selling them in smaller bottles now.

 

[kcobean]

Those are the size bottles I buy! That a lot for one car. You won't put a dent in those bottles if you use the right amount of product. They just started selling them in smaller bottles now.

Yeah, I saw the smaller bottles. I'll probably do my Detonator Yellow 2007 Ram 1500 Quad Cab as well....and some other VCA Member cars, and.....

This stuff is fun, and now that I'm on the right track to actually get some results, I'd like to do more!

 

[Junkman2008]

...This stuff is fun, and now that I'm on the right track to actually get some results, I'd like to do more!

OMG... what have I unleashed!

 

[kcobean]

OMG... what have I unleashed!

LOL...washing my car has always been 'therapeutic' and enjoyable for me. Now that I know how to get even more out of my finish, it'll be that much better. I'm not over the edge until I take the polisher to the lawn mower.

 

[Junkman2008]

... I'm not over the edge until I take the polisher to the lawn mower.

I'm with you man. That's why I won't do this for money. It is a relaxing and therapeutic experience for me also. We definitely share the love!

 

[agentf1]

LOL...washing my car has always been 'therapeutic' and enjoyable for me. Now that I know how to get even more out of my finish, it'll be that much better. I'm not over the edge until I take the polisher to the lawn mower.

Guilty. Does it count if I was just testing some products? It is a tractor, that has to account for something.

 

[PDCjonny]

Nice work in this thread, Junkman.

 

[viper067]

Huge thanks to kcobean and junkman. I tried my PC a couple of times and had limited success, having watched kco's video and junkman's critique of it I found that I had many of the same mistakes. Also, watching kelly hack away at his new Viper I decided that trying it out again on a 16yr old is probably a lot less risky. I also spent a lot of time last night watching junkman's brother in a garage how to video's and they were very helpful.
The results I had to today were very good, although I think I should try some different pads which I had planned to do anyway. I must also say that the Kelly's paint is probably in much better condition than mine as I still have many scratches after a few passes and some that will most likely have to be wet sanded out or perhaps a more aggressive pad and compound... it will probably take some time to build up the nerve to try wetsanding but once again junkman's video's are very informative.
As a question to the junkman, one of the previous owners had done a very poor job with some paint chip repairs .... If I were to blob some touch up paint on them and give it plenty of time to harden, could I then wet sand it down to smooth? Not to worried about screwing it up since I don't think the repair job could be any worse than the current condition. Any thoughts on the LC Kompressor pads?
Thanks again.

 

[Junkman2008]

Guilty. Does it count if I was just testing some products? It is a tractor, that has to account for something.

Be aware of guys who may show up at your door with a white jacket!

Nice work in this thread, Junkman.

Thanks Jon.

Huge thanks to kcobean and junkman. I tried my PC a couple of times and had limited success, having watched kco's video and junkman's critique of it I found that I had many of the same mistakes. Also, watching kelly hack away at his new Viper I decided that trying it out again on a 16yr old is probably a lot less risky. I also spent a lot of time last night watching junkman's brother in a garage how to video's and they were very helpful.
The results I had to today were very good, although I think I should try some different pads which I had planned to do anyway. I must also say that the Kelly's paint is probably in much better condition than mine as I still have many scratches after a few passes and some that will most likely have to be wet sanded out or perhaps a more aggressive pad and compound... it will probably take some time to build up the nerve to try wetsanding but once again junkman's video's are very informative.
As a question to the junkman, one of the previous owners had done a very poor job with some paint chip repairs .... If I were to blob some touch up paint on them and give it plenty of time to harden, could I then wet sand it down to smooth? Not to worried about screwing it up since I don't think the repair job could be any worse than the current condition. Any thoughts on the LC Kompressor pads?
Thanks again.

First of all, get the ideal of wet sanding out of your head! That is a very advanced repair technique that takes quite a bit of practice to master. I may make it look easy, but easy it is not. Find a clunker to work on and practice on it until you become an expert. Only then do you want to even glance in the direction of your Viper.

Now let's address your paint chips. There are 2 different products that you should look at. The first is the Langka System. The second is Dr. Colorchip.

They both can give you excellent results, but only if used exactly as the manufacturer recommends. The Langka System requires you to wait 24 hours between touch-ups which means you could be working on a chip for days. Read up on both products and post any questions you may have. We'll take it from there.

 

[kcobean]

Ok Junkman...I made a quick follow up video...I got a bit long winded (sorry about that), but I finally got an angle that shows just how bad the paint is screwed up on some areas of this car. Sorry to kind of drag on, but you can see that my polishing skills are really coming along:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAtEu_53nu8[/media]

Also, one thing I noticed is that I can literally "dent" the clear coat on the panel shown in the video by just tapping it with the edge of my fingernail. Is that normal for paint to be so soft?

