RayS

I finally have the workbench fully installed, including the metal pegboard, TV and various other accessories. 
 
The mild winter helped me keep progressing with staying warm enough in the garage to do the straining the coating on the cabinets and top only needing 2 or 3 days between coats.  The ceilings fans also helped by circulating the air and pushing the warmer air down from the ceiling.  They have timers built in so I could turn them on to run for multiple hours, so the temp pretty much always stayed above 50, even on the coldest nights.
 
 Now it is matter of getting the pegboard arranged the way I want it and then slowly move the tools out of Mary's garage.   I'm still working on the little things and some are getting closer to being ready to be worked on.  I'll put in a cable management system for the wires around the workbench, getting the fire extinguishers mounted and getting many more old license plates so I can finish the upper part of the side wall.   I have all the wood for the sound enclosure for the air compressor, I just need to get the sound tiles to build that.
 
I'm ready for detailing season to get started and ten the rest of the Adam's items will move in, excluding the gallons which I'll leave the climate controlled room in Mary's garage. 

I finally have the workbench fully installed, including the metal pegboard, TV and various other accessories. 
 
The mild winter helped me keep progressing with staying warm enough in the garage to do the straining the coating on the cabinets and top only needing 2 or 3 days between coats.  The ceilings fans also helped by circulating the air and pushing the warmer air down from the ceiling.  They have timers built in so I could turn them on to run for multiple hours, so the temp pretty much always stayed above 50, even on the coldest nights.
 
 Now it is matter of getting the pegboard arranged the way I want it and then slowly move the tools out of Mary's garage.   I'm still working on the little things and some are getting closer to being ready to be worked on.  I'll put in a cable management system for the wires around the workbench, getting the fire extinguishers mounted and getting many more old license plates so I can finish the upper part of the side wall.   I have all the wood for the sound enclosure for the air compressor, I just need to get the sound tiles to build that.
 
I'm ready for detailing season to get started and ten the rest of the Adam's items will move in, excluding the gallons which I'll leave the climate controlled room in Mary's garage. 

Today was 55*F and sunny.  As promised after church (and after my brother and mom left) I washed my wife’s Beast, her 2016 Durango R/T. It was Uber filthy and covered with road salt, grit, grime and who knows what else. First things first, all four wheels were cleaned with Adam’s Wheel and Tire Cleaner, rinsed then treated to Adam’s Rinse & Coat. I used a strip wash from the guy in Tacoma WA in the foam gun to remove the gunk on the paint. Following a good rinse I washed it with many MF wash mitts in one bucket using Adam’s Car Shampoo. Now before I rinsed it I was thinking that the Advanced Graphene Spray Coating had utterly failed.  NOPE!   As soon as the soap was rinsed off, the water first sheeted then beaded like crazy. I did a sheeting rinse and dried the Beast using Adam’s Graphene Detail Spray as a drying aid. Did I tell you how much I’m starting to dig that stuff? Anyway, I finished up with Adam’s Tire Shine on the Michelins then started taking pics. She’s looking great for 140,000+ miles!

It was a sunny and balmy 47* F today so I took advantage of the great mid February midwestern weather and cleaned the SS. I used Adam’s Rinseless Wash in my jumbo IK Sprayer with HOT water as a presoak. I used 8 plush MF towels in a 2 gallon bucket to clean the paint and door jambs. The remaining wash medium was used with old MF towels to clean the wheels. I used Adam’s Graphene Detail Spray as a drying aid, one spritz per panel except for hood and roof which got two. My opinion on it has changed 180*.
I’m convinced I had a bad bottle of it last year as I never had good results with it no matter how I used it or how much I used.

Tomorrow after church my wife’s Beast will get a regular wash with foam gun, etc.  It is mega filthy.

Hard to believe that it has been over 6 months since anyone posted on this thread.  While the majority of my time is spent shining vehicles, this is a different twist since I finished the workbench top.
 
Disclaimer:  The information is not documented or endorsed by Adam's and following the items is strictly at your own risk.  Never use a Pad on alternative objects that you intend to use again on a vehicle.  The ones I previously used for headlights make great donors since they are usually abused, yet have plenty of life left in them for alternate uses.

