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When it comes down to maintaining a scratch and swirl free finish - it all comes down to how you touch the paint - Mike Phillips
When it comes down to maintaining a scratch and swirl free finish - it all comes down to how you touch the paint - Mike Phillips
I teach and share so much information about how to REMOVE swirls and then as a follow-up, how to prevent swirls. And here's something I say often so now it's an article and a quote by yours truly.
When it comes down to maintaining a scratch and swirl free finish - it all comes down to how you touch the paint - Mike Phillips
And if you think about it, what I wrote above is 100% true. Let me use a simple explanation to share why.
If you polish your car (or anything), to perfection, and the park it in a safe, covered place, it won't get any new swirls and scratches BECAUSE - nothing is touching it.
If you take the same car, (or anything), that you polished to perfection and then USE IT, in other words, drive the car. Moving into the future, as the car becomes dirty, (or anything you polished to perfection), you will eventually have to
Touch it
By the words touch it, I mean,
- Wash the thing
- Dry the thing
- Wipe the thing
All of the above mean using some type of material to touch the paint or whatever the surface is, (gel-coat, plastic, etc.). Your JOB is to make sure whatever is to touch the paint, (or whatever the surface is made out of or coated with), is of the highest quality your budget can obtain AND is as clean and sterile as humanly possible.
Anytime you "touch" a surface, the potential exists to scratch the surface, your job is to
Reduce the potential
And you reduce the potential for inflicting swirls and scratches by not doing stupid things. In fact, anyone that is a fanatic about keeping their own car clean, (or whatever), or details for money, MUST have a process and protocol in place to wash, dry, inspect and STORE the things that touch paint. This would include,
- Microfiber towels.
- Wash mitts.
- Drying towels or chamois.
It is these things that touch the paint.
How nice a perfect looking finish and how long the perfect looking finish lasts all comes down to how you touch it.
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Re: When it comes down to maintaining a scratch and swirl free finish - it all comes down to how you touch the paint - Mike Phillips
Continued...
Here are in my opinion, two of the most important articles I've ever written, out of the 600+ articles I've written to date, since coming to Autogeek. My guess is more article than any other "instructor" you can name.
This article talks about microfiber towels but the same idea would apply to wash mitts and drying towels.
How, why & when to inspect your microfiber towels when detailing cars
This article talks about how to safely wash a CERAMIC coated car but the same principals would apply to ANY car or "thing" regardless of what you used to seal the paint or surface.
How to safely wash a ceramic coated car by Mike Phillips - Traditional Hose & Bucket Approach
As simple as it is - it all comes down to how you touch the surface and then of course, the cleanliness and quality of the things you use to touch the surface.
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Re: When it comes down to maintaining a scratch and swirl free finish - it all comes down to how you touch the paint - Mike Phillips
I always strive to follow this advice. But inevitably, I fail somewhere along the line.
That said, for my daily drivers, I think the paint is in better condition than some (a lot) of people's show cars. (Thank you Mike, and AG).
Thank God for my trusty GG6, LC pads, and some great abrasive technologies to erase my mistakes every spring.
It is no coincidence that man's best friend cannot talk.
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Re: When it comes down to maintaining a scratch and swirl free finish - it all comes down to how you touch the paint - Mike Phillips
Originally Posted by PaulMys
I always strive to follow this advice. But inevitably, I fail somewhere along the line.
That said, for my daily drivers, I think the paint is in better condition than some (a lot) of people's show cars. (Thank you Mike, and AG).
Thank God for my trusty GG6, LC pads, and some great abrasive technologies to erase my mistakes every spring.
Don't let things like this drive you crazy!
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Re: When it comes down to maintaining a scratch and swirl free finish - it all comes down to how you touch the paint - Mike Phillips
Since I have been reading your posts Mike, this is 1 of your keys that stick with me.
Prevention and cure all wrapped into one.
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Re: When it comes down to maintaining a scratch and swirl free finish - it all comes down to how you touch the paint - Mike Phillips
Originally Posted by spazzz
Since I have been reading your posts Mike, this is 1 of your keys that stick with me.
Prevention and cure all wrapped into one.
Thank you spazzz, I appreciate that you read my stuff and some if it means something.
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Re: When it comes down to maintaining a scratch and swirl free finish - it all comes down to how you touch the paint - Mike Phillips
Mike - I too appreciate your post.
I've ordered a new car and have the tools in place to follow your instructions explicitly.
Kudos for all you do for us amateurs.
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Re: When it comes down to maintaining a scratch and swirl free finish - it all comes down to how you touch the paint - Mike Phillips
Originally Posted by Willbeen
Mike - I too appreciate your post.
I've ordered a new car and have the tools in place to follow your instructions explicitly.
Kudos for all you do for us amateurs.
Thank you. I appreciate the compliment.
I would also like to point out that myself and everyone else out there that knows the difference between a swirl and a squirrel - all started out at the same place and this was,
Knowing nothing (and lots of it)
Then, as each one of us learns something, put into practice this philosophy....
Each one teach on...
And just to follow along my own train of thought, in this reply, I share the story about how I got to where I'm at in the detailing world when Dennis Gage interviewed me on TV for his show, My Classic Car.
As corny as it is, the word is empathy.
Dennis Gage interviews Mike Phillips from Autogeek
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Re: When it comes down to maintaining a scratch and swirl free finish - it all comes down to how you touch the paint - Mike Phillips
Continued...
Here's a video I made showing how I machine applied the Wolfgang Fuzion Paste Wax by machine.
Video is on my Facebook page, click the link or the image to watch the video.
Using the cordless FLEX PiXiE to machine apply a paste wax use the 12mm free spinning random orbital drive unit
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