Shawn T.
11-25-2010, 06:06 PM
After reading what Mike Phillips said about QDing (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/tricks-tips-techniques/23128-tips-techniques-using-spray-detailer-remove-light-dust-fingerprints-smudges.html) I decided to document my process.
Alright, so I grabbed my QD of choice right now which is Meguiars Last Touch at 1:1. Why 1:1 when it's recommended at full strength for QDing? Every time I use it at full strength I experienced streaking. I experimented with sun and no sun and hot and cold but I always had streaking. Since switching to 1:1 it has worked beautifully with absolutely no streaking.
I also took out 6 Eurow Microfiber towels. These are fantastic towels for their price and they have not marred my delicate BLACK Honda paint. I bought a 36-pack for $25 two months ago and it was well worth it. I also took out 2 Meguiars Supreme Shine microfibers for appliyng Ultimate Quik Wax after QDing.
Then, I have my Black and Decker LED for swirl finding.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/219.jpg
One problem I have always had is jusging how much QD to use. I have finally figured out the how much to use on a dusty/dirty car. You want to spray enough to cover the entire section with proudct. When your car is as dirty as mine which you will see, you want to ensure there are no dry areas that your towel will wipe over. Dry dirt and towels leads to swirls.
You want a surface that will allow the dirt/dust to slide off the paint. If you have to rub with pressure to remove the dust then you are increasing the potential to add swirls. Regular applications of a quality wax allows the surface to remain slippery and make QDing that much safer.
Look at the picture below for an example. Notice the beading of the QD.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/318.jpg
This is where my technique gets interesting. Many people will say that you can only use one side of the quartered microfiber per swipe. However, only one edge of the microfiber is actually acruing dust on the wipe. So, how can I use this idea to use less towels and still QD safely.
First, here is how I hold the microfiber on wiping.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/4.jpg
By holding it this way I focus all of the dirt on the folded edge. Now, if you hold it flat I find it harder to gently wipe the paint. This technique allows me to wipe the paint with as little pressure as possible thereby reducing the potential to inflict swirls.
When QDing, I always swipe in the direction of the panel. In other words, I swipe in the longest direction of the panel. If the panel is longest left to right, I will swipe left to right. If it is longest up and down then I will swipe up and down.
Now, here is what the edge of the microfiber looks after a single swipe.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/5.jpg
Now, the dirt line is not perfect but there is clearly one folded edge that I wiped against the paint. So, on my next wipe I set this dirt edge so that it is right above the folded edge that will perform the next swipe.
That looks something like this.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/6.jpg
After doing several swipes like this, we have a good 50/50 showing just how dirty the car was.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/74.jpg
Some people would have chosen to wash the car if it was this dirty but I wanted to prove that this technique can work. Plus, it was 42 degrees out............
Here is another shot of how much QD I use. This is on the decklid. Notice the water spots around the flashing indicating not only dust but a dirty film on the car.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/82.jpg
If that wasn't enough to prove it then the back and front of this microfiber should be enough proof. I went through 4 microfibers and all of them looked like this when all sides were used up. That is 32 sides worth of quartered microfiber.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/91.jpg
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/104.jpg
Look at the dirt lines and how they are successive and in perpendicular in some cases. I use up as much of the microfiber as possible because I feel that it's the most efficient. Why use 12 when I can use 4 with great success?
The next step was to apply Ultimate Quik Wax to the car. I applied a coat of NXT 2.0 about 2 weeks ago and have since applied two coats of Ultimate Quik Wax. This constitutes the third coat.
I used a Meguiars Supreme Shine microfiber to apply.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/118.jpg
It is best to spray two spritzes of the product onto one side of the towel. If you simply spray UQW on the car and start wiping it around then the towel will absorb the product while you are trying t spread it making the job more difficult. Priming one side of the towel like this aids in spreading the product because the towel won't want to absorbas much product.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/128.jpg
2 sprays onto the hood is all I need to cover the area. With UQW, you should apply it thin enough that you don't have to buff off any residue. It dries almost instantaneously and streak free. I always turn the towel over to a dry side to lightly buff the area to ensure it's streak free though.
Here is 2 sprays on my hood.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/134.jpg
Remember, the car is clean when you apply UQW or any spray wax so there should be no need to refold the towel and use a new side. As you keep spraying and wiping, more UQW will accumulate on the towel and you can use less and less as you go along the car. Two sprays per panel like a door is the most you should need. As you work your way around, 1 spray may only be needed. Evenutally, you will be applying very little product to the surface because the towel will be moist with UQW.
In fact, if the towel is moist with UQW, try wiping it across the panel. You should see streaks that disappear almost instantly as you wipe across the panel. This is the UQW drying on the surface. That is all you need to use this product effectively. Less is more with this product IMHO.
I have used this bottle three times now as I bought it new a few weeks ago. It comes with 15.2 oz of product.
Here is how much product I used for three times around my Civic including windows.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/202.jpg
The lower black mark is 12 oz and the higher is the 13 oz. I poured out the UQW bottle into this measuring apparatus and found about 12.5 oz of UQW still in the bottle. This comes out to 0.9 oz per use for the entire car.
Now, let's see some afters! Im the MAN
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/142.jpg
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/163.jpg
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/152.jpg
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/172.jpg
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/182.jpg
Yes, I know. My license plate is there but I don't anticipate anyone from Autogeek wanting to find where I live. If they do, it's already in my profile. :laughing:
Anyway, there is my write-up for how I QD my car. Please leave me feedback on how this was so I can make the corrections in the future. Feed back please
THANKS FOR VIEWING!
