rwisejr

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!
 

Hello, I have been using your products since March of this year Im from the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland I use Adams on 2007 GMC Sierra 2015 GMC Sierra & 2009 Ford F-150 all the washes,waxes,polishes, & interior products are simply amazing! I love the glass cleaner & glass sealant! 

Only way to tell is do a test spot.

That's a great result, my OCD totally gets it and approves
M

Thanks for the feedback guys! Here is a shot of the results so far. I had used some meguiars Ultimate compond about a month ago and just didn't get the scratches and swirls out, this adam's two step polish is great and I think I got 99% of the inperfections out, I did have to use the MF cutting pad on a few sections. It's funny that you can see the old nylon wash brush hanging in the back ground since it's was caused most of the damage before I got hip to how to wash a vehicle properly. My next purchase will be a foam gun to help reduce the potential for damaging the paint going forward.
 

Interesting, my wife tells me the same thing.

With all of the hype over waxes, sealers, the new HGG, and other exterior cleaners, let us not forget our interior friends:  Carpet and Upholstery, Leather and Interior, and the others.  I always tell customers when they come into the shop and are browsing the vast wall of products that they should give the interior products a look.  Here's some proof......this is a 2003 Infinity G35.  I don't know if the interior of this thing has ever been cleaned.
 

 

 
 

Car is stripped of all wax and ready for polishing as soon as my two mystery boxes and gen5 pads get here tomorrow! Living on the east coast stinks when you are waiting for your Adams packages! 
 

I called Adam's today and had a chance to talk to Matt over the phone. I explained to him few weeks ago when a bulk of my order came, I tried their Clay bar on a fairly dirty car along with using a detailer spray, and it just wasn't picking up any contamination. I asked him if I could ship it to him so they can try it themselves, but him insisting to save me the headache from shipping it backetc. instead he placed an order for a new clay bar at free of charge and within few minutes I had an email with a shipping confirmation. 
 
Since this is my first post, (I've been a lurker for a long time) I don't want to come across the board as someone that isn't satisfied with something and calls right away to get a refund. I spent quite good amount of money with Adams and plan on to doing so again, Instead,  wanted to give out a good word to them for having a great customer service that many companies lack in now days. It's not about 20 something dollars worth of clay bar. It's about getting someone that's a real person on the phone and being helpful. 
 
I received both of my mystery boxes today, and received more than I wished for.
 
Thanks,
Jacob
 
btw, here's a picture of my esentials from few months ago
 

 

 
 

Finally got a chance to try out the Rupes 15ES & 21ES.... Have been working 6 & 7 days, 12hr. Shifts. Anyway I can't say enough about these GREAT polishers!! Very comfortable to use with great paint correcting especially when hooked up with the new Gen5 pads.
I love the long soft cords on all of the Rupes machines that will stay up on your shoulder.
These Rupes are the Ferrari of the machine polishers! 5 Star in my book!!



 
Rupes LHR 15ES Bigfoot Random Orbital Polisher
 
Rupes LHR 21ES Bigfoot Random Orbital Polisher
 
 
 

I would use a Grit Guard......its worth the little space it takes up.

It really depends. I used a carpet extractor before and I found it to be very useful for carpet stains and upholstery. I also own a steamer and use it all the time and found it to be extremely helpful in cleaning interiors and tiny nooks and crannies where dust accumulate and build up. It is also very useful in removing stains and engine bay detailing (great degreaser). It depends on you and what you would like to do but if I personally have to choose one machine it will be the steamer.

Welcome back

Got a chance to try out the new Mini tonight. I am very impressed with it, it is so so nice getting into all of those tight areas on your car. Also I can't forget to mention how well the new pads worked. This polisher in my opinion is a must have tool!
 
http://adamspolishes.com/adam-s-rupes-lhr-75e-mini-random-orbital-polisher.html
 
http://adamspolishes.com/adam-s-4-gen5-pad-bundle.html

Products used. Adams Car shampoo, Adams 2 Buckets w/ Grit Guards, Adams Deep Wheel Cleaner, H20 Gloss & Guard (I LOVE THIS STUFF!), and of course a little banana pudding on the tires (Adams Tire Shine)! Done in 1 hour!
 

