First time detailing

[nooner]

Here is a screen capture (from a video) of my car. I can't belive how many swirls I have on a brand new car (6 months old). I guess that goes to show you how much damage you can do with an unproper car washes. Thanks to Junkman I know better now.

 

 

 

I couldn't get my camera to show any swirls at all, I wish my car was as nice as my camera made it look lol.

 

And I couldn't even get my bike swirls to show up even in a video form. I even tried using a 1 million candel power spotlight.

 

I got it all clayed today and tomorrow my PC arrives, so I will update with pics as I start to polish it.

 

EDIT

 

Keep the following in mind as you read my post and that I am trying to get my paint into 95% pristine condition.

 

 

This is a BLACK CAR so I know it will take way more time and effort than the avg car will to get it looking pristine. I know I could get a light colored car looking pristine with no problems, but as we know a black car shows minor swirls and scratches a bit better and therefor takes a slightly more skill to get it pristine. You could get it to look good or ever great pretty easily, but to get it looking pristine takes a slight bit of time and skill.

Edited September 29, 2009 by nooner

[Marylander]

Just take your time and work at it until you're happy with it. It may take some time, but you'll get it. And come back here often for advice and encouragement.

 

Rich

 

PS -- It's not uncommon for brand new cars to have a lot of swirls -- often times the new car prep/get-ready guys at the dealership put a lot of them on there when they're washing it and trying to make it look good for delivery.

[Bill-V8V]

Try taking a still picture with the flash on, your swirls should show up just fine with that :2thumbs:

 

 

Kind of like this, this is actually a white truck. You can adjust the contrast to make them easier to see.

 

[nooner]

Try taking a still picture with the flash on, your swirls should show up just fine with that :2thumbs:

 

Kind of like this, this is actually a white truck. You can adjust the contrast to make them easier to see.

 

 

I tried flash, and it just made the black car look blueish and it really brought out the flake and actually looked really good. I think the focus is the problem as I can't control it and it is automatic.

[Bill-V8V]

I tried flash, and it just made the black car look blueish and it really brought out the flake and actually looked really good. I think the focus is the problem as I can't control it and it is automatic.

 

Maybe try putting a penny or something that won't scratch the paint down to focus on ?

[MitsukiGT]

Or try focusing on a crease\seam in the panel. I had the same problem. On my G8 I focused on the hood scoop, on my truck I focused on a crease.

 

In this image i tried to focus on the 2 spots, but no matter what I couldn't. I focused on the edge of the hood scoop to crap the pic. I already worked this finished with the orange pad that is why there aren't any scratches.

 

 

Here I just focused on the crease in the hood. I wanted to show that spot I couldn't remove. I couldn't get the spot in focus so I chose the crease.

[nooner]

It looks like you took those outside too, I think I will try that. I used halogens and they seemed to just drown the picture out.

 

But I think you can see the swirls enough in the screen cap and video to get the gist of the damage right? Good enough for a before andf after? or you think I should try to get better befores?

 

Thanks for all the input.

Edited September 24, 2009 by nooner

[MitsukiGT]

Yes, they were from outside, but halogens show more damage. Try this, if you are looking a the trivers side door, place the halogen just infront of the front tire on the bumoer side. Move it out about 2 feet front the car. now point them toward the driverside door. Now if you are positioned at the back of the drivers door looking at the pint you should be able to see them.

[Junkman2008]

It's called "macro". A setting on your camera (usually looks like a small flower), that allows you to take extreme close ups. Outside you don't have to use the flash if the sun is out. Like this:

 

 

You can even see the dust in that shot. If you use the flash, it's the same principle. Use the macro function.

 

 

You can't do this on automatic.

[nooner]

Macro setting is the key

 

car

 

Trunk from the right

 

 

 

I just love the flake on this black car, it will be even better when I get these pesky scratches/swirls out of the way.

