Marshall

23 hours ago, RayS said:

Now that pollen season and well past us, I went on cleaning frenzy in the garage and since I have plenty of the regular CS3, I decided to give it a try on on workbenches.  Since both workbenches are butcherblock and coated with Spar Urethane, I figured why not give it a try.  I used a couple of older towels since I had no doubt there would be some sawdust and other contaminents mixed in and not only did it clean very well, the benchtops look great.

 

I was a bit concerned about the workbenches becoming slippery since they are as smooth as a baby's hmm, yet that is not the case, they have the same limited grip as before.  I didn't realize that the main workbench was as dirty as it was since I brush it off on a regular basis, which tells me that CS3 really does pick up the grime that is stuck to the surface.  Plus the shine that was left after using CS3 makes it look as good as when I first built them, if not a bit more shiny.

 

The bottom line is don't be afraid to experiment with the products.  While I wouldn't use CS3 of a food surface, I know there are other places that I can in places that are outside of its  primary purpose.

As a side note, the rolling workbench is not finished yet, the sides on the end by the drill press will be covered to hide the blocks.

Great looking benches Ray! 

On 6/8/2024 at 9:59 AM, galaxy said:

Do you guys use mega or ultra foam

in a bucket for a normal bucket wash instead of always in a gun? 

Galaxy, 

I have been using Mega in my cannon for a pre-wash and Wash & Wax in my bucket and cannon for my main wash. I'm extremely pleased with the results too.

2 hours ago, RayS said:

My sister-in-law came from Wisconsin for a visit and I couldn't let her drive that dirty vehicle back up there so it got a wash and protection with Liquid Ceramic Wax.   I do believe I'll need to take the polisher and a few chemicals in June and do a proper job of washing, polishing and coating it.  There is no doubt it looks much better now than when it arrived in South Carolina.

Nice job Ray! The dark blue has some depth to it.

2 hours ago, chops1sc said:

I have tried this in the past with a foam sprayer. What I found is the soap would not perform as expected vs a "fresh" mixture, and it would only get worse as time went by. I gave up and went back to mixing only what I would need. You can definitely try for yourself though. I am sure the type and quality of the water is key, but I remember hearing in a video that the water actually attacks the soap. I think you will find that you are spending more time trying to get it to work just right than you are actually saving.  

Chops1sc,

Very interesting. I see what you are saying here. The water/soap mixture kinda breaks down and looses its potency. I'd hate to make up various rations to just be lack luster at the time of use. I can see where the time to make a "fresh mix" is worthwhile to get its full potential. Thanks for you input here!!

Just trying to save a little bit of time in my maintenance washes by having some pre-made soaps ready. Thinking I could have two, 32 oz. mixes, of water/wash & wax and of water/Mega ready ahead of time before I start a wash. Obviously I'd shake up the 2 diffrent mixtures well before I'd use them due to sitting a week or two. Does anyone have any opinion on this as a good/bad idea. Unfortunately Adam's doesn't offer a spare premium foam cannon bottle and cap. So I'd have to use a different container of similar size and then pour into the Adam's bottle. Unless someone knows of bottle that is a match to the Adam's style and size with a cap?

On 4/21/2024 at 12:47 PM, falcaineer said:

Mega Foam will produce more foam, it's the most concentrated version available from Adam's. Anytime you add protection like the Ultra Foam has, it reduces the amount of foaming capacity. Add around 2 ozs of Mega Foam to warm water in the canister, turn up the concentration on the valve all the way to +, and enjoy!

Falcaineer, I'm a big fan of the Adams Wash & Wax. I use it along with Mega in my various vehicle and outdoor washing routines. What exactly is the difference between W&W and Ultra Foam? Both have silica components to them.

13 hours ago, chops1sc said:

I use the screw-on funnels as well. Just take your time and perfect practice makes perfect!

Chops1sc, yes sir, that simple white screw on funnel makes it much better. Now with that and the yellow on/off gallon jug spout I found, it makes pouring W&T cleaner simple and mess free. I used another of these spouts to top off my Total Interior cleaner. Another thin product. It worked perfectly as well!