Alright, so I grabbed my QD of choice right now which is Meguiars Last Touch at 1:1. Why 1:1 when it's recommended at full strength for QDing? Every time I use it at full strength I experienced streaking. I experimented with sun and no sun and hot and cold but I always had streaking. Since switching to 1:1 it has worked beautifully with absolutely no streaking.
I also took out 6 Eurow Microfiber towels. These are fantastic towels for their price and they have not marred my delicate BLACK Honda paint. I bought a 36-pack for $25 two months ago and it was well worth it. I also took out 2 Meguiars Supreme Shine microfibers for appliyng Ultimate Quik Wax after QDing.
Then, I have my Black and Decker LED for swirl finding.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/219.jpg
One problem I have always had is jusging how much QD to use. I have finally figured out the how much to use on a dusty/dirty car. You want to spray enough to cover the entire section with proudct. When your car is as dirty as mine which you will see, you want to ensure there are no dry areas that your towel will wipe over. Dry dirt and towels leads to swirls.
You want a surface that will allow the dirt/dust to slide off the paint. If you have to rub with pressure to remove the dust then you are increasing the potential to add swirls. Regular applications of a quality wax allows the surface to remain slippery and make QDing that much safer.
Look at the picture below for an example. Notice the beading of the QD.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/318.jpg
This is where my technique gets interesting. Many people will say that you can only use one side of the quartered microfiber per swipe. However, only one edge of the microfiber is actually acruing dust on the wipe. So, how can I use this idea to use less towels and still QD safely.
First, here is how I hold the microfiber on wiping.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/4.jpg
By holding it this way I focus all of the dirt on the folded edge. Now, if you hold it flat I find it harder to gently wipe the paint. This technique allows me to wipe the paint with as little pressure as possible thereby reducing the potential to inflict swirls.
When QDing, I always swipe in the direction of the panel. In other words, I swipe in the longest direction of the panel. If the panel is longest left to right, I will swipe left to right. If it is longest up and down then I will swipe up and down.
Now, here is what the edge of the microfiber looks after a single swipe.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/5.jpg
Now, the dirt line is not perfect but there is clearly one folded edge that I wiped against the paint. So, on my next wipe I set this dirt edge so that it is right above the folded edge that will perform the next swipe.
That looks something like this.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/6.jpg
After doing several swipes like this, we have a good 50/50 showing just how dirty the car was.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/74.jpg
Some people would have chosen to wash the car if it was this dirty but I wanted to prove that this technique can work. Plus, it was 42 degrees out............
Here is another shot of how much QD I use. This is on the decklid. Notice the water spots around the flashing indicating not only dust but a dirty film on the car.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/82.jpg
If that wasn't enough to prove it then the back and front of this microfiber should be enough proof. I went through 4 microfibers and all of them looked like this when all sides were used up. That is 32 sides worth of quartered microfiber.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/91.jpg
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/104.jpg
Look at the dirt lines and how they are successive and in perpendicular in some cases. I use up as much of the microfiber as possible because I feel that it's the most efficient. Why use 12 when I can use 4 with great success?
The next step was to apply Ultimate Quik Wax to the car. I applied a coat of NXT 2.0 about 2 weeks ago and have since applied two coats of Ultimate Quik Wax. This constitutes the third coat.
I used a Meguiars Supreme Shine microfiber to apply.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/118.jpg
It is best to spray two spritzes of the product onto one side of the towel. If you simply spray UQW on the car and start wiping it around then the towel will absorb the product while you are trying t spread it making the job more difficult. Priming one side of the towel like this aids in spreading the product because the towel won't want to absorbas much product.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/128.jpg
2 sprays onto the hood is all I need to cover the area. With UQW, you should apply it thin enough that you don't have to buff off any residue. It dries almost instantaneously and streak free. I always turn the towel over to a dry side to lightly buff the area to ensure it's streak free though.
Here is 2 sprays on my hood.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/134.jpg
Remember, the car is clean when you apply UQW or any spray wax so there should be no need to refold the towel and use a new side. As you keep spraying and wiping, more UQW will accumulate on the towel and you can use less and less as you go along the car. Two sprays per panel like a door is the most you should need. As you work your way around, 1 spray may only be needed. Evenutally, you will be applying very little product to the surface because the towel will be moist with UQW.
In fact, if the towel is moist with UQW, try wiping it across the panel. You should see streaks that disappear almost instantly as you wipe across the panel. This is the UQW drying on the surface. That is all you need to use this product effectively. Less is more with this product IMHO.
I have used this bottle three times now as I bought it new a few weeks ago. It comes with 15.2 oz of product.
Here is how much product I used for three times around my Civic including windows.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/202.jpg
The lower black mark is 12 oz and the higher is the 13 oz. I poured out the UQW bottle into this measuring apparatus and found about 12.5 oz of UQW still in the bottle. This comes out to 0.9 oz per use for the entire car.
Now, let's see some afters! Im the MAN
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/142.jpg
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/163.jpg
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/152.jpg
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/172.jpg
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/182.jpg
Yes, I know. My license plate is there but I don't anticipate anyone from Autogeek wanting to find where I live. If they do, it's already in my profile. :laughing:
Anyway, there is my write-up for how I QD my car. Please leave me feedback on how this was so I can make the corrections in the future. Feed back please
THANKS FOR VIEWING!