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mc2hill

Official Product Tester
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  1. Like
    mc2hill reacted to emorgn in DIY Detailing Cart.   
    Hey all,
       This is my attempt at making a detail cart.
     
    I knew what cart I wanted to use so I bought this:



    I picked it up @ the local "big box" store for $60.
     
    I quickly realized that I needed some sort of bottle management. After an exhausting amount of time checking out all of the internet options I found some scrap Styrofoam packing materials @ work and decided that I could save them from the landfill.
     
    This is what the material starts out like:



     
    I bought a Styrofoam hot wire cutter @ the local craft store, because a hole saw makes a TERRIBLE MESS and doesn't give a good result. I paid $20 for it but since the girlfriend can use it on her crafts later, I'm not gonna include it in my tally.  I used it to cut out the holes and make room for the bottles.




     
    I tried a few configurations, and then came up with one I liked and seemed to fit nicely.


     
    1 bottle of Styrofoam craft glue and 1 can of textured spray paint totaled less than $10 and gave me this.

     
    Partially loaded.



     
    I'm waiting on some hooks to hang the brushes and stuff off of the outside, after that I'll finish loading up the remaining stuff in the garage and put it to work!  All together I have less than $85 in it.  I liked the Adams cart but really wanted a metal one. So we shall see how it holds up.
     
    Moderators, I hope in posting all of this I didn't violate any picture or posting rules, please advise if I need to change something or take this down.
     
    Feedback and criticism is welcome! I call this Phase 1, more of a trial run.  I would like a nicer looking bottle holding system, but I can live with turning something destined for the dump into something useful for the time being.
  2. Like
    mc2hill reacted to Thorsager in Chrysler Nationals Carlisle, PA   
    We had a great time at the Chrysler Nationals in Carlisle, PA this weekend. This was MOPAR heaven! We stopped by the Adams tent and checked out the Rupes 75e Mini. This will be my next purchase!

    It took my wife and I two days to see everything here.



     
         This last picture is of our Hellcat. Prior to the show I put a coat of Adams Patriot wax on. At the show I first used diluted Adams Rinseless Wash spray to remove the road grime that collected on the way to the show (I also use this on the wheels). Then I used Adams Detail Spray. It really made the Ivory White Pearl shine.

  3. Like
    mc2hill got a reaction from Ricky Bobby in Share your detailing hacks.   
    I use this method too, and it works great!  I can do my car and truck with one Waterless Wash towel, and it is only slightly damp at the end.
     
     
    Since we are already at the makeup counter, maybe Dylan will chime in and tell us the story of how the original Adam's Boars Hair lug nut brush came about...
  4. Like
    mc2hill reacted to gdwenger in DIY LED light build   
    That's the benefit of the boom. Swing it down and and its gets lower then the rocker panels. Also very handy for extending over the hood and pointing straight down
  5. Like
    mc2hill reacted to Chris@Adams in Patriot Question   
    Yea there are a lot of variables on how long your wax or sealant will last.....the best thing you can use to get your paint to pop is BG. You can apply it every weekend and it won't build up like wax will.
  6. Like
    mc2hill got a reaction from ledger64 in Hanging polishers   
    If you have lots of money you want to spend, the pick of a few of these!
     

  7. Like
    mc2hill reacted to chops1sc in How about this for a detailing cart?   
    They have pipe insulation in the plumbing dept. Get the pre-slit kind with the adhesive peel-and stick.
  8. Like
    mc2hill reacted to BoCRon in How about this for a detailing cart?   
    I do, that is a very old pic. I have been slowly using up the Prima stuff and replacing with Adam's. I'm probably about 85% Adam's now and will be sending the remaining Prima stuff off with my daughter when she leaves for college. She will get my last bottle of Prima Mystique wash and Prima Hydro Spray. 
    Annette
  9. Like
    mc2hill reacted to Sizzle Chest in 2005 Audi A8   
    Nice work Mike!!!  Headlights came out very nice!  LOL'd at your LED comments...they sure do make you crazy!  Haha.
     
