autogeekonline car wax, car care and auto detailing forum Autogeek on TV
car wax, car care and auto detailing forumAutogeekonline autogeekonline car wax, car care and auto detailing forum HomeForumBlogAutogeek.net StoreDetailing Classes with Mike PhillipsGalleryDetailing How To's
 
Page 1 of 6 123456 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 60
  1. #1
    Mike Phillips
    Guest

    The #7 Rub Down Technique by Mike Phillips

    The #7 Rub Down Technique by Mike Phillips






    The #7 Rub Down Technique

    This is where you rub the paint down BY HAND using an extra heavy or wet application of the polishing oils found in the #7 Show Car Glaze. You also use old-fashioned cotton, terrycloth wash cloths to apply and work the #7 over and into the paint.


    Here's how...












    #7 Soaking Step
    After you apply and work the #7 over the paint the next thing you do is wait. You want to give the oils time to migrate via capillary action into the old, dry brittle paint. I try to leave the heavy coat of #7 on over night when that fits my schedule. If not over night then start first thing in the morning and let the #7 oils soak as long as you can.

    46-year old single stage paint soaking in heavy coat of #7 Show Car Glaze













    Removal
    After allowing the oils in the #7 Show Car Glaze to soak over night or for a few hours, then remove the heavy application of #7 using cotton terry cloth towels.











    How it works
    As I show in the pictures of the original article, (the pictures of the sheet of paper with a drop of #7 on it), because single stage paints are porous (clearcoat paints are NOT porous), the trade secret or TS oils found in the Meguiar’s #7 will migrate INTO the paint and in simple words, revitalize the paint and bring it back to life. These oils will bring out the full richness of color and make old, dried out brittle paint safer to work on. By safe to work on I mean to do things like compound and polish the paint. It’s up to you, but if the paint is important to you then like me, I prefer to do everything I can to preserve the original paint and that means to rub it down with the #7 and let the #7 soak in over night before doing any abrading like compounding or polishing. Again, see my original article and what I say about the word important.



    How to apply the #7
    Everyone knows I’m a machine guy. I don’t do anything by hand if I can do it by machine. Except rubbing down antique single stage paint using Meguiar’s #7. It’s really a case where a machine cannot do a well of a job as the human hand because the human hand is better at massaging the oils over and into the paint than any type of pad will ever do on some type of spinning or oscillating machine. Try if you want and it’s your car and your paint but for me and my projects I go old school and simply keep it simple and apply the #7 by hand.



    Cotton terrycloth
    Cotton terrycloth toweling or wash cloths are the preferred method for massaging the #7 oils into single stage paint for a couple of reasons,

    1. When restoring neglected paint you don’t want a cloth that is soft and gentle to the paint, (microfiber), you want a cloth that is stout and has some substance to it. That would be old school cotton terrycloth.

    2. My technique for restoring antique paint that’s important to you includes NOT using abrasives for the initial step. The initial step, (applying #7) is about gorging the paint with oils, not grinding on it. That said, when antique paint has been neglected there will be some level of dead, oxidized paint on the surface and you do want to remove this dead paint. Instead of using abrasives however, cotton terrycloth, because of its stoutness, together with the #7 oils as a lubricant, will gently abrade off the dead paint. Thus the cotton terrycloth IS the abrasive. Fibers are a form of abrasive they are just a gentle version in the form of cotton terrycloth. Thus by using terrycloth with the #7 your remove the dead paint without abrasive and this is important if preserving the original paint is important.


    Heavy or wet
    Whenever you see me use the terms heavy or wet in the context of applying a liquid it means to apply a LOT of the product. That’s what the terms heavy and wet means, it means applying an ample amount, sufficient to wet the surface or in other words, use a lot of product. The idea being with the #7 to both lubricate the surface as your rub off years of oxidation but to also gorge the paint with oils both during the rubbing portion of the process and the soaking-in portion of the process.



    Application
    Application is simple. Shake the bottle of #7 up very well first and the pour a lot of it onto a cotton terrycloth wash cloth and then spread it out over a section of paint using overlapping, circular motions. Work and massage the product for a few minutes per section. Apply more #7 if needed to maintain a wet coating of oils on the surface as you work. Some very old and dried out paints will absorb the oils readily so pay attention and add more product as needed.

