Newbie Checking In

[Sheriff41]

Joined here to learn how to tap into all the knowledge/experience to best use my PC and keep my vehicles looking good. Bought my PC from Auto Geek about 4 years ago but the military kept me deployed too much to put it to good use. Now that I'm retired from the USAF I plan to make up for lost time!
:buffing:

[Meghan]

:welcome: and thank you for serving our country.

[Mike Phillips]

Joined here to learn how to tap into all the knowledge/experience to best use my PC and keep my vehicles looking good. Bought my PC from Auto Geek about 4 years ago but the military kept me deployed too much to put it to good use. Now that I'm retired from the USAF I plan to make up for lost time!
:buffing:


Welcome to Autogeek Online! :welcome:

Great group of forum member here always willing to help out...

Here's a an article I just wrote that applies to the PC you have...

Electric Polishers
How to maximize the ability of the 1st Generation Porter Cable Dual Action Polishers (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/27166-how-maximize-ability-1st-gen-porter-cable-dual-action-polishers.html)


This one is very thorough and in-depth on everything involved with buffing out a car using one of these tools...


The Definitive How-To Article for Removing Swirls, Scratches and Water Spots Using a Porter Cable 7424XP, G110v2 or Griot's Garage Polisher (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/tricks-tips-techniques/20021-definitive-how-article-removing-swirls-scratches-water-spots-using-porter-cable-7424xp-g110v2-griot-s-garage-polisher.html) - Includes Videos


More articles and videos in my Signature Line and thank you for your service to our country!



:xyxthumbs:

[tuscarora dave]

Welcome from Central PA and THANK YOU for defending our great country.

[Sheriff41]

Thanks for the welcome! I just finished up detailing my Mustang. It has been garaged and was in pretty good shape (2003 with only 25,000 miles) but I never have done anything with the paint. I used the clay bar, polish, glaze, sealer and wax. I only used the PC for the polish step. I am really pleased with the result--the dark shadow gray really pops now!

My truck is next on the list. It is a dark metalic blue and has oxidation and hard water spots. The the link for PC use for correction looks really helpful and I'll review it again before I start on the truck.

I do have a question about water spots. The truck has been in Hawaii and Arizona and both locations have hard water (AZ water is the worst of the two). Are all water spots below surface problems? The hard water spots on my truck seem to be above the surface, more like deposits than etching. Any ideas on this?

Thanks!

[Mike Phillips]

I do have a question about water spots. The truck has been in Hawaii and Arizona and both locations have hard water (AZ water is the worst of the two). Are all water spots below surface problems? The hard water spots on my truck seem to be above the surface, more like deposits than etching. Any ideas on this?

Thanks!

Usually you want to start a dedicated thread with your questions so they don't stay here in the "Introduce Yourself" forum...

Just by coincidence I wrote an article on water spots yesterday... this on is for removing them by hand but I have more coming with machine, just not sure I'll get to them today as I have an offline project.

Here's the link to the article,

How to remove water spots by hand (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/29134-how-remove-water-spots-hand.html)


Here's an excerpt but there more in the article..




Water spots are a very common problem for automotive finishes and the tricky part is removing them without instilling swirls and scratches back into the paint at the same time. So let’s take a look at how to remove water spots by hand.


First you need to determine which type of water spots you have,



Type I Water Spots
Type I Water Spots are primarily a mineral or dirt deposit laying on the surface of paint. Type I Water Spots can be the results of minerals suspended in city water or well water that are left behind after the water evaporates off the finish. This can happen by washing a car but not drying the water off the paint or if a sprinkler goes off next to the car covering the car with water drop that are not dried off the paint. Type I Water Spots can also be dirt or pollution particles left behind after water from rain or inclement weather evaporates of the finish. Type I Water Spots can also be Type II Water Spots in that the water can leave both a deposit on the surface and an etching in the finish. Another way people describe mineral deposits is to refer to them has Hard Water spots, or spot left by “hard water.


Type II Water Spots
Type II Water Spots are actual etchings or craters in the paint because something corrosive in a water source has landed on the paint and was not removed before a portion of the paint was eaten or dissolved by the corrosive substance.


Type III Water Spots
Type III Water Spots are spots that look faded or dull and are found primarily found on single stage paints after a water source lands on and then pools on the paint and is usually left to dwell on the surface for some measure of time before it evaporates or is wiped-off the surface. Type III Water spots can also happen to clear coat finishes too but it’s not as common because I Type III Water Spot is either a stain or fading. Clear coats don’t stain as easily as single stage paints because they are not as porous or permeable. Clear coats can’t technically fade because they are clear to start with, there’s no color to fade.

Step by Step Procedures for removing Type I Water Spots by Hand
Different types of water spots are removed differently, so it’s important to try to diagnose which type of water spot you have first as this will help you understand the removal process and products and tools needed. The easiest type of water spots to remove are Type I and the most difficult to remove are Type II and Type III


Pictures

Type I Water Spots
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/722/2Type1WaterSpot1.jpg http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/722/2Type1WaterSpot2.jpg


Type II Water Spots
I took this photo myself when I helped Alex Fong from Corvette Forum remove a zillion Type II Water Spots out of the clear coat finish on his Corvette.

Photo Courtesy of MeguiarsOnline.com
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/722/WaterEtcingSpotOriginalC1Raw.jpg

Here's a close-up of the same photo, if you look closely you can see the edges are angled downward as this is an actual etching "into" the clear paint.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/722/2WaterEtcingSpotOriginalC1RawCloseUpCropped.jpg


Type III Water Spots
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/722/TypeIIIWaterSpots.jpg






More here...

How to remove water spots by hand (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/29134-how-remove-water-spots-hand.html)


:)

[CEE DOG]

Welcome Sheriff! It's great to have you here

[Sheriff41]

Thanks Mike! I'll try to post all future questions in the right forum. :xyxthumbs:

Thanks Cee Dog

[Mike Phillips]

Thanks Mike! I'll try to post all future questions in the right forum. :xyxthumbs:




Yeah... no big deal... just trying to keep the introduction forum on topic... I actually have an article on this...

Post your intro thread here but post topical question in the related forum group (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/introduce-yourself/20177-post-your-intro-thread-here-but-post-topical-question-related-forum-group.html)


It's a "Sticky" in this forum group...


:laughing: