What am/did I do wrong?

[COBRA1993SVT]

Need help guys. I'm not in any way new to detailing but sort of new to the Adams way. The car in question is my wife's 06 White Accord and heres what I did to it yesterday.

Wash/Clay

SHR with an Orange pad=speed 5

Revive Polish(was told that it is the samw as FMP) with a White pad=speed 5

Skipped the MSW because I used Collinite Wax instead=speed 3

The car does look tons better but not the way I want it to look. I did some of these steps 3 and 4 times to try and get better results.

I still see some swirls. What do I need to do now to get it perfect?

[coolth]

Paul, I know the first time I did my truck I was very nervous about the proper way of working the Adams magic. My truck did not come out close to perfect. It was way better than it was but nowhere near perfect. I must have done it three times or so before I was comfortable using the PC and all the products before I was good at it.

 

It takes some time for most people and others just have that gift to do it wright the first time. For me on my third try when i took my time and pay attention what i was doing not rushing through.

[COBRA1993SVT]

I use Collinite as my final wax.

[coolth]

You don't want to get rid of the MSW. That is the wax you need to protect your paint. It is also the longest lasting wax in the Adam's arsenal. That you want to use, not get rid of.

 

 

keep the MSW it's a most have.

[Junkman2008]

... Junkman's process is what I consider, "therapy." If you are working through some issues in life, and need a diversion, his method is for you!

 

 

In my videos, you never hear me talk about time limits. For me, time is of no concern. As far as I'm concerned, the process takes as long as it takes. It truly is therapy for me and that's why I won't do it for money, unless it is a lot of money and I can take as long as I want. I also ain't gonna work hard. I'm past that point in my life and that's why I don't look as old as I actually am. The only thing I do fast is drive and spend money. But as a bachelor with no responsibilities, I can do that. If I was to ne honest, I can easily say that I am not marriage material!

 

By the way Adam, is that glass big enough? You trying to get her buttered again?

 

Sweet pic.

 

I'll start over on the car in a few weeks. For now it looks alot better and why waste the 10 hrs I did spend on it. I have a friend who will take the Revive polish, MSW and the Buttery wax off my hands. Since I really have no need for them. I will get the yellow pad and the FMP and start new.

 

You don't want to get rid of the MSW. That is the wax you need to protect your paint. It is also the longest lasting wax in the Adam's arsenal. That you want to use, not get rid of.

[COBRA1993SVT]

I'll start over on the car in a few weeks. For now it looks alot better and why waste the 10 hrs I did spend on it. I have a friend who will take the Revive polish, MSW and the Buttery wax off my hands. Since I really have no need for them. I will get the yellow pad and the FMP and start new.

[Adam]

It's true, Junkman and I use very different methods to achieve results. My technique has always been based on accomplishing maximum results in the fewest possible steps. When I was detailing cars from 1980 - 2003, I studied the process, and worked at eliminating steps, combining polishes, etc.

 

My goal was then: detail as many vehicles in a day a possible, achieving excellence on every single one. (I did the majority of my detailing on black limos in Orange County, CA.)

 

My goal now, to provide our customers the videos, products, and tools to accomplish fantastic results, in as few steps as possible. I still think that a detail shouldn't take more than a day, especially since I have a family!

 

Junkman's process is what I consider, "therapy." If you are working through some issues in life, and need a diversion, his method is for you!

 

People have reported here on the forum, that they have taken a week or more, to get their car dialed using Junkman's process. I don't have that much time to dedicate to detailing. The key: the results we achieve, respectively, are excellent.

 

Another key element to consider when watching videos, The Junkman has more personality in his fingernail than I have in my entire existence!

 

Plus, new responsibilities makes my Saturday disappearance to the garage a trend of the past!

[Kingsford]

Thanks. I haven't really seen how Adam does things. The videos of him are pretty short and it's hard to tell how much pressure he's using, and I didn't realize he worked at speed 6.

 

Trial and Error my friend... that's how I learn with anything!

 

Do you know how many computers I screwed up before I got to where I am now? Like I said I spent 2-3 days every week over the past 5-6 months teaching myself the best way to do this.... Search my posts, I ask tons of questions.

[08G8V8]

Thanks. I haven't really seen how Adam does things. The videos of him are pretty short and it's hard to tell how much pressure he's using, and I didn't realize he worked at speed 6.

[Junkman2008]

AJ at the last NJ clinic told everyone that if you watch Adam detail a car and you watch him, you will see that the two styles are very different. Adams does his detailing for money so he needs to get the best results quick. AJ on the other hand lets the do all the work. Adam uses a lot of pressure while AJ doesn't.

 

Exactly. For Adam, time is money. For me, time is nothing more than time. Adam also works at a speed of 6 with all that pressure. I work at no faster than a speed of 5, with 9-14lbs of pressure. I am NOT going to work hard, not for anyone. That's why I let the polisher do all the work. Two totally different techniques achieving the same result. You can't mix the two, you do one or the other.

 

That's why I like to see a video of a person who is having issues. I can tell right away if they have paid attention while watching my videos if they say they are using my technique.

[BrianT]

AJ at the last NJ clinic told everyone that if you watch Adam detail a car and you watch him, you will see that the two styles are very different. Adams does his detailing for money so he needs to get the best results quick. AJ on the other hand lets the do all the work. Adam uses a lot of pressure while AJ doesn't.

[08G8V8]

That's the way Adam does it. I do it totally opposite.

 

What do you mean you do it opposite?

[Junkman2008]

... I've learned a good amount of pressure is needed and to keep going over the same spot with that SHR until they are gone!