    After you apply to an entire panel move onto the next panel. Repeat till all body panels are coated in a thick layer of oily #7 and the allow the product to set. Overnight is usually preferred but as long as you can and that fits your schedule.


    Option – multiple applications of the #7
    If you have the time and the paint is very old and dried-out, after the initial application and soaking you can repeat the process 2-3 more times. My experience as is the experience of others I’ve helped to use this product and technique over the years is that for very oxidized, neglected antique single stage paints, 2-3 applications works miracles and in some cases, after wiping off the final application the paint will look brand new again.


    Wipe off – back to cotton terrycloth
    When you’re ready to remove the thick, oily coat of #7 Show Car Glaze you want to use clean, 100% cotton terrycloth towels. Like the application process, you don’t want a cloth that is soft and gentle you want a cloth that offers some stoutness to it because the #7 is very oily and a tick on the stubborn side to wipe off.



    Two comments…

    First, the nap of real terrycloth is a loop of fiber. It’s this loop and the cotton material that makes terrycloth.

    Second, this tiny loop of fiber, (the nap), helps you to break-up and remove the oily #7 because the loop of fiber when rubbed against the film of #7 will SLICE into the oily layer helping to break it up and to break it’s hold on the paint surface. I dare you to compare wiping a layer of #7 off with real cotton terrycloth towels and microfiber towels and I’m confident you will agree.


    90% removal
    Don’t worry or even try to remove 100% of the oily film. It’s not important. It’s also a lot of time and work and again… it’s not important. I know most of you reading this when removing anything off paint aim for 100% removal, be it a compound or a wax and while that might be right for all other paint care products it’s simply not important when it comes to remove the #7 because it just isn’t unless after wipe-off you’re 100% done. If you’re going to apply any other product, that is compound, polish and/or a wax, then any trace amounts of the #7 will come off when you wipe off these other products. So relax and just aim for about 90% removal. This is especially true if you’re going to apply a second, third, or fourth application of the #7.



    Soaking session
    You want to do the the day before so the oils can penetrate into the paint over night. This product has been around since the early days of the automobile. It is non-abrasive and while it's typically used for glazing fresh paint at a body shop or to give single stage paint that wet-look before a car show, for me I use it to bring antique single stage paint back to life.


    And that's how you do the #7 rub-down.


    Second and third applications
    If you're working on paint that is really, really dry and oxidized then if you like, you can repeat the above process multiple times and this will do two things,

    1. The cotton terry cloth will act as an abrasive and together with the polishing oils in the #7 will gently remove years and even decades of oxidation. The results are restored paint without having to resort to a physical abrasive like a compound or a polish. A lot of times you can get the paint to look so good that you can forgo the use of any compounds or polishes and simply apply a finishing wax and then stand back and admire the results.

    2. Multiple applications will remove dead paint and at the same time push the trade secret polishing oils deeper and deeper into the paint bringing the paint back to life and bringing out the full richness of color.


    Hope that helps...



  2. #2
    Mike Phillips
    Guest

    Re: The #7 Rub Down Technique by Mike Phillips

    On Autogeek.com

    Meguiars Mirror Glaze #7 Show Car Glaze


    Get a couple of bottles if you have a barn find project.




  3. #3
    Super Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    PA
    Posts
    651
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: The #7 Rub Down Technique by Mike Phillips

    Thank you for this very informative article Mike.

    I noticed you said clearcoated paint is not porous. I believe Dr. G has said that his car wax soaks into the paint and helps restore UV protection that the paint has lost. Maybe im just way off on that one. Thats just the way I understand it. Its not a big deal by any means, just one of those things I would like to know.

  4. #4
    Super Member JustJesus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Orange & LA Counties
    Posts
    1,294
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: The #7 Rub Down Technique by Mike Phillips

    #7 is great stuff. From what I learned on your other thread, I applied it to a 1967 VW Bug with good results. I'll get around to posting that thread some day soon. SOOOO many pics to choose from.

  5. #5
    Super Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Newington, CT
    Posts
    261
    Post Thanks / Like

    Question Re: The #7 Rub Down Technique by Mike Phillips

    I'm sure this question has been asked before but I've never seen it in print or on a forum.

    Is #7 appropriate on a late model single stage paint (say 2000-2016) or should it be reserved for an older ss paint?

    Thanks.

