m105 by hand

[kimandbrad21]

Alright, let me start off with yes.... i do all my detailing by hand, due to money etc, i wont go into detail, but heres some hints, 2 car payments, 3 cars, 2 kids etc. $10bucks an hour job.

I was wondering how to apply by hand. I have m105 and i was thinking about correcting the paint on the trunk, hood, and roof of my 1991 toyota corolla. Right now I only have microfiber towels, microfiber applicator pads, and terry cloth applicator pads.

Can I get good results by just using those?
How much pressure?

And once Im done can I use Megs paste wax to seal? or do I need a paint sealant?

thanks in advance to answers

[Lasthope05]

Here is a good thread for you to read. Its long but very indepth about working by hand.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot-topics-frequently-asked-questions/20257-man-versus-machine.html

[bodavenport]

You can certainly achieve great results by hand just takes a lot longer. I believe that 105 can be used by hand.

[kimandbrad21]

I did it by hand with a microfiber app pad..... i had a problem tho.... it kept drying very quickly and dusting...... what can i do to stop this or at least slow it down. humid. was at 64% outside

[Dubbin1]

M105 does not have a long working time so try working a smaller area. I have also seen where some people will give it a slight mist of water. I have never tried that so I can't say how well it works.

[Mike Phillips]

I was wondering how to apply by hand.


If the paint is in bad or neglected condition then work an area about the size of a 16" microfiber towel at one time. If the paint is in good to excellent condition then you can tackle a larger area. The worse condition the paint is in, the smaller the area you want to tackle at one time.




I have M105 and i was thinking about correcting the paint on the trunk, hood, and roof of my 1991 Toyota corolla.


Because you specifically mentioned all the horizontal panels, is the paint turning whitish? I'm just curious if what you're trying to correct might be clear coat failure or the beginnings of clear coat failure.

If it is clear coat failure it will tend to absorb your product because it's dry, dead paint and this will make working any product more difficult. Also, you can't fix clear coat failure, the problem isn't "topical" it's throughout the layer of clear paint, thus removing a little paint off the top just exposes more bad paint. If the problem is topical then removing a little paint off the top surface will reveal a fresh base.




Right now I only have microfiber towels, microfiber applicator pads, and terry cloth applicator pads.


Plenty good for working by hand. Terry cloth can act like a mild form of abrasive in and of itself and give any abrasive product you use more bite. It can also leave behind some toweling marks but if it does, just re-polish using something softer and this will remove the toweling marks.



Can I get good results by just using those? How much pressure?


I rub out cars by hand once in a while and get good results, it's just a matter of using good technique. The most fun car I ever polished out and profitable by hand can be seen on page 3 of this thread...

Man versus Machine (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/faq/20257-man-versus-machine.html)

Not bad for a Saturday...
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/731/48Rolls011.jpg



Lasthope05 posted the link to this above, it is very in-depth as I explain how to rub out paint to remove swirls by hand using a multi-step system. If you haven't already, then maybe take a moment to read through it.

As for downward pressure, I think I cover that in the Man vs Machine article but just in case, anytime you're trying to undo damage you need to remove some paint off the surface, this means you need to apply enough pressure to engage the abrasives with the paint so they'll take little bites out of it, so you need to use firm pressure.

After you work a section for about a minute, then reduce your pressure for a few last passes as polishing paint is an art form, it's not just a grinding process. Make sense?




And once Im done can I use Megs paste wax to seal? or do I need a paint sealant?


Waxes and Paint Sealants do the same thing just in different chemical ways, what they do is "seal" the paint and leave behind a protective coating to slow down attack and deterioration.

Wax often as wax or paint sealant is a "Sacrificial Barrier Coating", it supposed to wear off or give itself up as it takes the brunt of an attack so your paint doesn't have to give itself up or wear-off. Because it wears off, the good news is you and I can replace it.

It's easier to apply a coat of wax or paint sealant then it is to turn your garage into a paint booth and apply a coat of paint.



I did it by hand with a microfiber app pad..... i had a problem tho.... it kept drying very quickly and dusting...... what can i do to stop this or at least slow it down. humid. was at 64% outside



Read the article above, "Man vs Machine"


Shrink the size of your work are downward


Use more product, if you're trying to remove swirls, scratches, water spots or oxidation then you need to use your product wet or heavy. You want plenty of liquid or in other words the chemicals that enable the product to do the work you're trying to do, to be on the surface working for you



After you work an area with the M105, wipe the product off immediately and inspect, if it looks good move on to a new section and OVERLAP a little into the previous section. If it doesn't look good you can try repeating the process a second or even third time.

If more and more rubbing doesn't make the paint look more and more better, then this could be a sign the paint on the horizontal surfaces is past the point of no return and when that's the case then nothing you pour out of a bottle or scoop out of a can will fix the problem.

You can troubleshoot by trying your process to a vertical panel, if it's making known good paint look clear and shiny but it's not working on the horizontal panels, then this would be a good indicator that the paint on the horizontal panels is shot.

Let me know if the above helps...


:)

[kimandbrad21]

amazing reply mike, thank you for every hint and tip you just gave me, and for spending a little time of your day to read about my findings in using it. i am hoping once i do a few by hand that i will have enough money to get a da but i do like doing alot by hands anyway. i am going to try to doing smaller sections at a time, the 1991 toyota corolla's paint is in amazing shape give its old. i do have rust spots on the car that are never going to be fixed they are by the fenders and i stay very far away from them due to the thought of getting any rust in my applicators. the trunk came out nice, i only had the time to do that, i wish i had more then just a point and shoot camera so i could do a little before and after, but maybe i will try on other body parts.

i find amazing things about this cars paint by what i have learned and read on autogeek, the mirrors.... they are single stage i hit them with m105 and the pad turned a light blue from the paint. i wasnt stunned because of reading one of your write ups. i am looking more and more at the rear bumper that has no shine to it at all and thinking it may not have a clear coat at all. or it may be gone but without any signs of a clean coat on the covered parts. meaning i looked at the bumper off without anything hiding edges to see if i could see none weathered paint.

i thank you for the reply also about the wax and sealant part, i really like megs OTC goldclass paste wax so i find that i maybe sticking with it. but always open to inexpensive items as well. thanks again mike.