SCANGRIP Sunmatch Swirl Finder Light - Product Review by Mike Phillips

[RPM_BR]

I've been using it for couple months, amazing light.
CRI (Color Rendering Index) of 95, it can remain on for a long time, and when fully charged it'll take hours before recharging.
I use it for polishing as well.
Pleasant yellowish tone, I believe its 4300K, it seems to show more swirls than 6000k lights.
It made me rethink about my lightning setup, based on fluorescent and 6000k spotlights.
Best regards

[Mike Phillips]

We showcased this light last night at our detailing class and everyone was impressed.

[JKDesign]

The Scangrip lighting system was introduced to us in the collision industry a little over a year ago and it was and still is a game changer!

[Mike Phillips]

The Scangrip lighting system was introduced to us in the collision industry a little over a year ago and it was and still is a game changer!

Correct.

The lights were originally developed for painters to more accurately match colors when mixing car paint to do repaints for collision work.

For example, if you were to wreck your Honda but only the front right fender needs to be repainted. The body shop won't be painting the entire car, (perfect color match over the entire car), but instead will only be painting the front right fender. When they mix the paint the goal of a professional shop is to get the new paint to match the OEM paint and a painter or paint mixer will use the lights to look at the paint on the car and compare it to the paint they mix.


This picture from the SCANGRIP homepage on their website shows a gentleman holding a paint test panel next to the front right fender on a car and then using the SCANGRIP Sunmatch light to inspect. You have to look around the text overlaying the picture, sorry I couldn't snag the picture without the text.






Someone somewhere along the way discovered that besides being good at showing accurate color matching (or non-matching if the color is off), found that these lights are also perfect for inspecting car paint.

If the person that made the discover wants to claim their bragging rights I'm happy to give them credit.


That's the nutshell story as I know it.

[JKDesign]

We found out rather quickly that it worked well for inspecting our buffing as well. One of the biggest complaints when it comes to bodyshop technicians and buffing is the term "dye back". The technician buffed the car, it looked great, they washed it, now it looks like crap because all of the fillers were now washed away.
Using the Scangrip light was showing these issues before the vehicles were getting washed.

Having experience on both sides of the industry, as a former high level technician, I realized a long time ago that the majority of collision/refinishing techs do not view the absolute top surfaces of a vehicles finish like you and i do, their eyes are always looking through. So, they sand and compound a defect and see that it is shiny again and call it good, not realizing that there is more work to be done.

The brightness and color output of the Scangrip is highly effective at showing the defects that the technicians would normally not see until the vehicles had been washed.

I have personally always hated the term "dye back" and always viewed it as an excuse and not an actual technical term.

[GSKR]

After working with this light for a while I think it's a killer of a light.It lightens a wide area and reveals everything without going blind,like the lights at autozone and such.Big difference and is magnetic and swivels.The other powerful lights on the market can capture swirls and defects but the lighting is to bright in one area making you raise the light neck level to see everything.Not this light totally different,if you want to be a pro the right tools make this happen.

[Setec Astronomy]

I have personally always hated the term "dye back" and always viewed it as an excuse and not an actual technical term.

Yeah, but dieback IS a technical term...see page 29 of this reference: http://www.sherwin-automotive.com/pd...es_Eng_PDF.pdf

[OptimumAutoSpa]

I have the trio of these lights and they are absolutely incredible. The price tag is a little on the high end but they are worth every penny.

[Mike Phillips]

We found out rather quickly that it worked well for inspecting our buffing as well.

And just to clarify, you're talking in the terms of working i.e. buffing out cars in a body shop? Not a detailing?

[JKDesign]

And just to clarify, you're talking in the terms of working i.e. buffing out cars in a body shop? Not a detailing?

Correct!