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Super Member
Diary of a newbie - first polishing experience
Hey everyone, I just wanted to share a few pics from my very first detail using a polisher. This was on a 1999 Camry XLE. I used a Flex 3401 VRG. The whole process was very educational, to say the least. And I know now that I need Megs 105/205 to do a better job with the finish, but the WG TSR and FG gave a nice finish. I have yet to learn how to take pics of the defects, but I ended up finding an article written by Mike Phillips on the Megs forum of how to use your finger to point to the defect, or to use a little piece of detailing clay near the defect, and this would give the camera something to focus on. Next time I take pics, I hope they will be better! And I guess I need a halogen worklight on a tripod, because the garage light wasn't enough to really show the defects for a camera. I could see them, but I couldn't capture them. Heck, I couldn't even produce a good shot in the sun! I couldn't get the camera in the right mode or something...
Anyway, to all of y'all who are experienced with polishing, you might get a good chuckle out of this, seeing how long it took me to do the steps and all. But I hope you guys will give me some tips on how to do things better...all comments are greatly appreciated. And I don't have pics of the car before, because it looked clean and you wouldn't be able to tell a discernable difference. I only did the polishing and LSP for the detailing this time. I didn't do the tires or wheels (had done them just prior to this polishing session).
So mostly what I have are some comparison shots of before and after polishing and applying LSP. I hope they will show just how nice the paint looks now with 2 coats of DGPS on it. It looks deeper and wetter than after just the polishing steps.
Now, on with the write-up:
WASH: ONR with 2-bucket method
CLAY: Blue Clay Magic with Clay Magic lube and ONR lube (liked the ONR better), then washed car again
PAINT CORRECTION: Flex 3401 VRG with Wolfgang TSR + CCS Orange pad, WG FG with CCS white pad. Pads were cleaned "on the fly" after about every other panel. I also used a pad brush to scrape off spent product.
LSP: WG Deep Gloss Paint Sealant with CCS red pad, 2 coats about 12 hrs apart
TRIM: PB trim restorer on wiper cowl
GLASS: Stoner's Invisible Glass
All plastic headlights and tailights, and the sunroof got a coat of Klasse AIO for protection.
First up: claying. The car really needed it, as the paint was very rough to the touch. Probably has never been clayed. Here are some pics:
Clay before:
After the trunk lid
This was from only half of the roof!
This was after claying the entire driver's side. Not as dirty...
So THIS is why you need to wash the whole car again after claying...What a mess the clay lube makes! I liked the ONR as a lube better because it wasn't as messy...
After another ONR wash, ready for polishing. All taped up...
Defects on trunk before polishing - this is the ONLY pic I could get to turn out of any defects.
After polishing + DGPS
Another shot after polishing + DGPS
After polishing with TSR and FG but before DGPS
Trunk lid after polishing + DGPS. Looks like a deeper shine to me!
Nice reflections before DGPS
Deeper reflections after DGPS
Hood before DGPS
Hood after polishing + DGPS
We had a little shower on the day after I was done with the 2 coats, and here are some beading shots of the hood and trunk:
Hood
Trunk
Total time worked on the car: Approx. 18 hrs.
Here's how it broke down:
Claying = 2 hrs.
Taping off car = 1 hr 30 mins.
TSR (including time spent on test spot) = about 6 hrs.
FG = 4 hrs.
Peeling off tape and applying 1st coat of DGPS = 1 hr 30 mins.
Spent about 1 hr 30 mins cleaning windows, applying Klasse AIO, and PB trim restorer, and doing final touches with cleaning.
Second coat of DGPS = 1.5 hrs.
LESSONS LEARNED:
1. I had some paint overspray on the back of the trunk and the rear window, but the clay did not take the dots of paint off like I thought it would. Maybe the blue clay wasn't aggressive enough? Or maybe the paint has been there too long to be able to remove it. I was a bit disappointed with the result.
2. Taping off the car is sooo tedious! Did NOT enjoy this step. But I understand why it is necessary. I did not want to be cleaning up an even bigger mess...
3. I had to include time to wipe off each section with QD and a microfiber towel before I worked it because the stupid pollen kept settling back on the paint!
4. Should have done what Mike P. always suggests and put a tape line on the trunk before polishing so I could see just how much of a difference the TSR was making at the tape line. I thought I could just eyeball it, but it really would have been easier to do with the tape in place.
5. The claying REALLY made a difference in how smooth the paint was afterwards. I don't think this car had ever been clayed until this time...
6. Unfortunately, the TSR was not strong enough to remove all the RIDS that I had. I'll need to try Megs 105/205 next. It really took care of the swirls, but the RIDS just could not be removed. Of course once the swirls were gone, the RIDS were even more apparent...
7. This one is weird - but when I taped the car, I should not have put tape on the black rubbery plastic pillars that run down both sides of the windshield. For some reason the texture of the tape is now permanently embedded in these pillars. I guess because they were sort-of soft rubber, the tape left an imprint on them. At first I thought it was just tape residue, but nothing, not even goo-gone would take it off. It is now a part of those pillars, unfortunately. This was my biggest goof of the polishing experience.
8. Polishing takes PATIENCE. I thought I was working the areas for soo long, but in reality you had to do this to see any improvement in the paint. Slow arm speed, and several passes for sure. It's harder that you think to focus on just a 2' x 2' area when polishing. It's like I just wanted to get done, so I wanted to polish bigger areas, but that would have defeated the purpose...