    Hope all is well bro!
  10. Like
    mc2hill reacted to Chris@Adams in 2005 Audi A8   
    Looks good....nice job!
  11. Like
    mc2hill reacted to Gen9Rolla in 2005 Audi A8   
    Looks great!
  12. Like
    mc2hill reacted to Natch02 in 2005 Audi A8   
    Nice turnaround.
  13. Like
    mc2hill got a reaction from LFairbanks in Oil Consumption and your "NEW" Car.   
    My 15 year old, 190K Frontier burns no oil, and my friend with a brand new BMW told me his 'add oil' light came on the other day.  He was worried and took it by the dealer.  They told him that is not unusual, and the bigger Bimmers burn even more that his. 
  14. Like
    mc2hill got a reaction from BKazzle in DIY LED light build   
    LOL, very true!  I thought the halogens showed a lot until I fired this one up.   
     
    When I first used them, I was showing them off to my neighbor and turned them on the rear quarter of the car I was polishing.  There was an 'oh crap' moment with all the scratches that showed up.
  15. Like
    mc2hill got a reaction from SgtLip in DIY LED light build   
    We have learned proper lighting is important when chasing swirls. I have been using a pair of 500w halogen lamps on a stand for several years. These work great, and are nice to be around in the winter, but they are brutal in the warmer months. I have seen the LED work lights (pic below) with a similar setup. They are much cooler to work around, but the light is not as bright as the halogens and do not show imperfections as well.

     
    I have seen a few different DIY LED light stand builds on other forums, and after seeing Sizzle Chest’s setup I decided to give it a try. Most of the parts are fairly inexpensive, using lightweight photography equipment, but the bulbs are pricey!
     
    I started with a stand that included a carrying bag - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008DYHRH4?
    psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

     
    This stand has a minimum height of 53”, and a maximum of 100”. It works great for hoods, roofs, and trunks, but just OK for sides. For that reason I am looking at 2 other stands:
     
    This one that has a minimum of 33”, max of 80” - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003PEUA30/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2W8PMFWAIX1V2&coliid=I2S0K4VP91Z62V&psc=1

     
     
    Or this one that is much shorter – Min 17”, max 40”
    http://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Collapsible-Aluminium-Photography-Portrait/dp/B00X5GCG12/ref=sr_1_5?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1433004584&sr=1-5

     
     
    The second stand includes a ‘stud’ that is attached to the lower leg to allow a second light head to be attached. The downside is the stud must be removed to collapse the stand. There are clamps available to allow you to mount a light head almost anywhere and if I go with the first stand I would add one of these – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00355GFMO/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2W8PMFWAIX1V2&coliid=IB3IMSHH6UKOR

     
     
    The light ‘head’ is the simple part. It is a double mount bracket, with an on/off switch for each lamp, and a short 9’ cord. This just slides over the top of the stand and is tightened down. There are other fiddly bits on the bracket, but as I am not a photographer, I have no idea what they are for.
    http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HZUVX8G/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2W8PMFWAIX1V2&coliid=I1UB3VZ74Z4A4V

     
     
    So far so good, less than $30 (light head $10.99 + stand $15.99).
     
    Now about the light bulbs: There are lots and lots of different types of LED light bulbs out there but to replicate the sun you need a daylight bulb – somewhere around 5000 kelvin on the color temp scale.
     

     
    I was able to find my bulb at Lowe’s, but it seems to be an item they are discontinuing –
    http://www.lowes.com/pd_150661-75774-LPAR3814005KLEDG5___?productId=50107550&pl=1&Ntt=led+par38+daylight
     

     
    It is a size PAR38, 23W (120W equivalent), 5000K, Daylight, Dimmable floodlight bulb. The only store in my area that carried them was the near my house and I picked up 4. Even on ‘closeout’ they were $25.99 EACH! The upside to these bulbs is they have a life of 25,000 hours, so unless you break them, they should last a long, long time.
     
    Speaking of breaking them, this setup is very top heavy. The first time I used it I had the stand set at about 6’, bumped into it, and it fell on to the trunk of the A8 I was polishing! After a few choice words, my stomach dropped when I saw white marks on the paint! The heat fins from the bulb had marked the paint. Luckily it was just paint transfer and was quickly removed with the polisher, with no further damage to the car or the lights. After that I decided to look for a simple fix and found it at a local thrift store:
    Discarded ankle weights!
     

