Bit the bullet and did the Spar Urethane/Min Spirits thing...

**fredcandetail** · 10-15-2011, 08:22 PM

Don't you just hate it when you have a set process down and you read and read about and question it and then you find yourself at Lowes in the paint isle and there it is ... the spar urethane and whalaaa Mineral Spirits too! And for about $20 you think about it and pass it up ... Then move onto the next isle and you keep thinking if you should.. I mean what the heck it's only $20 right.... Well I went for it and I also went for the 3M ultra fine scotch brite pad looking thingy!
So I get home with my paint and give the wifey the receipt and she say urethane!?!?! I say it for enhanced gloss hunny! And she bit it! Lol
I go out and tell her I'm going to do some work on her hazy lights for a bit and I go to town... Now again I know she is due for my $99 headlight restoration but I can never seem to get her to stop in and have the guys do it and I seldomly bring the rotary and 105 home it's just never been done... Well I take out some QD rub about 10x over the entire headlight and this gray pad sure did finish out nicely! It says comparable to XX wool so not sure what that means grit wise but it looked to be about 1500-2000 equivalent. NOW I read that with the spar urethane treatment you can sand and then go straight to the "MIX".. well what did I do... I sanded all of three minutes, went inside got me a Tupperware bowl mixed me an ounce and ounce and soaked a corner of a MF and applied it. After the first swipe I said holy expletive! It looked very good! I let it dry for a few seconds then I noticed the streaking from the MF (the pile marks) ... I read to apply with a shop towel but I didn't have any so I took some mineral spirits and removed it all. I went inside and tried to loom for a tshirt or equivalent rag and NOTHING! nothing but drank MF! Lol
So I go to the restroom and look at my toilet paper and it's double roll charming and I say what the heck it's only a Toyota!
Well gosh darn did it go on easy with no lint and no streaking and dried nice and smooth!
I can't believe what I had just witnessed and now I say to myself I did this in about 5 mins and skipped a bunch of other steps I swear by ... No what! What happened to my acclaimed tape up- 1000-2000-3000 compound-polish - sealant 1 hr job results?!?!?!? Boy o boy are me and the guys at the shop gonna have some talking to on Monday!
Well just wanted to share with y'all! Have a good Friday night!
I got some pics if I can figure out how to upload them one day

**CEE DOG** · 10-15-2011, 09:04 PM

Awesome story Fred!! LOL Grab some pictures for us

Double charmin FTW!

**DaHen** · 10-16-2011, 04:19 AM

Enjoyed the story. But, did you get permission to use that Tupperware bowl? lol,

**2old2change** · 10-16-2011, 05:44 AM

Well I never tried the Charmin but have had great results with the blue Scott shop towels. Glad to hear it went well. I eventually will try the ppg coating but don't have the volume of customers yet to invest in a hvlp sprayer .

**cutter** · 10-16-2011, 06:14 AM

Great story Fred!!! I hope you can post up some pics...I'm curious as to what the pad is that you have used.

**Setec Astronomy** · 10-16-2011, 07:42 AM

Originally Posted by cutter

Great story Fred!!! I hope you can post up some pics...I'm curious as to what the pad is that you have used.

I think this is probably what he was talking about. It doesn't say what the grit equivalent is.

**Alex Boyce** · 10-16-2011, 08:09 AM

good story, can't wait to see some pics!

**Flash Gordon** · 10-16-2011, 08:22 AM

Great story for sure Fred

Did you say you just hit the headlights with the scowering pad for a couple of minutes, then apply spar urethane? That sounds alot quicher then my method for sure

**MirandaAutoSpa** · 10-16-2011, 08:28 AM

Very cool! I really have to try this method also. It sounds so easy and the results are great. Now how long will it last? Can the headlights be waxed with any LSP like the paint? Look forward to seeing some pics if you have them. Great and informative write up.

**Setec Astronomy** · 10-16-2011, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by Flash Gordon

Did you say you just hit the headlights with the scowering pad for a couple of minutes, then apply spar urethane? That sounds alot quicher then my method for sure

I dunno Flash, maybe he was using a kitchen pad, but I kind of thought he was using something like the industrial Scotch-Brite Ultra Fine Hand Pad I posted the picture of.