On 4/16/2024 at 7:11 PM, RayS said:

Google is probably your best friend for this solution just search for:  Gallon Pump Dispenser

You'll find many options and they are rather inexpensive, especially if you pick up a pack of 4 or larger.  Each one should last the life of the gallon and most of the time you can go through two or three gallons before they need replacing.

Note:  Don't move them between gallons, there are always chemicals left in the pump so once it goes in a gallon that is the only product it should be used for.

Thanks for the response Ray! I looked into the gallon pumps that would fit the Adams jugs the best but then I came across another item. An on/off refill spout. I purchased 4 of these and actually used 1 tonight with my Wheel & Tire cleaner gallon jug. With the Adams funnel on my 16 oz bottle it worked perfectly! No mess. The on/off collar works a little stiff to control the flow but not too bad. I'm going to use this on my 4, less viscous, Adams products. 

I probably should know the answer to this question but here it is anyway. When trying to refill my Wheel & Tire cleaner 16 oz bottle, with a new full gallon jug, how can you pour it in correctly and not make a mess? I have the thread on bottle funnel, but man that full gallon of W&T cleaner just doesn't seem to pour well and not run down the side of the jug! It's certainly not as viscous as other Adams products but it seems to pour the worst of anything I've got. Almost like the gallon jug needs a type of spout attachment? Does anyone have any thoughts/ideas here? Thanks!

Not to trying to repeat myself but I'm seriously liking Wash & Wax even more! I washed my daughter's GMC Terrain and my AT4 on Sunday both had a coat of Spray Wax 3 weeks ago and there was a little remaining on the surfaces. After wheels/tries, I pre washed with Mega Foam on both with the surfaces dry. Just foam cannon and rinse. Then foamed with W&W and microfiber mitt wiped. Finished up with PW rinse and a final Deionized water, pooling rinse. Pulled them both in the garage and that was it. Next morning you could tell that I used W&W as my final verse MF. Slight gloss and a tad more slickness to the surfaces. It really seems to alow the wash mitt to glide over the surfaces even easier than with using MF. 

On 4/3/2024 at 9:39 PM, BrianT said:

Since the water reads 0.0 ppm, the water will pull minerals out of any metal it touches!  Having said that, you’d have to run A LOT of water through a brass fitting before it disappeared.  

That is interesting BrianT. I've got 3 brass fittings on the DI outstream hose for my final rinse. Thanks for the input here.

On 4/4/2024 at 10:31 AM, hondaman117 said:

Thought I would give a follow up.

 

Made it to the Tent Sale last weekend, got there about 3 hours before opening and was 10th in line. The guy at the front of line said he arrived at 5am, so I was not too far off from being at the front. Adam stopped by and chatted with all us at the front of line for a bit, was nice to get some insight on items and exchange good stories.

 

They only had one Pro Series pressure washer, and it got claimed by somebody in front of me. They had tons of Active 2.0 units, so I grabbed one of those and was happy. Also did not have any Deionizers, but a Heated Carpet Extractor found it's way into my pile... That should be a nice upgrade over the small, old Bissell unit I've been using. Also picked up a plethora of chemicals, supplies, snub nose, foam cannons, etc... Should give me plenty to get myself setup before the next tent sale this fall haha.

 

Got home and checked things over, after opening the Active 2.0 it was clear it had never been opened. Everything was still sealed, the only issue I saw was the box has a little rough, I think it just looked bad so they put it in the pile. And the carpet extractor looked like it had been used once and returned, gave it a washout and tested it, everything works great on it. Overall, pretty happy! Just need the credit card to recover now haha.

Hondaman117, sounds awesome! You really got a car load of goodies. I'd be curious to hear your feedback on the extractor for interiors.

On 4/2/2024 at 3:10 PM, Verbosity1 said:

Hey Folks,
I was talking to a local water expert (so they say), and they claimed that using a water dionizer for car washing, that the beneifits are instantly 100% completely lost if the water comes into contact with certain kinds of common metals (like if the dionized water feeds past a brass hose bib). Does anyone here know what this local guy was talking about? I was thinking of pulling the trigger on deionized water for car washing, but dont' want to lose the benefits because I was dumb  thanks in advanced!