I guess I'll call this Chapter 2.
If you'd like, here's Chapter 1 for you.
 
The boxes that were delivered early Friday evening

What could they be?

Christmas in July, that's what it could be!
 
The neighbor's black 2012 Cadillac SRX was all cleaned and clayed and ready for polish

A comparison was set up

I didn't break out the Porter Cable, as I didn't have the new 5.5" backing plate yet.
 
The troops were rounded up

As many of you know, I do part time summer work for Adam as his Eastern Events Coordinator. You'll see my Team and I at many of the Carlisle events, and this year at The Syracuse Hot Rod Nationals. It is important my Team be familiar with the new machines so we all can help customers with explanations of each machine and their strengths. I worked with Adam and Dylan to get these in my hands before my next show. Eventually they'll end up with the in the Carlisle Trailer and be used on demo cars at the events, both in our hands, and yours if you stop by!
 
It rained over night and was beginning to again as the daylight broke. My GTO was pulled out of the garage and the Cadillac in where we were going to need to work. I wiped it down again with WW using several WW towels.
9:00am the guys showed up, we looked over each machine and got started.
Charlie is using the Bigfoot 21 on the hood with an orange microfiber pad and PCP. A couple of his comments; huge throw, not real easy to see how to center the microfiber pad on the machine-the microfibers cover the hole, soft start is nice, very smooth operation, the new hook and loop is amazing with how well it holds.

Charlie corrected the other half of the hood using the Flex with the microfiber pad and PCP. The Flex was more powerful due to its forced rotation, and corrected quicker than the Bigfoot 21.
 
Bob has used the Bigfoot 21 before and here he is using the Bigfoot 15 on a rear quarter panel. Bob will be with me at the Syracuse Hot Rod Nationals, Corvettes at Carlisle, and at Fall Carlisle.

No more holograms, Bob liked this machine, as the rest of us did. It's 15" throw is very close to the Flex and the machine feels similar to the Flex with one big exception. Since the Bigfoot machines are not forced rotation they don't want to pull or push you across a panel while being used. You don't feel as beat up and tired after spending some time with these.
Brain and I spent quite a bit of time with the 75e Mini.

Brian and his wife, Sarah will be with me at Fall Carlisle again. Brian placed a 4" microfiber pad on the Mini and corrected the entire right rear quarter panel. Brian works as a Detailer for Bobby Rahal Toyota in Mechanicsburg, PA and has quite a bit of experience with many different machines. He said he could see correcting an entire machine with the Mini! He got the quarter panel 100% perfect. He did spend some time though getting it to this level. One pass with the Bigfoot 15 using the same pad/polish combo on the right rear door didn't correct as well as Brian did with the Mini on that quarter panel. A second pass with the Bigfoot 15 was required and did the trick.
I used the Mini with the 4" foam pads on the tail gate and in tight spaces we couldn't get the other machines; I want one of these!

The little thing is a beast. Crank it up to 7 and it sounds like an angle grinder! It's not as powerful as a cordless drill, but darn close and it won't leave holograms behind.
I spent some time with the Cyclo and the 4" Gen 5 pads while Brian was using the 75e Mini. One thing I noticed immediately is the feel of the machine/pad against the vehicle. Almost all slop from the pad to the paint is gone, there is a more firm and direct feel with the pad to the paint due to the heavy duty neoprene. This allows the Cyclo to correct better than it did with the Gen 4 pad system. My wife Holly heard all the noise coming from the garage and came out to join us for a bit.

 
I tore a small piece of foam off one of the 4" orange foam pads removing it from the Cyclo. The new hook and loop is very firm and the tapered design of the pad makes it somewhat harder to lift the backing of the pad from the backing plate attached to the machine without grabbing some of the foam.
 
