dabellg

Hey everyone! Its been a while sense I have been on the forums. I made some good friends off here a few years ago. Excited to be back in and spend some time in here the next year. Here are all 3 of my personal trucks. I have been loving the new graphene detail spray, Excellent shine. 

The revive and sponge are gone. 

I’ll tkae it!
 
I

I also do a little detailing on the side and at first had the same mindset of just using a cheaper polisher, pc 7424xp. I did about 6 cars with my pc and I still don't think I can feel my hands. I upgraded to the swirl killer and the swirl killer mini 1 month ago and it was the best decision I've made in a while. I was able to finish the correction alot faster and I feel like the quality of the correction turned out a lot better than with my pc. There is very little vibration to the sk as well. I'm also very happy with the mini. I was able to get into a lot more areas easier and I wasn't cleaning extra polish that would get stuck in the cracks when I would try and use the bigger pads. If you have an Instagram and your still debating on what polisher you want Ed Espinosa, edwaxit, (insta name) has a lot of great reviews on polisher on his page. That guy has more polisher than anyone ever should! Hopefully that helps a little! Good luck.

I stumbled across it the other day and was the only one on there... so it was a pretty boring conversation 

Lacquer thinner works on painted pin stripes. I guess it depends on the paint that was used.I used Easy off on my drag car and trailer years ago and it worked fine. My wife crashed my Silverado last fall. It had pin stripes so I took the old door home and experimented with it. Easy off wouldn't touch it so based on our body guys advice I tried lacquer thinner and it took the stripes off easily. Neither harmed the clear coat.

Lol! I used to work in the detail center at a BMW dealership, many lessons learned on what not to do... but anyway we used Easy Off for painted pinstripes and shocking though it may be, it does work. Really nasty stuff so use great care.

What did I do today........
 
I got up, 
packed my bags, 
and now just waiting for an airplane. 
 
See ya all in a week! Caribbean cruise here i come.

I think I've seen that story on Judge Judy.  
 
I'm assuming she's going to become the mrs.  If not, you better grab her before someone else does. Nice girlfriend!

Here is my honest speeding train of thought when I read that: Who seriously tests the PH? --> I don't even have a pH tester. --> Who does? --> Dave, and pool owners duhhh (never had a pool or hot tub)--> Actually...Knowing the pH of solutions IS the basis of knowing how to clean them. (I rarely think of my cleaning in terms of acidic and alkaline. The labels make it too easy to not even think about the chemistry.) The precision is not unlike volume measurements vs. weighted measurements in baking. Weight is always more accurate. (Takes break to check prices of pH testers online. Looks up soil testers too.) --> Am I the only one on this forum without one? --> Wait a minute, I think I read somewhere you are an Adam's product tester, aren't you? --> ???? ????????Thanks for your help!

I'll be the third to vote for the dishwasher.  Important tip: use only dishwashing detergent in the dishwasher.  I learned the hard way that laundry detergent in the dishwasher makes a bubble machine.  On the bright side, our floors were never cleaner. 

I'm with you Dustin. I love a two bucket wash. It's great to get out of some other things your wife might have you do on a Saturday morning!  
I also like rinse less more than waterless. Whenever I've used waterless, it tends to take a lot more product than rinse less and doesn't feel quite as safe as the rinse less or Garry dean method.

RETIRED! 
But in my former life I was a welder for 35 years in a steel mill. 

Retired! 
 
Executive Director of Detailing my Daily Driver.
 
Senior Unpaid Handyman

OK...How many detailers does it take to screw on a pull-up cap? 

When you plan your weekend around detailing your car!

I love my trim and lug nut brush. Mine seems very durable. I actually use it to apply tire shine on my tires. The foam block doesn't really work to well on my truck tires. I'm pretty rough on it and it has lasted me a year and is still in great shape.

When you plan your weekend around detailing your car!

Hey everyone, we are doing the finishing touches on our new show room! Check it out. If you're local, come by and see for yourself and grab some products while your here. 

My wife and I. I lucked out and have an amazing wife who loves my truck as much as I do. These were some of our engagement pictures last summer (2015).

The New Americana Paste Wax is super shiny!
 

 

^^^^^ What Chris said
 
I like the Yellow Hex better for Buttery Wax, but if you're in a pinch and don't have one, a Red Hex or Microfiber Applicator Block Pad will work ok too. I like keeping things color-coded though so that I don't mix multiple products in one applicator, especially for things like Buttery Wax and Paint Sealant that are a little more difficult to fully remove all of the product out of the applicator when cleaning the applicators. 

Wash
Clay
Wipedown
Glaze
Paint Sealant
Wax

Ok, I can see both sides of this discussion.
 
Yes, laying down a layer of Liquid Paint Sealant immediately after polishing on a bare clear coated surface will allow for the best adhesion of the sealant, but there is really no harm in adding a thin layer of Brilliant Glaze prior to the LPS. I've done this method on several vehicles that I've detailed, exactly like Chis describes, and on others, I've applied the LPS first.
 
What it all comes down to for me, is how neglected the surface really is after I start machine polishing. Some vehicles that I detail, the owner brings the vehicle over and I immediately wonder how it has been washed, and if it has even been waxed in the past 5 years - severe scratches and swirl marks all over the surface and so on. I will machine polish them to the best of my ability, but there are some vehicles that I, as a fairly experienced detailer, just cannot get them back to how I really want them to look, without going into the time consuming process of wet-sanding and polishing, which I am not always comfortable doing on someone else's vehicle anyway and the owner usually does not have that type of time to be away from their vehicle either. For these types of vehicles that I know I can't get back to near 90% corrected, and that I know the owner still wants them to look super shiny, I will put a layer of Brilliant Glaze down first after polishing to try to smooth out some of those deeper scratches more before applying the Liquid Paint Sealant. It can also help make removal of any stubborn Paint Finishing Polish residue easier, that may get a little more difficult to remove during hot humid months...say out in the 90 degree sun on a black ZR1 at Corvettes at Carlisle back in August...Chris and I know all about that one... Sure, some will say "Hey that's just cheating if you're using a glaze to try to hide those imperfections!" and I can agree with that to an extent, but it's also my reputation on the line when I'm detailing a vehicle, and I know some owners want it to look the absolute best for minimal time, otherwise they will go and complain to all of their friends (those are the owners that I will kindly refuse to detail any more vehicles for them, but I digress...) - with the majority of them having no idea the level of work I've already put in to achieve results on a truly hammered car...I will take any advantage I can when I'm working on a poorly cared-for vehicle to get it looking as best as possible.
 
If the vehicle is nearly flawless after machine polishing, I will go straight to the Liquid Paint Sealant, then Brilliant Glaze an hour or two later, and then either Buttery Wax, Americana, or Patriot for the LSP. If it is a show-only type of vehicle that doesn't get out too much and I have that finish looking amazing, my loud blue car being a great example, I will go straight to Brilliant Glaze and Americana or Patriot Wax and skip over LPS entirely, because I enjoy waxing the car 3 or 4 times a year.
 
Yes, Jason is correct in that the paint has to breathe and that the Brilliant Glaze is going to wear off after a few weeks being underneath the LPS, but Chris, Dave, and I have all never had any issues with it leaving any type of haze or cloudiness, and it sure does make an owner's face happy when they come pick up their ride.

Forgot about this thread. Well since my wife has been driving me for crazy to get some maternity photos done, I mind as well share them with you guys and get my moneys worth I guess. Then there are a few from our recent annual Newport Rhode Island trip.