This car is going to require MAJOR caution to prevent absolutely trashing the paint in a short period because the clear coat is so soft.

 

[TrackAire]

kco,

Good job on the paint. I think that a lot of paint "issues" on brand new cars are actually done at the dealership when they have someone clean and wash the car for minimum wage...you can imagine washing 8 or 9 cars in a morning and using the same towel to scrub them all down.

I know that the more I look at the paint under bright worklights when the car is up on the lift (and you can see different angles that you would not normally see when the car is on the ground) our paint from the factory leaves a lot to be desired. I know that it is not a Ferrari, but you are right, scratches occur way to easy, lots of paint prep work not done right, etc.

I was out at Infineon raceway today for a Viper run. Even though I detailed the car last night, it was so dirty and dusty from the drive out there and running around that it is nearly a full time job to keep a car in "show" condition. I've come to the realization that if I can keep it at 85%, I'll be happy. I drive the hell out of it and unless it is a enclosed trailer queen, your going to get little imperfections that come from open tracking, drag racing, autocross and just driving it a lot on the street. Good luck with the rest of your polishing, I'm learning a lot from you guys.

Cheers,
George

 

[Junkman2008]

Ok Junkman...I made a quick follow up video...I got a bit long winded (sorry about that), but I finally got an angle that shows just how bad the paint is screwed up on some areas of this car. Sorry to kind of drag on, but you can see that my polishing skills are really coming along:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAtEu_53nu8[/media]

Also, one thing I noticed is that I can literally "dent" the clear coat on the panel shown in the video by just tapping it with the edge of my fingernail. Is that normal for paint to be so soft?

This car is going to require MAJOR caution to prevent absolutely trashing the paint in a short period because the clear coat is so soft.

Hey KCO, I just got back in town. I've spent most of last week at the All Ford Nationals in Carlisle, PA. Had a blast as usual and can't wait for the All Chrysler Nationals in July. I hope to see some of you guys there!

Don't even sweat "dragging this on" as you put it. As far as I'm concerned, my help is hear if you want it. I wish that I had the same type of help when I was learning all this so I know how much it is appreciated. I'm just glad you want to learn and I can help.

I'll take a look at the video and post back up.

 

[Junkman2008]

After watching the video, here are the things that I want to point out.

You state in the video that you have only washed the car once and all the other times you wiped it down with a quick detailer. You also state that using a quick detailer all the time couldn't possibly create that type of damage. That is actually far from the truth. Here's why.

When you are using a quick detailer to constantly remove dust or dirt (the type of which is determined by whether or not it is matted to the paint), you are actually increasing the possibility of damaging the paint by constantly moving dirt across (and around) the finish. It is much safer to PROPERLY wash the car that it is to continuously use quick detailers to keep the car clean. At least by properly washing the car (key word being properly), most of the dust is rinsed away with the initial rinse (dirt is another story). The rest of the dirt gets lubricated and raised up off the finish before you attempt to remove it using the two-bucket wash process. With the small amount lubrication that quick detailers offer, you are basically sanding the car by using them all the time. This process repeated over and over again will create the exact same situation that you see your paint in over a period of time.

I created a series of videos that address how to properly remove dust from the car's finish using a quick detailer or waterless wash. These videos explain what I'm saying in more detail. Check them out below.



Waterless Wash - Part 1


Waterless Wash - Part 2


Waterless Wash - Part 3


Waterless wash - Part 4


(A quick note on doing close up video shots in auto mode. The camera is a little harder to focus when you have zoomed the lens in. I have found that if you just put the camera closer to the paint, it tends to do a better job with remaining in focus. Just an FYI.)

You sound a little surprised by the amount of passes that you have to do in order to remedy your paint of all the damage. This is absolutely normal. You are using one of the safest polishers a novice can pick up. Correcting paint FAST is NOT what it is known for. Correcting paint SAFELY is it's claim to fame. In order to get all that safety, you have to give up a significant amount of effectiveness. The trade off is, you don't wipe out your paint job but you will be working a lot longer. On a car like your Viper, not having to repaint the car means a heck of a lot more than fixing it fast. Thus, it may take a bunch of passes to get the paint right on every panel. The good thing however, is you'll have a lot more clear coat remaining once you do get the paint corrected.

Once you do, you should NEVER have to get this aggressive (M105/orange pad) again. M205/white pad should be all you need. You are doing the same thing that I am doing when I use the Adam's Swirl & Haze Remover (SHR) and the orange pad, although SHR is a tad bit lighter in aggressiveness compared to M105.