 

That's the way Adam does it. I do it totally opposite. Does that make either way wrong? Not at all. It makes either way different, which is true with machine polishing. There are different techniques that you can use in order to achieve positive results. The mistake that novices make is mixing up the techniques. You have got to pick a technique and stay true to it in order to master it.

[Kingsford]

A lot of people expect to have perfect paint when they do this the first time. That's like watching a bunch of videos of Sammy Sosa hitting home runs and then thinking that you can now play in the major leagues. It takes practice to get good and develop an effective technique. I know that from experience.

 

I've been at it now with the PC for 5 months trying to teach myself and my truck is just about perfect.... A few spots I can't seem to get but I know one of them is too deep.

 

However, I can do a vehicle much faster now than when I first started out. I've learned a good amount of pressure is needed and to keep going over the same spot with that SHR until they are gone!

[coolth]

A lot of people expect to have perfect paint when they do this the first time. That's like watching a bunch of videos of Sammy Sosa hitting home runs and then thinking that you can now play in the major leagues. It takes practice to get good and develop an effective technique. I know that from experience.

 

You got that wright brother AJ, don't forget you don't want your DD 100% maybe around 80%. That wright there will look better than a lot of vehicles out there.

[Junkman2008]

A lot of people expect to have perfect paint when they do this the first time. That's like watching a bunch of videos of Sammy Sosa hitting home runs and then thinking that you can now play in the major leagues. It takes practice to get good and develop an effective technique. I know that from experience.

[BrianT]

Paul, I know the first time I did my truck I was very nervous about the proper way of working the Adams magic. My truck did not come out close to perfect. It was way better than it was but nowhere near perfect. I must have done it three times or so before I was comfortable using the PC and all the products before I was good at it.

[Junkman2008]

Don't go orderintg the yellow pad just yet... You maybe able to get the results you want just with more time using the orange pad!!

 

... or using the orange pad and SHR with the correct technique. You could order some 3M Super Duty Rubbing Compound and a maroon heavy cut pad and the only thing that you are going to end up with is some dull, swirled up paint if your technique is no good. Why break out a 800 pound gorilla when an orangutan will do?

[BrianT]

Don't go orderintg the yellow pad just yet... You maybe able to get the results you want just with more time using the orange pad!!

[COBRA1993SVT]

Ok. I guess I'll order a yellow pad and some FMP and start all over. I should have gotten the FMP in the first place.

[coolth]

Oo yea Paul i did use the Revive Polish with my PC and did get great results, but later i did get the FMP. Yes the FMP works better than the RP with the PC.

[Adam]

Just for the record, Fine Machine Polish outperforms the Revive Polish with a machine by 10:1.

 

Revive is an excellent hand polish, and even won a recent award! However, the diminishing abrasives in the FMP are in a different league, and far outpace the Revive when used by machine.

 

While the FMP only costs $5 more than the Revive Polish, it costs us nearly double to make a batch! Spendy, and truly outstanding raw materials in the FMP will provide you a substantially better finish with the D/A.

 

[coolth]

Hey Paul Junkman has spoken, take your time get that 2x2 area master first before moving on through that whole car. If the orange pad not cutting it, use the yellow pad then the orange and you get the rest of the process.

[Junkman2008]

The quickest way to resolve your issue is to post a video of you using SHR so that we can see EXACTLY what you are doing. Also as Jason stated, why would you move to Revive polish if all the swirls and scratches were still present? Basically, you wasted all the products that you used after SHR because now you have to go back over the car with SHR again. SHR is what removes the swirls, scratches and haze from the paint.

 

As stated before, the speed that you move the polisher at, the amount of product you use and the amount of pressure that you apply are all critical to your success. Also, 3 or 4 passes is nothing when you are repairing some serious damage in some really hard clear coat. I would not be surprised if someone told me it to 30-50 passes in one spot to fix the damage. The PC-7424XP is NOT powerful. It is safe and effective. Thus, it will take some folks a lot of work to get the results they want. That's reality on some clear coats.

 

What you need to do is pick one spot on the car and figure out what it is going to take to get that spot perfect. That's what you should have done in the first place. If you use a lousy technique on the entire car, the entire car will look lousy. Thus, you have to perfect your technique in one spot BEFORE you move from that one spot. Once you know what it will take in that one spot, you now know what it will take to get the whole car perfect. That becomes your reality. If you make and post a video of exactly what you are doing, showing us everything from the speed you work at to how much product you are using, I bet we can pinpoint exactly what the problem is, if one actually exist.

 

Just to make you feel better, it took me 6 months to learn, master and completely get my car swirl free. SIX MONTHS. I can now do it a whole lot faster but I didn't have anyone to help me when I started. I had to figure it out on my own. You have all kinds of help at you disposal. Make that video and post it.

[Kingsford]

Well if I remember right the Junkman has said a few times in his videos, why would you move on to the next step if you weren't happy with the results.

 

Sometimes swirls need the Yellow Pad and to be gone over 3-4 times, from my experience. Revive is a hand polish and does give different results, I have noticed, from FMP.

 

When I first started using Adam's I couldnt get some swirls out with the yellow or orange pad and it turns out I just wasn't putting enough pressure. I put just enough, now, to hear the motor slow a little bit.... Seems to work good for me.

 

I'd hit it with the yellow pad then the orange a few times until the swirls are gone. Then try FMP instead of Revive. What I usually do is use FMP with the white pad and then go over it by hand with the Revive.

[Chris@Adams]

:pc:PC speed & pressure and amount of product make a big difference. And pics would help out.

Revive is more of a hand polish and FMP is a machine polish.

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