     
    I paid $3 for one at the thrift store, but they are about $17 new (I bought a pair when I got tired of driving around to the Goodwill’s).  This is one I found (they only had one), and it easily fits over the upright part of the stand, and provides just enough weight to offset the bulbs. I removed 2 of the weight packs, so it is probably at 4 pounds. The plus with these is they wrap around the light stand when it is folded. 

     
     
    So now we are up to $80
    Stand          $15.99
    Light head    10.99
    2 LED bulbs  50.00
    Weights           3.00
    Not too bad and much cheaper than a pair of the LED work lights with a stand.
    Here is what you get:

     
     
    So how well do they work?
    A shot of both lights on full: The halogen mounting bracket puts them farther apart than the LED bracket, but that is not really an issue:

     
    LED:


     
    Halogen:


     
     
    Why are they better then Halogens?
    Front of lights

     
    vs.

     
    Now the temp at the back:

     
    vs.

     
    Other options:
    You could add a boom to put the light over a flat surface (hood, roof, etc.)  
     

     
     
    Conclusions:
    I really enjoy working with the LED lights. They are more comfortable to work around, and I prefer the whiter light they produce.  I think they show more defects too.
    They also draw less power, so no more worry about tripping a fuse when using the lights and the polisher.
     
     
    Please feel free to ask questions or suggest improvements. I am not a photographer, nor an electrical engineer, so there are probably better ways to do this!
     
  16. Like
    mc2hill got a reaction from Feets31 in DIY LED light build   
    That is steep.  Home Depot has a similar bulb for $30 - http://www.homedepot.com/p/EcoSmart-120W-Equivalent-Daylight-5000K-PAR38-LED-Flood-Light-Bulb-ECS-38-120WE-CW-FL-120-TP/204632231.
    And I found this one on Amazon for $16.99 - http://www.amazon.com/LEDwholesalers-Approved-Dimmable-Interchangeable-replacement/dp/B00LVR2NTM/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1435894673&sr=8-10&keywords=LED+bulb+120W+5000K+par38.
  17. Like
    mc2hill got a reaction from Ricky Bobby in time for a new polisher. BUT which one ??   
    I was wondering that too when someone asked me about the GG machine.  Why pay the same price for a knockoff, when you can real deal for a few dollar more.
  18. Like
  19. Like
    mc2hill got a reaction from krewsman in DIY LED light build   
    We have learned proper lighting is important when chasing swirls. I have been using a pair of 500w halogen lamps on a stand for several years. These work great, and are nice to be around in the winter, but they are brutal in the warmer months. I have seen the LED work lights (pic below) with a similar setup. They are much cooler to work around, but the light is not as bright as the halogens and do not show imperfections as well.

     
    I have seen a few different DIY LED light stand builds on other forums, and after seeing Sizzle Chest’s setup I decided to give it a try. Most of the parts are fairly inexpensive, using lightweight photography equipment, but the bulbs are pricey!
     
    I started with a stand that included a carrying bag - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008DYHRH4?
    psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

     
    This stand has a minimum height of 53”, and a maximum of 100”. It works great for hoods, roofs, and trunks, but just OK for sides. For that reason I am looking at 2 other stands:
     
    This one that has a minimum of 33”, max of 80” - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003PEUA30/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2W8PMFWAIX1V2&coliid=I2S0K4VP91Z62V&psc=1

     
     
    Or this one that is much shorter – Min 17”, max 40”
    http://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Collapsible-Aluminium-Photography-Portrait/dp/B00X5GCG12/ref=sr_1_5?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1433004584&sr=1-5

     
     
    The second stand includes a ‘stud’ that is attached to the lower leg to allow a second light head to be attached. The downside is the stud must be removed to collapse the stand. There are clamps available to allow you to mount a light head almost anywhere and if I go with the first stand I would add one of these – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00355GFMO/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2W8PMFWAIX1V2&coliid=IB3IMSHH6UKOR

     
     
    The light ‘head’ is the simple part. It is a double mount bracket, with an on/off switch for each lamp, and a short 9’ cord. This just slides over the top of the stand and is tightened down. There are other fiddly bits on the bracket, but as I am not a photographer, I have no idea what they are for.
    http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HZUVX8G/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2W8PMFWAIX1V2&coliid=I1UB3VZ74Z4A4V

     
     
    So far so good, less than $30 (light head $10.99 + stand $15.99).
     