To get the shine I ended up with 10 coats of Spar Urethane, with #0000 steel wood and/or 600 grit sandpaper and a final sanding with 1000 grit. Anyone unfamiliar with Spar Urethane it has good resistance to UV light, can handle big temperature differences and generally does not crack or yellow.  The top itself is Birch Butcher Block, 26 inches wide with two 8 foot sections.  This was a slow process with a minimum of two days between coats, all actions were by hand.

The polishing was accomplishing with a retired Adams' Headlight Kit using the Blue Pad with Compound, followed by a White pad and One-Stop-Polish and a final once-over with Polish.   The last step was to go over it with Adam's Glass Cleaner and an old microfiber to remove all the residue.
 
One of the things when doing wood and Spar Urethane is to limit the number of passes and don't dwell on any single spot - i.e. keep moving.  I still worked 2 foot sections, actually 2 foot by 26 inches, kept it cool in the garage and worked quickly.
 
I do believe the end result qualifies as shiny and an alternative use for Adam's products.

Ray
That looks amazing!! Jealousy is setting in over here

Hard to believe that it has been over 6 months since anyone posted on this thread.  While the majority of my time is spent shining vehicles, this is a different twist since I finished the workbench top.
 
Disclaimer:  The information is not documented or endorsed by Adam's and following the items is strictly at your own risk.  Never use a Pad on alternative objects that you intend to use again on a vehicle.  The ones I previously used for headlights make great donors since they are usually abused, yet have plenty of life left in them for alternate uses.

To get the shine I ended up with 10 coats of Spar Urethane, with #0000 steel wood and/or 600 grit sandpaper and a final sanding with 1000 grit. Anyone unfamiliar with Spar Urethane it has good resistance to UV light, can handle big temperature differences and generally does not crack or yellow.  The top itself is Birch Butcher Block, 26 inches wide with two 8 foot sections.  This was a slow process with a minimum of two days between coats, all actions were by hand.

The polishing was accomplishing with a retired Adams' Headlight Kit using the Blue Pad with Compound, followed by a White pad and One-Stop-Polish and a final once-over with Polish.   The last step was to go over it with Adam's Glass Cleaner and an old microfiber to remove all the residue.
 
One of the things when doing wood and Spar Urethane is to limit the number of passes and don't dwell on any single spot - i.e. keep moving.  I still worked 2 foot sections, actually 2 foot by 26 inches, kept it cool in the garage and worked quickly.
 
I do believe the end result qualifies as shiny and an alternative use for Adam's products.

Hard to believe that it has been over 6 months since anyone posted on this thread.  While the majority of my time is spent shining vehicles, this is a different twist since I finished the workbench top.
 
Disclaimer:  The information is not documented or endorsed by Adam's and following the items is strictly at your own risk.  Never use a Pad on alternative objects that you intend to use again on a vehicle.  The ones I previously used for headlights make great donors since they are usually abused, yet have plenty of life left in them for alternate uses.

To get the shine I ended up with 10 coats of Spar Urethane, with #0000 steel wood and/or 600 grit sandpaper and a final sanding with 1000 grit. Anyone unfamiliar with Spar Urethane it has good resistance to UV light, can handle big temperature differences and generally does not crack or yellow.  The top itself is Birch Butcher Block, 26 inches wide with two 8 foot sections.  This was a slow process with a minimum of two days between coats, all actions were by hand.

The polishing was accomplishing with a retired Adams' Headlight Kit using the Blue Pad with Compound, followed by a White pad and One-Stop-Polish and a final once-over with Polish.   The last step was to go over it with Adam's Glass Cleaner and an old microfiber to remove all the residue.
 
One of the things when doing wood and Spar Urethane is to limit the number of passes and don't dwell on any single spot - i.e. keep moving.  I still worked 2 foot sections, actually 2 foot by 26 inches, kept it cool in the garage and worked quickly.
 
I do believe the end result qualifies as shiny and an alternative use for Adam's products.

No, you do not need to discard them, just don't use them on the body of a vehicle.  Use them for engine bay cleaning, the insides of wheels, exhaust pipes or anyplace that is not polished like the body is.

To mark mine for non-body usage, I cut the corners off the towels along with storing them separately to ensure no cross contamination.  Furthermore, since they are non-body towels, I hand wash them since they can get nasty with the areas I use them on.

No, you do not need to discard them, just don't use them on the body of a vehicle.  Use them for engine bay cleaning, the insides of wheels, exhaust pipes or anyplace that is not polished like the body is.

