general question from novice

[mjcc]

Hi guys.. appreciate any sage wisdom on this. Have a 19 Honda (metallic grey) and just want to make it look nicer. I used a nano skin clay sponge with McGuiars water less wash for lube. (as I had it and all reports were that worked well)..turned out great I thought as I had never "clayed" a car before.. waited a bit and put on a coat of beadmaker per their instructions. per all the press was expecting it to be so glossy I couldn't even look at.. seemed to add a bit more smoothness but in some areas it actually got cloudy (streaked) or looked uneven. Not matter how much I wiped could not fix it. your thoughts? is there an interaction between the two products? So your thoughts on how to fix this? I did this all by hand - no buffer. input is mucho appreciated!

[Billy Baldone]

First off welcome young Skywalker. As far as press on BeadMaker.... it’s mostly people that really like it as a topper. To darn near perfectly polished paint, it adds gloss and slickness. It doesn’t offer a whole lot in the protection department. This part is a personal preference, I am in the camp of, I do not like to clay a vehicle unless I am machine polishing it. Honda paint is typically softer. I think that your car would really pop with a one step of Blackfire One step. I have gotten damn near perfect results with that product on Asian paints. Then top it with BeadMaker, and you will be happier. BeadMaker is a great drying aid after each wash

[mjcc]

Billy. thanks for the note! very appreciated... Can you use Blackfire by hand? Also why do you think its looks uneven or cloudy/streaky in some areas? Any ideas?

[Billy Baldone]

It is possible, but more effective by machine

[Billy Baldone]

The streaking is either too much/wrong towel... try again. Spray the towel first

[PaulMys]

Bead Maker can be streaky if you use too much. One or maybe two spritzes per panel is all that's needed.

And have a really plush, high GSM MF towel for final buffing.

[Mike Phillips]

If you really want to make your car look nice, take it to the next level.

Get a simple DA polisher, the Porter Cable is like the Son of BEAST. It's a tried and true tool that won't let you down.

Get a great one-step cleaner/wax. The 2 I think are the best on the market right now are either the BLACKFIRE One Step or the 3D Speed. 3D Speed can be purchased for about $20.00 for a 16 ounce bottle. If you buy the BF One Step by the quart, it breaks down to $20.00 for a 16 ounce bottle.

Get six 5.5" Lake Country orange foam FLAT pads.

Buff out your car. Buff the entire thing, leave either of these cleaner/waxes to dry as you move around the car.

Get a 12 pack of the Forrest Green Edgeless Towel. Wipe the wax off.

Stand back and admire the results.

Stand back and consider - you just did better work than the majority of dealership detailers and probably even most detailers in the industry.

It's not that hard to buff out a car as long as you use,

1. Great abrasive technology.
2. A random orbital polisher.
3. Quality foam pads.
4. Good technique.

Then be prepared for your friends, neighbors, co-works, family, etc. to ask you,

How much to detail my car?

Then establish your exterior detail package at $495.00

Be the $500.00 Pro in your area.

[Mike Phillips]

Watch this video. In it I show a traditional "Show Car" process, that is using

Dedicated compound
Dedicated polish
Dedicated finishing wax

You can eliminate all three of the above and just use one of the one-step cleaner/waxes I mentioned in the previous post.


It's really as simple as I explain in the video. What you need to do is learn how to do these things in about 5-6 hours. Then start early on a Saturday morning, (for your customer) and you're done around noon.


How to do a Test Spot and then buff out your car! Video Explanation by Mike Phillips


This is my opinion is one of the best videos Yancy and I have ever made together and also one of the easiest to follow, understand and then implement the techniques video on the topic.




I coined the term Test Spot for this industry so I think I'm qualified to explain how do one as well as WHY to do one.


Test Spot - The story behind the story...