-Ben

I agree 100% with Falcaineer on this. I've had the dual media unit with the bypass and it's a serious game changer in terms of water spots! I've got Eley hose and quick couplers that are brass and have not seen any issues because of them. I've saved major time in my maintenance washes with this device as well. I highly recommend it if you have hard water. I only use the DI water for my final pooling rinse with the hose to save on the media longevity as well. Hope this helps!

20 hours ago, rrmccabe said:

Glad it worked out for you Ray.

 

I was quite surprised the difference in thickness in foam. With the 1.1 the foam hung around a lot longer and really has made me rethink the potential wash process.

 

Rich

Rich, what you and Ray are seeing makes sense totally. I'm surprised it's not an option on the cannon? Lots of people are using the smaller PW's

1 hour ago, rrmccabe said:

 

Understand that !  I have been known to have to go looking for it. I should buy another.  Having quick disconnects on everything makes switching easier so going back to the firehouse is not a big deal. And as you agree it does a great job.

rrmccabe, that an interesting report on changing the cannon nozzle to meet your PW capabilities. Definitely makes sense. I'm running 3000 psi/3 gpm on my gas unit and it's mated perfect to the my Adams premium foam cannon. I had a competition foam gun with my garden hose for a year or so. I was like you, disappointed in the foam amount and lubricity. I will say my PW capacity allows for a good rinse down, I just prefer a final rinse with my garden hose and fire nozzle running with deionized water.  Glad to hear your enjoying your new PW with the cannon!

15 hours ago, RayS said:

I have the older Adam's brushes and have used them for years on my Chevy and GMC wheels and tires.  The brushed have held up very well and the wheels continue to loo great.  I have been know to use them on the Mustang and no harm has come to the brushes or Mustang either.

Thanks Ray! I ordered the larger wheel woolie with my chemical stock up order a couple days ago. My plan is to use it on the daily drivers as well as the Camaro. 

1 hour ago, falcaineer said:

 

Adam's has designed the Pro and the Adam's 2.0 to optimize them for detailing, balancing both GPM and PSI. The Pro is also adjustable PSI but works great as-is. It's also extremely quiet, as is the 2.0. The Pro isn't offered with a wheel kit, at nearly 100lbs with the hose it's not something you want rolling at your car. That said, you can get a simple dolly to make it more mobile, if you so desire. I got one from Harbor Freight to do just that for floorspace until I can get it mounted.

Thanks for the feedback here Falcaineer! I have considered this Pro unit for myself as hondaman117 has. My issue is that I don't need 2 units, lol. My Mi-T-M is 9hp, 3000 PSI, and 3 GPM . By far my biggest complaint is the noise, even for a Honda engine. Portability is great and I installed a glycerin filled PSI gauge on it so I could dial down the PSI to 1800 ish for vehicles.  The harbor freight dolly makes perfect sense to make the Adams Pro somewhat portable. 

2 hours ago, hondaman117 said:

Thanks for the insight! I've been leaning that way anyways, I don't really know if I need the Pro Series for what I'm currently doing, so unless it's such a good deal I can't pass it up I will probably get one of the smaller washers and a deionizer if they have one. Or just spring for the deionizer anyway, the water here in AZ is pretty hard so I know it would help.

I hear what you are saying. Our water is pretty hard as well. I debated about buying one for about 6 months. I tried the RV style in-line filters but they were pretty limited in there longevity. I installed Eley brand brass quick couplers on the inlet/outlet of the DI and with the bypass valve on it you can limit the use of the DI water.

The Pro washer definitely looks legit! It's built more like a commercial unit but not needing 220V power. My gas unit is a similar pump/unloader valve design but with a little more pressure and GPM's. In my experience with pressure washers, GPM is a very important aspect. Decent PSI and only 1 GPM isn't giving you very much. The Pro seems like a good balance of both and the Active 2.0 seems decent too. My only qualm with the Pro is lack of portability around a house or business? Mabey they offer a wheel kit??