You said, "There's probably a faster way to do this..." and you're right. With that speed, comes danger. There in lies the trade off. There are orbitals out there like the Flex 3401VRG that will probably give you the results of 10 passes to every one pass you are doing now. You can also screw up your paint job a lot faster with that polisher until you learn how to properly use it. Before I will advise a novice to pick one up, I would have to have shown him how to use it in person first. Just as you were using your polisher incorrectly, so can a novice with a more powerful machine. The difference is, the more powerful machine is no where near as forgiving. Trust me, the progress you are making is very good and on par with what your machine is capable of.

Speaking of your pads, where you talk about it looking a little worn out. You mentioned the word heat. Get that out of your mind. On a speed of 5 with 9-14 pounds of pressure, you ain't heating up anything with that polisher, trust me. It is nowhere near close to powerful enough to heat up a biscuit. Now one thing that will cause that damage is too much pressure and/or too much product. As your pad begins to fill up with product after multiple passes, you need to do a pass or two using nothing but detail spray. This will help relieve the pad of excess product. This is very key in reviving and extending your pad's life. Start implementing this technique. It will save your pads, product and money.

YES, TAPE OFF YOU DECALS!

Now you realize why I say that NO ONE can do an entire car with that polisher in one day, if the damage is similar to yours. Most folks have damage that is worse. This is why a lot of pro detailers cover up that type of damage with fillers instead of FIXING the damage. Fixing it takes a LOT longer than covering it up. That is the main reason I learned to do it myself. Now, I know that it is fixed because I suffered through the pain of fixing it. But damn, it looks gooooooood!

For someone who has just followed my advice via the web, your progress is outstanding. It usually takes guys a couple of weeks of practice to get the results you are getting after doing it wrong for awhile. You are taking to this like a duck to water. Outstanding!

Don't forget you have to follow up M105 with M205. This will make your paint POP like it is supposed to. For those who think that it looks good now, what until you see what M205 is going to do. It is the same as the Adam's Fine Machine Polish. What you are proving to yourself and others is that POLISHING is what makes your paint shine, NOT wax. Wax protects the shine you get from polishing, and may add depth to that shine (depending on the wax you use). But polishing is the blood sweat and tears that brings that shine home. Here's my car after polishing alone. Not a drop of wax on it. Yours will look just as good, although many here will say that it looks better since it is NOT a Vette!

Great job man, and hopefully I won't get banned for posting these!

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[kcobean]

Thanks so much Junkman. The stuff I have learned via this thread has been invaluable.

You are absolutely right that this is HARD work. My arms are actually sore today, and all I did yesterday was the drivers side door and sill!!! I have to get the roof, the right side and rear bumper/fascia all done, then the 205 and wax applied by Saturday. It's gonna be some late nights!

My pad was starting to look "dimpled" in the middle, I don't know if you could see that. I thought the foam was actually giving way there, but when I washed it, it's fine. I guess it was just product buildup clogging the pores?

Question: When I'm doing small areas, like the painted areas between the vents in my hood, what's the best way? I can't really get in there with the polisher very well because of the sharp angles. Can this be done by hand with a wax applicator or something?

 

[Junkman2008]

Thanks so much Junkman. The stuff I have learned via this thread has been invaluable.

You are absolutely right that this is HARD work. My arms are actually sore today, and all I did yesterday was the drivers side door and sill!!! I have to get the roof, the right side and rear bumper/fascia all done, then the 205 and wax applied by Saturday. It's gonna be some late nights!

And you my friend are now obtaining the motivation to NOT destroy the paint on any car you own from this point forward. You now know how much work it is to repair the damage and thus, you will do whatever you need to do to avoid that damage. Proper washing is going to be your number 1 Alli. Knowing how and when to properly touch the paint is going to be your second Alli. You have also learned that over the counter stuff is for the most part JUNK. Now you know why I don't use that crap. You get what you pay for, be it detailing products or a car. You bought your Viper for a reason and you understand why it cost what it cost. You got what you paid for and you are really starting to see the light now. Kudos to you.

My pad was starting to look "dimpled" in the middle, I don't know if you could see that. I thought the foam was actually giving way there, but when I washed it, it's fine. I guess it was just product buildup clogging the pores?

Your pad situation was due to product build up. That's why you need to implement the spritzing of the pad into your buffing routine. Just as washing the pad caused it to return to proper form, spritzing the pad with detail spray will also cause it to come back to form by flushing out that excess product. The trick is know when to spritz and how much spritzing to do. This comes with practice and experience.

Question: When I'm doing small areas, like the painted areas between the vents in my hood, what's the best way? I can't really get in there with the polisher very well because of the sharp angles. Can this be done by hand with a wax applicator or something?

