Review: CarPro Eraser

[Flash Gordon]

Are you related to KB?

Heck of an article there Corey

[CEE DOG]

Originally Posted by wicius

Excellent review as always!

In my recent order I bought some products from CarPro and Optimum, and i couldn't decide what to buy for stripping the paint before CQuartz/Opti-Coat application. I went with Optimum Power Clean because it is more versatile and can be used in other applications as well, many people mentioned it as being excellent for paint prep, but now that you didn't mention it here at all (and when I saw this the differences and comparison between Eraser and OPC came to my mind instantly) I'm worried if I made the right choice...

Thank you!

OPC is an excellent product that I use often on a variety of things. On of them being I sometimes use it as part of my wash cycle for removing sealants before decontamination, clay, and/or polishing. But for prepping the surface just before a coating or for removing polishing oils for inspection Eraser is a winner. Both excellent products just different uses.

For the applications where you would use Eraser you can't use OPC. If using OPC to strip your paint you must wet the car first and keep it wet and rinse it thoroughly. Therefore you can't use it for inspecting polish results during the process. I personally would feel more confident using Eraser between the polish and coating step and it also saves a lot of time.

Originally Posted by Bunky

I will say it again yet another good review.

I had posted some comments on another forum but I rewatched the videos here and came to a more refined conclusion.

My conclusion that it is a fast, easy, but somewhat pricey product for preparing the paint for a sealant after polishing but not a replacement for a paint prep (paint cleaning, sealant removal, etc).

Thank you Al, that is very well summarized

Originally Posted by fredcandetail

Awesome man! You should try applying it next time with Double Roll Charmin! JK

Excellent! Will Angel soft work? It's all I have on hand.

Originally Posted by Flash Gordon

Are you related to KB?

Heck of an article there Corey

Not that I am aware of but that is quite the compliment.

Thank you Flash. I really appreciate

[rwright]

Hey Corey! Pretty sweet article! Looks like things are going well for you. The mirrors turned out awesome, pretty inspiring actually. Take care buddy

[aherzing]

I know it doesnt really pertain to detailing, but what kind/brand of clear did you use for the mirrors?

[LegacyGT]

Corey, you only give us the best what a review!

IME after using experience I removed the IPA from my collection. Eraser is fantastic stuff.

The videos are great, it looks like you are getting a lot of use out of those new tripods. I liked the sound of you applying eraser in fast motion, sounded like a sprinkler.

Re-painting those mirrors was amazing both in terms of the effort it took and the results. You really have a diverse skill set, I don't know if I would be able to get results nearly that nice.

[CEE DOG]

Originally Posted by rwright

Hey Corey! Pretty sweet article! Looks like things are going well for you. The mirrors turned out awesome, pretty inspiring actually. Take care buddy

Thanks buddy, I hope you are doing good. Been thinking of you. Will call later today.

Originally Posted by aherzing

I know it doesnt really pertain to detailing, but what kind/brand of clear did you use for the mirrors?

Automotive Touchup - High Gloss Clear

Originally Posted by LegacyGT

Corey, you only give us the best what a review!

IME after using experience I removed the IPA from my collection. Eraser is fantastic stuff.

The videos are great, it looks like you are getting a lot of use out of those new tripods. I liked the sound of you applying eraser in fast motion, sounded like a sprinkler.

Re-painting those mirrors was amazing both in terms of the effort it took and the results. You really have a diverse skill set, I don't know if I would be able to get results nearly that nice.

I agree Bill! Eraser is an excellent product!

You are too kind my friend! Thank you! I have no doubt you would be able to match or exceed the paint work with one eye closed.

[CEE DOG]

Eraser vs. IPA

Intro:

After reading my recent review on CarPro Eraser I had one member ask me how Eraser compared to IPA so it occurred to me that I must not have done a clear job of showing this. Visually I hadn’t shown the two side by side with a test so here we go!

The Test:

The video tells the story but basically I applied Poor Boys Black Hole (a glaze with fillers) to the top of the panel and 3M Ultrafina (an oily polish) to the bottom of the panel. Then I stripped one side with Eraser and one side with IPA.

The IPA was a very strong dilution by any of the standards I have seen written (25% IPA and 75% water) And, yes that does take into account the percentage of IPA I started with.

I based my ratio of IPA mix on what Dr. G told me in my Q&A with him about IPA and also what Mike Phillips wrote in his article on the subject. Mikes article also relied on other chemists in the industry. Here is a partial quote from Dr. G in the Q&A I just referenced.

“I would follow the recommendations that Mike Phillips has made of 10-25% IPA in water as a safe cleaning solution. The reason for this wide range is due to the variations in the clear coat paint systems. Therefore, when dealing with a soft clear coat or for those who notice a great deal of softening effect, they should stay at the lower end of the range while others can use the upper limit. Of course, the greater the percentage of IPA, the faster it will remove the oils.”

So as you can see I picked a heavy ratio of IPA.

I also went out of the way to place lots of oils on the paint before stripping it with each product.


Video: Eraser vs. IPA

Conclusion:

CarPro Eraser removed all of the oils more thoroughly than the strong mix of IPA. As you saw in the video some spots on the IPA treated side still had oil of some kind on the surface.

Do those spots that still have oil matter?

Well, if your goal was to remove the oils and some are left then obviously they matter.

If checking your paint after polishing to make sure you achieved a perfect finish I say yes it matters (obviously).

If applying a coating that does rely on a completely oil free finish they matter a great deal. Obviously your coating wouldn’t have the same durability on those spots and my theory is that even worse your applicator would spread some of the oils from those spots and compromise the durability of the coating in other areas as well. That is just my theory and I could be way off but there you have it.

If applying a polymer sealant or wax the remaining oils left by IPA don’t matter near as much as if you are applying some of the nano coatings that rely on a completely oil free surface. How much they do matter I don’t know the definitive answer to that.


--- Update on Dust Resistance ---

I watched my test panel that was kept out of the rain for 1 week and could find no difference in the dust resistance between IPA and Eraser.

[Old Tiger]

Thanks for validating the product for me buddy! It cost much more than IPA but youu justified it for me.

[IndeedSS]

How much product would one expect to use? This past week I prepped my 2010 Camaro for Opt-Coat (chickened out on the OC and went BFWD and Collinite 845). I did the OPC wash followed by Eraser. I used 3/4 of the bottle.

I didn't feel like I was being paranoid about leaving polish behind and going overboard, but maybe that was the case. I used less than the CarPro video demonstrated.

One thing I did notice was that it wasn't able to remove some old Rejex stuck on my winter wheels that I didn't get buffed off last year. It's probably not made to remove that kind of thing, but figured I try. Seems like good stuff though and I will buy again.

[CEE DOG]

Originally Posted by IndeedSS

One thing I did notice was that it wasn't able to remove some old Rejex stuck on my winter wheels that I didn't get buffed off last year. It's probably not made to remove that kind of thing, but figured I try. Seems like good stuff though and I will buy again.

Yes, as noted in my "does eraser remove sealants section" (with video) it didn't remove the sealant I tested it with. It is meant for use after the polishing step at which time there is no sealant left. I did find it t remove wax though. I'm sure it depends on the wax but it worked in my test.

When you used 3/4 of the bottle are you talking about the sample bottle (50ml)?

Originally Posted by FUNX725

BTW....I am curious to find out what active ingredients are in CarPro's Erasure.....can someone please provide that info (MSDS)? Thanks in advance.
Bob

Bob, the MSDS says it contains about 30% ipa, 60% deionized water, lauryl sulfate, proprietary scent, and I think there was one other non hazardous component if I recall correctly.