Overall, I am happy with the finish, but I think I will buy Megs 105/205 and see if I can get some of those RIDS out. But, since the car is old, I didn't have too much expectations of a full correction, even though I wish I could have done a better job! But, this was a learning experience, and I was happy to go through it. Maybe next time I'll be more efficient at polishing. And to all of you expert detailers out there, I FEEL YOU!! I know first hand now just how much hard work goes into polishing a car, and I really can relate to just how tedious it is. I hope to hone my skills soon.
Thanks for reading!
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Super Member
Re: Diary of a newbie - first polishing experience
Pretty nice work for a 1st-timer, especially with the write up. After you stop and take pics and write it up it gives a new appreciation for those that do them on a regular basis and how much effort is involved. Would have been nice to see a full-car finished shot.
ONR as a clay lube is a bonus when you don't have to rewash. Even when I use another lube I always have a spray bottle of ONR at QD strength hanging around. A quick mist and wipe after each section claying saves a rewash as well.
On that soft rubber windshield trim you might try hitting it lightly with a hair dryer. A bit of heat or even spending some time in the sun and the trim may return to it's original shape and lose the texture.
TL
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Super Member
Re: Diary of a newbie - first polishing experience
If that is really a first attempt I can't wait to see your second, third and on. Looks great. One question, how are you cleaning the 3401 on the fly?.
Fred R. Elias Jr.
Warren, MI. 48091
1-586-755-1245
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Newbie Member
Re: Diary of a newbie - first polishing experience
Great job! And excellent first write up as well. I don't have any paint polishing experience (yet, beginning of May I'll be doing my first car too) but I'd say from lurking on here for a while that you've done a fine job. I'm with feslope; the next time you tackle something with that kind of effort and your new found experience, it's going to be even better!
I'm also interested in what technique you used to clean on the fly?
Keep up the good work!
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Super Member
Re: Diary of a newbie - first polishing experience
Excellent job, even if it was your 20th car. But for a first try it's really good. Most first timers never have the patience to work the product long enough for it to break down and show good results.
And the tape leaving an imprint in the rubber. I have never encountered that on any car. And I use the same blue 3m tape. Unless I have any of the even milder green 3m tape, in which case I will use the green.
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Super Member
Re: Diary of a newbie - first polishing experience
Originally Posted by TLMitchell
Pretty nice work for a 1st-timer, especially with the write up. After you stop and take pics and write it up it gives a new appreciation for those that do them on a regular basis and how much effort is involved. Would have been nice to see a full-car finished shot.
ONR as a clay lube is a bonus when you don't have to rewash. Even when I use another lube I always have a spray bottle of ONR at QD strength hanging around. A quick mist and wipe after each section claying saves a rewash as well.
On that soft rubber windshield trim you might try hitting it lightly with a hair dryer. A bit of heat or even spending some time in the sun and the trim may return to it's original shape and lose the texture.
TL
Thanks TL. I DO appreciate what you pros do every day...you are awesome! I will try the hair dryer technique...I never would have thought of that! I bet it will help. And, yes, how could I forget a full-car finished shot? Oops!
Originally Posted by feslope
If that is really a first attempt I can't wait to see your second, third and on. Looks great. One question, how are you cleaning the 3401 on the fly?.
Thank you feslope. I guess when I said "on the fly", I didn't remember at the time that you really can't do the exact on the fly technique with the flex (or at least I couldn't). So what I did was after every panel, I'd scrape the pad with the pad brush with the polisher turned off, then use a terry cloth towel to really wipe off the pad while still on the machine, but not while it was running like Mike P. did. I think I polished both sides of the car, then washed my pad with soap+water, then I finished polishing the hood, roof, and trunk, while cleaning the pad as I went after every other panel. I should have used my words more carefully with the on the fly cleaning...the rotation of the flex didn't allow me to hold a towel on the pad and turn on the machine to wipe it off. Sorry Mike P. for using your term incorrectly! I just modified the OTF technique to a way that I could use.
Originally Posted by trekker
Great job! And excellent first write up as well. I don't have any paint polishing experience (yet, beginning of May I'll be doing my first car too) but I'd say from lurking on here for a while that you've done a fine job. I'm with feslope; the next time you tackle something with that kind of effort and your new found experience, it's going to be even better!
I'm also interested in what technique you used to clean on the fly?
Keep up the good work!
Thanks trekker, I hope I answered the question above. I just called my cleaning method on the fly, but it's not exactly the way Mike P. does. It was modified from his teaching. Of course, I made another newbie mistake in my write-up: using a term that I should not have... I should have said "modified on the fly" cleaning
Originally Posted by oldmodman
Excellent job, even if it was your 20th car. But for a first try it's really good. Most first timers never have the patience to work the product long enough for it to break down and show good results.
And the tape leaving an imprint in the rubber. I have never encountered that on any car. And I use the same blue 3m tape. Unless I have any of the even milder green 3m tape, in which case I will use the green.
Thanks oldmodman, I know. I would have never thought that this could happen from just tape, but I will try the hair dryer and see if it will bring the rubber back to a smooth finish.
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Super Member
Re: Diary of a newbie - first polishing experience
Great job on a daily driver. I like the documentation as well. To me this was an excellent presentation and for a first attempt. You did very well a first class detail and write up.
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Super Member
Re: Diary of a newbie - first polishing experience
Originally Posted by OGauge4Me
Great job on a daily driver. I like the documentation as well. To me this was an excellent presentation and for a first attempt. You did very well a first class detail and write up.
Thanks OGauge! I appreciate those kind words. And I have learned so much from all you pros here on the forums! That's why my write-up is pretty good.
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Super Member
Re: Diary of a newbie - first polishing experience
****UPDATE**** Looks like TL was right about the windshield trim...the hot sun did bring it back to it's original texture and I didn't have to try the hair dryer! Thanks for the great tips TL!
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