These pads, attached to your polisher is the answer. Meguiar's has the same thing but I don't have a link to them. They are all the same. I will give you this little jewel of information. If you buy anything off the Adam's site and you use the coupon code Junkman, you'll get 10% off your order. That's a hook up for anyone reading this thread.

 

[RobZilla]

Excellent tips and vids Junkman!!!

I will certainly use these techniques next time I polish. I believe I was making a few of the same errors as kcobean.

A few months back was the last time I did mine...

http://forums.viperclub.org/general-viper-discussion/632958-winter-polish-turbowax-pt-deux.html

I see Junkman is fond of the Adams products. Keep in mind the TurboWax line of products are phenominal as well and Juan is a site sponsor.

Summer polish coming soon. Its freaking hot in FL!!!!!!

 

[kcobean]

Excellent tips and vids Junkman!!!

I will certainly use these techniques next time I polish. I believe I was making a few of the same errors as kcobean.

A few months back was the last time I did mine...

http://forums.viperclub.org/general-viper-discussion/632958-winter-polish-turbowax-pt-deux.html

I see Junkman is fond of the Adams products. Keep in mind the TurboWax line of products are phenominal as well and Juan WAS a site sponsor.

Summer polish coming soon. Its freaking hot in FL!!!!!!

Fixed it for you.

 

[Junkman2008]

... I see Junkman is fond of the Adams products.

I do use Adam's products as they are an excellent brand to teach with due to their simplicity. However, I am a fan of any line of product that works! As I've stated before, I am no product snob!

 

[daffyduck]

Junkmam i could'nt help but notice the porter cable is sitting on the ground.

 

[BlknBlu]

In the last 2 months this site has had some excellent tips for caring for the paint on our cars. I have learned so much from the Junkman and my cars show results from his techniques. This will apply to my daily driver (ex cop car with spotted paint repairs) that people think is a brand new car from 20 ft away. My Viper and R/T look stunning and my car club buddies have noticed.

Kcobean, cover those emblems. the ACR ones are VERY VERY pricey to replace.

another great detailing thread and thanks to the Junkman

Bruce

 

[Junkman2008]

Junkmam i could'nt help but notice the porter cable is sitting on the ground.

In which photo?!

In the last 2 months this site has had some excellent tips for caring for the paint on our cars. I have learned so much from the Junkman and my cars show results from his techniques. This will apply to my daily driver (ex cop car with spotted paint repairs) that people think is a brand new car from 20 ft away. My Viper and R/T look stunning and my car club buddies have noticed.

Kcobean, cover those emblems. the ACR ones are VERY VERY pricey to replace.

another great detailing thread and thanks to the Junkman

Bruce

Hey Bruce, thanks for the kudos and believe me, I'm just glad to be able to save some paint on some nice rides. When I see you guys in Atlanta this year, I'll be expecting to see some shiny paint!

 

[A1998]

Junkman: After following this thread and watching your techniques, you have picked up a new fan. Always been careful and picky about my "Nice" cars. Just ordered the Haze, Finisher, All purpose Cleaner, wash mitt, the Orange and White pads, and the new Super Micro towels from Adams. Thanks to your reference, I saved 10%.

Not too many problems with scratches and usually can work them out with the Porter Cable. But I worked a lot harder than you did, probably because of the products I was using. SO I've tossed out all my old stuff and am replenshing it with new stuff. Keep up the good work. Hope to see you at maybe the Good Guys in Columbus Oh in July or maybe the Mopar Nats in August near Columbus.

A1998

 

[Junkman2008]

Junkman: After following this thread and watching your techniques, you have picked up a new fan. Always been careful and picky about my "Nice" cars. Just ordered the Haze, Finisher, All purpose Cleaner, wash mitt, the Orange and White pads, and the new Super Micro towels from Adams. Thanks to your reference, I saved 10%.

Not too many problems with scratches and usually can work them out with the Porter Cable. But I worked a lot harder than you did, probably because of the products I was using. SO I've tossed out all my old stuff and am replenshing it with new stuff. Keep up the good work. Hope to see you at maybe the Good Guys in Columbus Oh in July or maybe the Mopar Nats in August near Columbus.

A1998

I know that I have a show to do in northern Ohio in July but it is a Vette show. You are more than welcome to come as July is my busiest month of the year. The shows you've listed do sound like shows I should do so I'm going to look into them.

Make sure that you follow the Swirl and Haze Remover with the Fine Machine Polish. This is a must, as SHR leaves the finish dull and it has to be polished out. That's what FMP does.

Holler if you need any assistance!

 

[Todd Helme]

Very cool thread