A slight draw back a couple of us found from the heavy duty neoprene is that you don't want to touch the neoprene to the paint while the machine is running. We had a few oh sh*t moments where we thought we'd burned through the paint; door handles, mirrors, and a spot on the rear tailgate. It was neoprene scuffed onto these areas, Goo Gone took the scuffs right off.
 
Charlie's seen here finishing the contours of the front bumper with the Mini using a white foam pad with PFP.

You won't be seeing Charlie at any of the events this year. Due to some recent changes he thought it best to back out. He does however detail with me quite regularly and I thought it still a good idea to have him join us for the morning to gain the same knowledge and experience.
 
Lastly I applied Liquid Paint Sealant with the Bigfoot 15 using a grey foam pad.

The Bigfoot 15 seemed to be the most versatile machine and would be perfect to use on well cared for and maintained vehicles. We all loved it.
The Bigfoot 21 would be great for large panels and larger vehicles; trucks, RV's, campers, buses, etc...
The 75e Mini, each one of us plans to purchase one of these. The maneuverability, and power of this little machine should be the second machine anyone buys. It's unbelievable.
The Gen 5 pad system is a perfect match for all three of these new Rupes machines as well as for the the Flex we tried them on too.
 
I'll have all three of these machines and the Gen 5 pad system with me at The Carlisle Chrysler Nationals next weekend, if you're at the show, or in the area stop by and check them out. After Chrysler's I'll be sending them to Chris for him to perfect his technique before Corvettes at Carlisle.

^^^ Bingo. The hardest part is working in the confines of the interior and effectively masking off the adjacent panels b/c no tape wants to stick to that textured plastic very well, but basically just polishing it like you would anything else with swirls is all it takes. If you can manage to take the dash apart and work on it outside of the truck its easiest.

Started the decontamination process on my wife's 2008 Buick Enclave today. Unfortunately, I wont be able to do this in one weekend but I have to start sometime. I am certain her car has never had this done and I will have to do multiple treatments.
 

 
 

Hi everyone, I am Don from Az. Not new to detailing, but new to Adams and machine polishing. I own a 04 GTO and she is always shiny, cant wait to use the product. Pic of my first purchase. Orange pad not shown, is on backorder and sealent will come tomorrow, ordered a day late..lol. Detailing is therapeutic for me so looking fwd to posting pics of my ride all shiny.
 

Sorry to hear this news. My prayers go out to you and the family Dan. But I know the kid is in great hands with you as his dad.

Welcome !!!!

I only hope that the forum members here like LONG stories, with a lot of photos, to see what the results of using Adam's products, and proper equipment sold by them can lead too?
 
If you check out some of my prior posts, you will see that I wrote smaller detailing articles about a 2004 Magnetic Red II C5 Corvette Coupe and a 1996 Sebring Silver C4 Corvette Collector Edition Coupe.
 
This 2007 has replaced BOTH of them, as it was too difficult to decide which one I should sell, so I sold them both!
 
That happened due to the fact that the subdivision I live in also has an homeowners association, where we are not supposed to park vehicles outside of the garage, and having (2) Corvettes in my garage, meant the daily drivers had to be parked outdoors. I didn't have an issue with the majority of the neighbors, but there was one retired person who made a major issue out of it for whatever reason he thought may be important.
 
I fond this 2007 which had 2 previous owners, the last one a collector who stored it in UNCOVERED in an old industrial warehouse, and drove it a total of 700 miles in the past 5 years.
 
The car had 6520 miles on it when I went to look at it, and after driving it and sealing the deal, and driving it home, it now has 6700 miles. Spent the last month or so, in my garage, being made "whole" and into a show car. The reason I choose to show it is because my 96 Collector Edition was a Concours Show Car here in the Detroit, MI area, and award winning. Had to replace that, that was my thought and goal.
 
OK, on to the photos of the "as started condition" and I will say that I spend between 2 to 4 hours per panel, to correct, and finish polish over a 15 day or night time period, as I do have a "day job" and other responsibilities to attend too.
 

