First full detail

[EzyBrzy]

So I was inquiring about a detail in my area. One email I got back said he was booked until early next year. . . didn't get a reply from another. So I decided to tackle it on my own since I've always been a DIY kinda guy. Purchased a DA polisher from Harbor Freight and some small bottles of Chemical Guys to try out their products.

I used one white hex logic pad with CG v38 for the whole car. Is that okay? or am I suppose to clean it off/replace it at some point? I bought the kit, so I only have one of each pad and a cleaner. I either didn't work the product long enough or didn't use enough as I still see a few fine scratches. Also, should I be using tape to separate sections to work on? Car is kinda small so I didn't use any tape.

Anyways, here was my process:
-CG Citrus wash in high concentrations to strip anything on the car
-CG Clay bar/lube
-CG v38 with white pad
-CG Black Light with blue pad
-CG wait ~20min before buff
-CG Jet-Seal with black pad
-wait ~20min before buff
-Left over bottle of Mequire's ultimate liquid wax with red pad

Used one very thin coat of each.

I only had half a day and kind of rush things as I got off of work 7:30am and went straight to the gym then straight into my detailing. Not bad for my first time. I think my polishing technique could be improved.

One last thing, is Meguires Ultimate spray wax good to use for maintenance until next full detail?

http://i754.photobucket.com/albums/xx186/ABerdiago/20151117_163010_zpsv9aoacgi.jpg
http://i754.photobucket.com/albums/xx186/ABerdiago/20151118_064838_zpseu0knsrr.jpg

[fatguy]

Do a test spot and figure out what combo is going to deliver the results you desire before doing the entire car, and Make sure you get enough pads. 1 pad just isn't realistic


http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/88109-how-many-pads-do-i-need-buff-out-my-car.html

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/50162-how-do-test-spot.html

[EzyBrzy]

Do a test spot and figure out what combo is going to deliver the results you desire before doing the entire car, and Make sure you get enough pads. 1 pad just isn't realistic


http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/88109-how-many-pads-do-i-need-buff-out-my-car.html

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/50162-how-do-test-spot.html

I did do a test spot, I just suppose the combo lost effectiveness after half the car was done. I guess I'll pick up more pads before the next detail lol.

[parttimer]

It would lose effectiveness if you used the same pad for the entire care. You should clean the bad, either on the fly or buy pad cleaner after every couple of sections.

[dcjredline]

Its a great first step! Now learn from what you did and improve on it! Nice job

[Kamakaz1961]

Hey if this is your 1st time doing this....wow!! Beautiful work!! Love your ride!! Again, incredible work and IMO based on the pictures you did an awesome job!!

Welcome to AGO as you I consider (or any AGO detailer on this site) an artist...NOT a detailer!

You are an artist and congrats....your ride looks awesome!!

[Sicoupe]

Looks good my friend!:)

[EzyBrzy]

Its a great first step! Now learn from what you did and improve on it! Nice job


Hey if this is your 1st time doing this....wow!! Beautiful work!! Love your ride!! Again, incredible work and IMO based on the pictures you did an awesome job!!

Welcome to AGO as you I consider (or any AGO detailer on this site) an artist...NOT a detailer!

You are an artist and congrats....your ride looks awesome!!


Looks good my friend!:)

Appreciate the kind words fellas :awesome:

[SeanChav]

Good job man!!!....we all had our first detail at some point, and I'm sure they weren't perfect from the get go....but u have the gist of it down for the most part.... Like dcjredline said, do some reading around and research and learn from that first detail to improve for the next time and hail even better results.

From my first detail, which turned out OK, to my second I felt waaaay more confident and comfortable doing things just from browsing through various threads here

[EzyBrzy]

Good job man!!!....we all had our first detail at some point, and I'm sure they weren't perfect from the get go....but u have the gist of it down for the most part.... Like dcjredline said, do some reading around and research and learn from that first detail to improve for the next time and hail even better results.

From my first detail, which turned out OK, to my second I felt waaaay more confident and comfortable doing things just from browsing through various threads here

Will definitely be more prepared the 2nd time around. Especially when it will be more warm outside lol. Just wanted some protection for this winter!

[cardaddy]

Do a test spot and figure out what combo is going to deliver the results you desire before doing the entire car, and Make sure you get enough pads. 1 pad just isn't realistic


http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/88109-how-many-pads-do-i-need-buff-out-my-car.html

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/50162-how-do-test-spot.html


It would lose effectiveness if you used the same pad for the entire care. You should clean the bad, either on the fly or buy pad cleaner after every couple of sections.

While the Subaru paint is soft, which means it corrects easy enough, it also will suffer from micromarring like CRAZY. :eek:

Likely the only reason you didn't melt down your single pad was using too little pressure, and going too fast. I can show you a LC flat pad that a guy destroyed of mine when all I did was go inside to the bathroom and get a fresh glass of tea! :(

That pad did the front fender of his F-350 then he started down the door with it. When I got outside I looked at the back half of the door and he was getting zero correction. Got him to stop buffing and asked him if he changed the pad LIKE I TOLD HIM after he finished the front fender. Of course he didn't, and the pad on the machine was so hot that he almost destroyed the backing plate!!!!!

You should be using AT LEAST 2 pads on the hood alone, 1~2 on the roof, 1 on each fender, 1 on each door, 1~2 on the rear quarter, and another on the trunk, plus 1 on the front, then another on the rear bumper.

While you don't need the full 12~14 pads to compound it with, you DO need half that many, even if you are using them twice. Just changing them out on panels to keep the heat down, keep doing cleaning on the fly, and keep working with a SURGICALLY CLEAN PAD requires quite a number of pad changes.