  6. #6
    Super Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Laguna Hills
    Posts
    430
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: The #7 Rub Down Technique by Mike Phillips

    Quote Originally Posted by jmsc View Post
    I'm sure this question has been asked before but I've never seen it in print or on a forum.

    Is #7 appropriate on a late model single stage paint (say 2000-2016) or should it be reserved for an older ss paint?

    Thanks.
    It can be used on both types of paint. It is, afterall, a glaze. So it won't have any negative effects on your clearcoat. Just makes sure to buff it off well before applying a wax.
    "The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world is to be in reality what we would appear to be." --- Socrates

  7. #7
    Super Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Fairmont, MN
    Posts
    3,189
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: The #7 Rub Down Technique by Mike Phillips

    Mike,

    If I may...I've used an old "wax spreader" and a BUNCH of cut up terry towel squares (cut up toweling) to do the initial wipe down. Then finish off by hand.

    Seems to work, at least for me.

    Bill
    In dog beers, I've only had one.

  8. #8
    Super Member Aaryn NZ's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    1,930
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: The #7 Rub Down Technique by Mike Phillips

    Quote Originally Posted by jmsc View Post
    I'm sure this question has been asked before but I've never seen it in print or on a forum.

    Is #7 appropriate on a late model single stage paint (say 2000-2016) or should it be reserved for an older ss paint?

    Thanks.
    Sure can. I have used #7 on many later model vehicles with single stage paints, in fact I have a very neglected red Ford Falcon sitting in my shop awaiting said treatment . . . unsure of the year but guessing early 2000s.

    I probably wouldn't do it "just coz" you have single stage paint but I can't imagine a good soak in #7 once or twice a year hurting at all . . . it would be interesting to see how much it would preserve the paint in years to come if semi regular use of #7 was carried out in comparison to not.

    So its settled then - you are going to have to keep that car for the next 25 years & maintain it well & feed the paint some #7 at least once a year to see how it holds up compared to someone elses of the same make, model & colour . . . . for the benifit of the forum & its members . . . .

    Aaryn NZ.

  9. Likes JustJesus liked this post
  10. #9
    Mike Phillips
    Guest

    Re: The #7 Rub Down Technique by Mike Phillips

    On the topic of applying #7 to modern clearcoat paints...

    First it certainly won't hurt anything.

    Second, how helpful it is depends on the age and condition of the clearcoat. The older the clearcoat and the worse condition the more it will help.

    If a car is brand new and no hack detailer has scoured and opened up the top surface with zillions of scratches, then a new clearcoat finish is very impermeable. That means it's solid and oils will not penetrate into it they will just sit on the surface. So while applying #7 won't hurt anything it probably won't do much.

    As paint ages it opens up. Do search on the word interstices. As a clearcoat ages and become more open then the application and working in of a coat of the #7 can help to restore clarity and workability of the paint.


    Hope that helps...



  11. Likes RamAirV1, Jon TDS liked this post
  12. #10
    Super Member trashmanssd's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Posts
    339
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: The #7 Rub Down Technique by Mike Phillips

    Question for Mike or any other Pro's with experience in this area. I was wondering if anyone's tried and if #7 would help with oxidized boat Gel Coat and Metal Flake Gel Coats. My under standing with most gel coats that are badly oxidized the process usually involves wet sanding first then compound/polish.
    Here is a Pic of the type gel coat i am talking about(see Below). As I am in a bass club and try to help friends out with maintaining there boats appearance (never done wet sanding my self as my boat never really ages do to ridiculous amounts of wax and sealants being applied, and I wont wet sand anyone else's as I am not a pro and not insured).


Page 1 of 6 123456 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. Mike Phillips PBL Paint and Surface Coating Application Technique
    By Mike Phillips in forum How to articles
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: 06-01-2021, 08:28 AM
  2. Replies: 27
    Last Post: 04-01-2021, 01:14 PM
  3. Replies: 11
    Last Post: 02-14-2019, 02:29 PM
  4. Mike...What is this technique of restoring Headlights?
    By mallic in forum Ask your detailing questions!
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 08-27-2016, 04:47 AM
  5. Replies: 37
    Last Post: 08-27-2015, 02:39 PM

Members who have read this thread: 1

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

» March 2024

S M T W T F S
2526272829 1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31 123456