Left Fender Start

Left Door Front Area Start

Left Door Area Start 2

Left Halo Start

Left Quarter Start

Left Quarter Start 2

Left Quarter Start 3

Decklid Hatch Area Start

Decklid Hatch Area Start 2

Right Quarter Start

Right Door Start
 
 
 
By looking at the pictures above, you can see this car was pretty scratched, swirled, and abused during whatever method they used to wipe it down. The hood and fenders were in similar condition, and to limit the length of this post, I didn't add those before shots here.
 
Now, here is the GOOD NEWS part, corrected using a Cyclo, Adam's Paint Correcting Polish, and the Adam's White Finishing Polish. Only the final photos show the results after Liquid Paint Sealant and Americana were applied.
 

Left Fender 2 passes Adam's Correcting Polish w/ Cyclo

Left Door Corrected

Left Halo Corrected

Left Quarter Corrected

Decklid Hatch Area Corrected

Rear Fascia Area Corrected

Right Quarter Corrected

Right Quarter Corrected 2

Right Door Corrected

Right Door Corrected 2
 
 
 
Now for the final photos, taken outdoors last evening.
Notice the license plate frame.
 
 

Right Front Side View

Right Rear Side View

Left Rear Side View

Left Front Side View

License Plate Frame

Rear View
 
 
Car will be going to it's first show this weekend in Canada, and then next weekend at a show where the Corvette club I belong is putting on. Those who saw it last night were amazed to say the least.
 
The interior and underhood engine area were also cleaned and detailed using Adam's products, and look just as good as the exterior.
 
Thank you to the Adam's team for their products and support!
 
 

Well my 4 year old Jacob was tested today and diagnosed with autism. I feel confident that he will be ok as even though he has autistic tendancies he does not do some things that other serious cases have. It was a punch to the gut when they first told us but those of you who know me knows i will push for the best care for my boy. I think in the long run he will be ok and function just fine but he will need some help and i will do everything i can to give him the tools he needs to get better.

Quite the opposite - I miss having enough time for more of it. I talk detailing all day at work, and I get to test/play with new products all the time, but long gone are the days of spending a full weekend on my cars. With 2 kids, a wife, a house and a 'honey do' list that seems to get longer every week I just don't have time for non-work related in depth detailing.
 
If you find yourself getting frustrated or not enjoying it anymore perhaps its time to roll back your involvement. Even just a basic wash and wax can be gratifying, not everyone can justify endless hours making a car perfect, but that doesn't mean you can't find a regimen that will keep your car looking good (better than most) and with minimal effort.

Used it two days ago for the first time.  Really was thicker than I anticipated but this might be my new all time favorite product.  I live basically in a neighborhood sandwiched between a brick factory and a cement factory both give or take 2 blocks away.  My car is a daily driver and has no garage.  Needless to say I ALWAYS have a dust layer on my car.  I had learned to live with it, its an outdoor DD after all right?  Fast forward to the Guard and Gloss, used it to see what it was about and couldn't be more impressed.  I've never seen my car look this clean for this long (yes even 2 days).  Everything just flies right off of it now instead of sticking to it.  Water beads excellent, dust blows off when I move, shine is still there.  And it didn't add hardly any time to the routine because I was drying the car as I used this stuff.  Really really like this product so far.
 
Side note, used 2 of the new Wash Wedges as well.  Mostly good feeling towards these.  They are much more durable than they look and they feel when you take them out of the box.  I found that they are MUCH easier to clean at the end of a wash AND during a wash on a grit guard than a wash pad ever was and this is a big plus for me.  They dry much quicker as well.  They seem to be doing a fine job washing, equal to that of a wash pad on the car but I guess since my hand is further away it feels like it's not doing as much.  I don't feel like I can really get in there you know?  It was definitely easier to hold than a slippery flat wash pad though.  It has replaced my wash pads for now though, they won't be getting wet for a while.
 
That Guard and Gloss though......