To mark mine for non-body usage, I cut the corners off the towels along with storing them separately to ensure no cross contamination.  Furthermore, since they are non-body towels, I hand wash them since they can get nasty with the areas I use them on.

No, you do not need to discard them, just don't use them on the body of a vehicle.  Use them for engine bay cleaning, the insides of wheels, exhaust pipes or anyplace that is not polished like the body is.

To mark mine for non-body usage, I cut the corners off the towels along with storing them separately to ensure no cross contamination.  Furthermore, since they are non-body towels, I hand wash them since they can get nasty with the areas I use them on.

Welcome to the Forum.

Hi Jack,
I generally expect the extra pop to last several days when the vehicle is kept in the garage and 2 or 3 days max when out in the sun.  If we are doing something on Saturday I will either apply BG on Friday evening or Saturday morning to ensure it really pops.   I have found that when using Americana, the garage queen will need rewaxing every 3 to 4 weeks if I do BG every weekend.   I don't use Patriots enough to know if that would be case there also.

I seem to remember when Adams first released the ceramic spray coating, that the ceramic boost was to be applied after 4 hours or even the next day.  Is that still part of the process.  I will finish up applying the Ceramic UV spray coating tomorrow and was planning to apply the Boost on Wednesday morning.  Is this a required step in the overall process, or is it not required, and I can simply apply it as a touch up in a few weeks?  Not done yet, but here is a partial view.  Will take a few better pictures in the next day or two.

Hi John,
You have proven that you have a knack for writing and I enjoyed your article.   My first concern is about the storage of your chemicals and ensuring that they do not freeze or overheat.  If it is possible for you to keep your chemicals in a climate controlled environment, it would be best for their longevity.
 
While I cannot tell you about the curing time for extreme cold, I do know that when it is below 50, there is a noticeable difference in using the chemicals.  That has little to with the point that I live in South Carolina and anything below 50 is generally unacceptable.
 
The next concern would be if you do take it out is what is used on the roads in Colorado.  Some of the road deicing products can be harsh and can be gritty which could easily mar the paint surface when you do a waterless or rinseless wash.   Other than waiting for a warm period to when you know you can do a proper wash or moving to a warmer climate, I'm not sure what else to suggest.  However, we have many members from the colder areas, including one of our moderates. @falcaineer who lives in Colorado and may be able to provide some additional insight, including directions on how to get to the Adam's headquarters in Colorado. 
 
The car looks great and I'm not saying that because it is Red, but it most certainly does help.

Fellow travelers,
 
Come and grab a pint of ale and sit by the fire to warm yourself as I lay out the story of the journey so far.
 
So this trip started back in October for me out here in the Front Range of Colorado.  I got in my car and swung through the chemical decontamination and two bucket wash area before getting back on the road to the town of Clay Bar.  Once I got to town I found a nice uninsulated garage attached to a house to protect the vehicle from the elements.  The only issue is that our shelter did not really address the frigid temperatures and family events that distract from continuing my quest for Advanced Graphene Ceramic greatness.  Fighting through various family members to finally find solace in taking a using some waterless wash to get the dust off followed by a diluted alcohol strip-spray to all of the vehicle.  In preparation for the coming snowy tundra and frigid  temperatures predicted along my quest I went to the depot of weapons and home goods to  obtain a propane jet heater in order to keep the vehicle and area at a reasonable temperature while finalizing the Clay Bar and Polishing side quests to produce the mirror perfect paint reflection and contamination free glass areas. This physical decontamination process and compounding repeated many times to remove 95% or so of the love marks that have been created in this painted armor on my stead. Being my first encounter with this German made AMG Cardinal Red armor, I was quite impressed at the amount of clay bar and compound steps need to be performed.  Waning from the sheer intensity and likely perfectionist attitude  I decided to finish with a double pass of polishing over the entire vehicle, glass and armor alike. 
 
Here I find myself finishing these quests and sitting here staring at this beautiful stead.  Armed with my Mr. Heater 60,000 BTU forced air heater and partially insulated garage containment with insulated garage doors, I  am being forced to make some decisions about the future of my journey and how and when to continue it.   At this point I have been able to say that the heater has made the garage even too warm on some of the warmer days we have had here at 30-40 degrees Fahrenheit with lows in the low double digits at night outside. Now I seek the knowledge of my fellow travelers of this road or any of the honorable expert knights from the House of Adam’s Polishes, who have blazed this treacherous path and paved it with products and processes that even a mere apprentice like myself can travel this road with ease.
 