It's possible to do a correction with 4 compounding pads, but that's pushing it because you have to be aware of heat build up inside the pad(s). I'd say get 6 of your heaviest cutting pads, then 6 of the next ones above that. Then get 3 blue, and 3 black.

What you want to do is prime your pad, work a section, clean it on the fly, then work another 2~3 sections, cleaning on the fly after each one. After that, clean the pad, toss it aside, and get a NEW one. OR... have a bucket of pad cleaner solution and toss your pads in that as you go. (You'll not be able to reuse wet pads however.) Heat will build up inside the pad that you'll not be able to control any other way than removing it from the machine and sitting it out to cool.

If you have only 4, and go FIFO (first in first out) then by the time you get to the first one the next time around it should be cool enough to use. (Even if it's in the 90's outside.) ;)

For polishing you can get by with less than compounding because you're building less heat in the pad(s). That however does NOT mean that you can polish a vehicle with a single pad. :eek:


Of course the only thing that REALLY matters is what YOU think about your work. ;)

Noticed you said you had limited time. It's not a sin to do one area, start to finish, when you can, then do another area next time. For instance, you might want to do the hood and front fenders, compound, polish, seal, knock it out. Then next off day (or weekend) do the roof and top of the trunk.

I sorta chuckled though when I read you got off work and went to work out, THEN detailed your car. IKR???? ;)

For those that detail a lot..... they'll tell you it's pretty darned physical. :D

I'd save my energy AND TIME, and put that into the detailing session, (but that's just me). ;)

[dlc95]

Looks fantastic!

With that combo of v38, and the white hex logic pad, it's likely that you were not removing much paint.

This means that your 1 pad went the distance. However, you do need to keep it clean, because aside from whatever amount of paint you pick up, the spent polish will build up.

The rate I change my pads depends entirely on how much paint I'm removing, and how resistant it becomes to cleaning. I graze my pads with a pad cleaning brush after every, or every other section cycle. I also do the Mike Phillips style "clean your pad on the fly" technique.

I take 4 pads with me on out calls, but usually can get by with 2 due to the constant cleaning. There sometimes comes a point where the residue will build up, and be really sticky, and not want to clean out. I change them before they get there.

My cutting technique doesn't generate much heat, so I don't really have heat issues. But, it can (and does) pick up a ton of paint.

[EzyBrzy]

Likely the only reason you didn't melt down your single pad was using too little pressure, and going too fast.....

Noticed you said you had limited time. It's not a sin to do one area, start to finish, when you can, then do another area next time. For instance, you might want to do the hood and front fenders, compound, polish, seal, knock it out. Then next off day (or weekend) do the roof and top of the trunk.

I sorta chuckled though when I read you got off work and went to work out, THEN detailed your car. IKR???? ;)

For those that detail a lot..... they'll tell you it's pretty darned physical. :D

I'd save my energy AND TIME, and put that into the detailing session, (but that's just me). ;)

Yeah, was definitely EXHAUSTED by the time I finished. Almost passed out instantly after I cleaned up. That's a good tip though, I didn't think about finishing certain panels then coming back the follow week and finishing the rest. I'd be able to thoroughly go over all my work instead of rushing like you said I was.


Looks fantastic!

With that combo of v38, and the white hex logic pad, it's likely that you were not removing much paint.

This means that your 1 pad went the distance. However, you do need to keep it clean, because aside from whatever amount of paint you pick up, the spent polish will build up.

The rate I change my pads depends entirely on how much paint I'm removing, and how resistant it becomes to cleaning. I graze my pads with a pad cleaning brush after every, or every other section cycle. I also do the Mike Phillips style "clean your pad on the fly" technique.

I take 4 pads with me on out calls, but usually can get by with 2 due to the constant cleaning. There sometimes comes a point where the residue will build up, and be really sticky, and not want to clean out. I change them before they get there.

My cutting technique doesn't generate much heat, so I don't really have heat issues. But, it can (and does) pick up a ton of paint.

I didn't really notice any heat from my pad while I was working, but I definitely saw how much build up was on there after half the car was finished. Lesson learned and I do have a soft brush and pad cleaner to work with for next time.

[EzyBrzy]

I think CG has too many in between products that seem gimmicky. Nonetheless, holding up rather well a few days after my detail. It's my daily driver. The pad cleaner was awesome though, dumped my pads in a bucket and poured in some solution and water.

Might look into another brand after I use up the rest of my CG. Thoughts on Pinnacle? Pretty interested in trying the souveran wax. Although expensive, I like to stick to one brand so I'd probably grab their other products too.

http://i754.photobucket.com/albums/xx186/ABerdiago/2015-11-20%2009.02.11_zps4ljdmxif.jpg

[dlc95]

I think CG has too many in between products that seem gimmicky. Nonetheless, holding up rather well a few days after my detail. It's my daily driver. The pad cleaner was awesome though, dumped my pads in a bucket and poured in some solution and water.

Might look into another brand after I use up the rest of my CG. Thoughts on Pinnacle? Pretty interested in trying the souveran wax. Although expensive, I like to stick to one brand so I'd probably grab their other products too.

http://i754.photobucket.com/albums/xx186/ABerdiago/2015-11-20%2009.02.11_zps4ljdmxif.jpg

I love that pad cleaner.

I never had that kind of stuff when I first started (1998). By the time I got my pc, and pads (2013), a 16oz bottle of pad cleaner came with it. Obviously I like that it works, but the fragrance takes me back to that first fun run on the PC....

I put 2oz in a 16oz trigger bottle, and fill the rest with water, and the pads come out great. The directions say to use 1oz, but 2 works better for me.