    Now about the light bulbs: There are lots and lots of different types of LED light bulbs out there but to replicate the sun you need a daylight bulb – somewhere around 5000 kelvin on the color temp scale.
     

     
    I was able to find my bulb at Lowe’s, but it seems to be an item they are discontinuing –
    http://www.lowes.com/pd_150661-75774-LPAR3814005KLEDG5___?productId=50107550&pl=1&Ntt=led+par38+daylight
     

     
    It is a size PAR38, 23W (120W equivalent), 5000K, Daylight, Dimmable floodlight bulb. The only store in my area that carried them was the near my house and I picked up 4. Even on ‘closeout’ they were $25.99 EACH! The upside to these bulbs is they have a life of 25,000 hours, so unless you break them, they should last a long, long time.
     
    Speaking of breaking them, this setup is very top heavy. The first time I used it I had the stand set at about 6’, bumped into it, and it fell on to the trunk of the A8 I was polishing! After a few choice words, my stomach dropped when I saw white marks on the paint! The heat fins from the bulb had marked the paint. Luckily it was just paint transfer and was quickly removed with the polisher, with no further damage to the car or the lights. After that I decided to look for a simple fix and found it at a local thrift store:
    Discarded ankle weights!
     

     
    I paid $3 for one at the thrift store, but they are about $17 new (I bought a pair when I got tired of driving around to the Goodwill’s).  This is one I found (they only had one), and it easily fits over the upright part of the stand, and provides just enough weight to offset the bulbs. I removed 2 of the weight packs, so it is probably at 4 pounds. The plus with these is they wrap around the light stand when it is folded. 

     
     
    So now we are up to $80
    Stand          $15.99
    Light head    10.99
    2 LED bulbs  50.00
    Weights           3.00
    Not too bad and much cheaper than a pair of the LED work lights with a stand.
    Here is what you get:

     
     
    So how well do they work?
    A shot of both lights on full: The halogen mounting bracket puts them farther apart than the LED bracket, but that is not really an issue:

     
    LED:


     
    Halogen:


     
     
    Why are they better then Halogens?
    Front of lights

     
    vs.

     
    Now the temp at the back:

     
    vs.

     
    Other options:
    You could add a boom to put the light over a flat surface (hood, roof, etc.)  
     

     
     
    Conclusions:
    I really enjoy working with the LED lights. They are more comfortable to work around, and I prefer the whiter light they produce.  I think they show more defects too.
    They also draw less power, so no more worry about tripping a fuse when using the lights and the polisher.
     
     
    Please feel free to ask questions or suggest improvements. I am not a photographer, nor an electrical engineer, so there are probably better ways to do this!
     
  20. Like
    mc2hill reacted to BKazzle in DIY LED light build   
    Just a warning to anyone that builds this setup...
     
    ...it will make you cry after it exposes every little defect imaginable.
  21. Like
    mc2hill reacted to Mnitetrain in DIY LED light build   
    Liking your setup with LED's.
     
    Have replaced almost all lites in the house with LED whenever possible.  Monthly electrical bill went from $80-85.00 to around $20.00-$25.00.  I'm a believer.
  22. Like
    mc2hill reacted to Chris@Adams in DIY LED light build   
    Nice job......
  23. Like
    mc2hill reacted to BrianT in DIY LED light build   
    Nice job! I can't believe the temps! I know they run hot, but holy monkeys! Those LEDs are sweet!!
  24. Like
    mc2hill reacted to Texas Moe in My first Adam's order!   
    Well done!  I'll always remember my first time.  I was nervous and clumsy and didn't really know what I was doing. So I just took my time and watched a lot of videos (of Adam and Dylan).  Today, I'm still an amateur but I don't get nervous anymore. 
  25. Like
    mc2hill reacted to LDM in What Did You Wash, Shine, and or Polish Today   
    Gave the ride a quick wash and wax.  Went with Patriot in honor of the 4th.
     

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