Now that the darn horse trader that I bought this trusty stead has sent a messenger crow.  He has agreed to fix his failed attempt at the passenger side tinting of glass that is separating at the bottom of the glass.  Upon the reading of the message and weather forecasts that are predicting more snow blowing in to this area, I debate how to potentially delaying my quest.
 
On one hand, assuming the roads clear in the near future (including the 1/8 mile of un-plowed ice sheet referred to as neighborhood way),  I could gently drive my unprotected stead to the horse trader for repair ensuring that the horse trader does not “forget” or reverse his decision due to some type of time limit or warranty thing.  This would minimally require that repeat some of the strip wash, claybar, and surface prep stages before starting the application of the Advanced Graphene Ceramic 60ml bottle.  I have concerns about the rocks and debris  along the road behind me back to the horse trader and the potential damage that these hazards could have on my trusty stead.  If going this route should I throw some wax or something over the armor before making that journey or just take the chance?
 
Now in the other hand, I could brandish my Mr. Heater and warm the area up, do the surface prep spray wipe down and attempt to apply 1 or 2 coats of the Advanced Graphene Ceramic coating allowing a min of 24hrs to cure but expect a minimum of 1 week before it sees the outside at all.  Doing this all during the winter months on the front range of Colorado means that I doubt we will have many days that are 60 degrees or more outside. I think we may see highs similar to the temperatures reported in the above description. Will the product be able to cure in this condition?  Would I need to run the propane heater to maintain some temperature level during the entire curing time? 24hr? 1 week? 
 
Lastly I have the third option of just pausing my quest while this winter weather has engulfed our position.  Waiting out this storm under the protection of the garage will all time for the weather to return to warmer temperatures and only really needing to do a light wash (maybe) and a surface prep wipe down.  The warmer temperatures will ensure that the coating behaves the best, according to the videos and blogs. It would potentially endanger my working with the horse trader, not sure of the chances there.
 
So fellow travelers and honorable knights, I request any information, experience, and/or advice you may have in navigating these tricky speed bumps on the road to this hardened glossy ceramic nirvana. 
 
Regards,
Sir UTVol, first of his name.
 

I thought I would update this post and let you guys know how things went. The Adams Tar didn't arrive in time so I went ahead and continued with the Goo Gone. I was able to almost all of it off. However, where there had been a few heavy dots of the glue I could still see a shadow but could no longer feel it anymore. What I did was go over it with the Scratch and Swirl Remover and followed that up with Polish. I did this with my new SK Pro 15mm which worked perfectly.
 
I wanted to say thanks to everyone who replied to my post! All of them were useful and help me in learning more about detailing. Also, a thanks to Adams as well!

Just slap a bunch of Adam's stickers on a mini fridge!  Oh wait.....that's what I did. lol  

Night Moves

Hi Tyler,
If your vehicle is not graphene coated, then you should stay with the non-graphene product line   If you have graphene coated, your vehicle, then you should go with graphene products.  
 
Generally, if you are getting streaking it is either too much product being used or the towels are not optimal, ie. too wet, too light weight.   It took me a bit to get to the right combination, and a light spray followed by two separate borderless grey towels, seems to work well for me.   Humidity can also have an effect and if it is above 80%, then I just don't bother touching the vehicles.

Looks great Ray!  Long time, and lots of hard work, but worth it!  

I have finally completed enough of the ceiling and trim plus hung up some art that it is time for an updated picture.  The flag on the right has the USCG logo for the stars and was hand crafted by a local veteran.   I probably have another 2 or 3 weekends on the ladder and then it will be on to the cabinets, workbench, metal pegboard and remaining wall mounted stainless steel shelves.   
 
I'm sure hoping that I can have all my equipment and chemicals moved out of the wife's garage and in place before the spring shining season starts.

Hi Dave,
I use the Adam's Foam Gun at least half the time when I am washing vehicles.  It works very well, but does not give near the foam that the Foam Cannon and pressure washer does.  The benefit is that it is quick to grab, setup and put away.  If your vehicle is coated and you are using the Graphene Shampoo, it works very well, but you will notice that the shampoo tends to run off more than the Regular or Ultra shampoo on a non-coated vehicle.  This is the result of the coating, yet it cleans just as easily.

Man made 
 
 
Happy Holidays everyone!
Wishing you and yours a safe and blessed Holiday! 
🍻

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