12 hours ago, hondaman117 said:

Hey All,

 

Asked this in a different location, might not have been the right place so trying here.

 

Working to get my garage outfitted for detailing, and the old junky electric pressure washer I have is no longer gonna cut it. So I'm looking for some input on which model I should get and why.

Currently looking between:

Active 2.0

Adams Pressure Washer 2.0

 

On paper, they are nearly the same machine from what I can tell. I know the Active 2.0 gets good reviews on other websites, but I also read good on the Adams 2.0. Is it purely that the Adams is designed to be mobile and the Active is more stationary? I am planning to build a PW station in my garage, so that pushes me towards the Active for the smaller form factor. If I have to do anything around the house with the PW then I will have to take it out, not a big deal.

 

My local store is having a Tent Sale in a couple weeks, so I may try to snag a Pro Series if they have any and the price is right. Or, may get an Active/Adams 2.0 and use the savings to get a de-ionizer. Looking for any advice or experiences people have this these machines.

 

Thanks!

I'm in the opposite part of the country from you Hondaman117 (east coast) but I can tell you the deionizer purchase I made earlier this month was totally worth it! I'm 4 vehicle final rinses in with it and the results are awesome! 0 water spots and a major time saving with no drying! Not to get off topic here, but definitely consider this in conjunction with the PW purchase. 

1 hour ago, falcaineer said:

This article should help. Personally, I don't like the newest Tire Brush, the bristles are too stiff. The Wheel Brush is fairly soft and would help with cleaning, while the Boar's Hair brush is even softer.

 

https://adamspolishes.com/pages/wheel-and-tire-cleaning-detailing-guide#

 

Excellent article Falcaineer! Funny, I could not find it by searching the Adams website, even the news area? I think jumping to the tire brush would be the opposite extreme since I'm currently dealing with bristles that are too soft. Plus ive seen other members and your opinion about the bristles being too stiff. The wheel brush seems to be an option but I'd like to keep the long handle that I've got with my current "cheap" brush. The wheel wollie or the barrel brush make sense for doing inner sides of the spokes, but perhaps not the best for tires and the wheel face.

One last point, not to be too picky but I do prefer the longer handle of the fender brush design for cleaning these wheels. 

Just now, Marshall said:

Love to get some feedback from the forum on the best all around brush or brushes.  Mainly for maintenance washes of these 3 different types of factory OEM wheels. The 1st 2 are normally not coated too bad in brake dust but the 3rd one certainly can be. The last picture is my current wheel brush. A cheap auto parts store "house brand" with soft bristles. Scratches with this one aren't a concern but I'd prefer a bit stiffer bristle for easy of cleaning.  I use Adams Wheel & Tire cleaner as well.

Love to get some feedback from the forum on the best all around brush or brushes.  Mainly for maintenance washes of these 3 different types of factory OEM wheels. The 1st 2 are normally not coated too bad in brake dust but the 3rd one certainly can be. The last picture is my current wheel brush. A cheap auto parts store "house brand" with soft bristles. Scratches with this one aren't a concern but I'd prefer a bit stiffer bristle for easy of cleaning.  I use Adams Wheel & Tire cleaner as well.

48 minutes ago, galaxy said:

I like CS3. It’s another good one. Still debating which is my favorite  

Galaxy, the CS3 would be a 2nd best easy on/off to Spray Wax in your opinion?

5 hours ago, galaxy said:

Agreed. Have used mine a couple times and will trade any benefit of HGG for the ease of spray wax.  Opinion, but there’s zero comparison about ease of use between spray wax and HGG. HGG is a streaky gooey mess you have to pay attention to. I did half and half on a hood and visually couldn’t tell a difference.  All of mine are non daily drivers anyways, so spray wax is becoming my go-to. 

Very interesting report Galaxy, thanks for the response! I wonder if CS3 is subject to the same issues as HGG? My AT4 1500 is a daily driver, the Z71 Tahoe is a couple times per week driver. The ZL1 Camaro is kinda a garage queen, haha. On the metallic paint of the 1st two and the strait black of the 3rd, the spray wax creates an excellent glow. Perhaps enhanced a bit by using wash & wax too?