 

 

Front left fendor, above wheel

 

 

front left fendor

 

 

 

Right rear of trunk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bike

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those are all tank shots, I can match them up with the "SUZIKI" decal or the tank filler port execp the last one, That is right above the seat, I liked the dark color and how it really brought out the swirl.

 

 

 

Is there a picture limit? Sorry if this is too many. Feel free to delete some if you want MODS

 

 

Now I can finally get to work on these bad boys and take some "after" pics!

Edited September 24, 2009 by nooner

[Bill-V8V]

No picture limits here :D:D

 

 

Can't wait to see the results :thumbsup:

[nooner]

Here is what 5-10 mins of SHR and FMP and a very sore arm got me.... there is NOOO way I could do a whole car by hand, and I think I will need to do my bike in 20 sections if I do it by hand! But the results even by hand are very impressive.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 24, 2009 by nooner

[MitsukiGT]

You did that by hand?!?! What pad did you use? Looks good.

[GerryC]

If you get a porter cable, the 4" pads will be great for doing your bike

[Junkman2008]

If you get a porter cable, the 4" pads will be great for doing your bike

 

all day long! There is no way I would even begin to do that by hand. You could knock that bike out in your dreams with a PC and the 4" pads.

[Bill-V8V]

Great job !!!!!

[nooner]

You did that by hand?!?! What pad did you use? Looks good.

 

It was just a 3" by 6" section, just to see what the stuff is like. I just used SHR and an old orange foam pad I had and I worked till it was "done" and spritzed some detailing spray, thanks to Junkman for that product saving tip,(becuase I could still see a few swirls) and worked it again. Then I used a MF towel and some FMP and worked that once and viola. Adams makes its easy.

 

 

The halogens really bring out stuff you can't see in the sun. I debadged my car (I like the clean look) and used some OTC junk to "polish" out the scratches that left. I must have just used a glaze, becuase when I took a halogen to it after the claying I saw "GENESIS" as bright as day lol. I am just glad nobody could see that in the sun, how embarrasing. I will take a pic of it, that will really show a before and after lol.

 

 

 

 

As far as the 4" pad, I didn't know about them when I got the kit, and I just got my kit yesterday so I think I will learn how to use the 7.5" and the PC before I go all out.

 

I like how the orange pad goes with SHR (orange liquid) and the whit pad goes with FMP (white liquid) and the black pad goes with the MSW (black liquid). This stuff truly is noob proof, its my kind of stuff. Now lets just hope the PC is as good (and I hear/see it is).

 

Thanks again for the input/replies, I will keep posting updates as I go along. I get my PC in about an hour (can you tell I am killing time untill it arrives? lol) and I want to attempt the famed Junkman "slow cut process" on my trunk (especially on those 2 bad swirls on the left of my trunk you can see in the first pic)

Edited September 24, 2009 by nooner

[DieselDude]

I get my PC in about an hour (can you tell I am killing time untill it arrives? lol)

 

 

It looks like another satisfied first time Adam's customer.

 

Remember that Detail Spray is your best friend. Helps keep the dust down, some here have had a slight dust problem.

[nooner]

It looks like another satisfied first time Adam's customer.

 

Yea, I think I just got my new signature.

[MitsukiGT]

Will the pads remove that ghost logo? I'd like to remove mine, but been too chicken.

 

I'm with you, never had another product to convert from. Despite what my posts might imply, I am really very happy with the product.

[70'sChevyGirl]

It looks great!!

[Bill-V8V]

Will the pads remove that ghost logo? I'd like to remove mine, but been too chicken.

 

I'm with you, never had another product to convert from. Despite what my posts might imply, I am really very happy with the product.

 

 

As long as the paint wasn't faded from exposure to the elements it should remove it easily

[Superdutytd]

Will the pads remove that ghost logo? I'd like to remove mine, but been too chicken.

 

I'm with you, never had another product to convert from. Despite what my posts might imply, I am really very happy with the product.

 

Yes polishing will remove the ghosting!

[nooner]

Will the pads remove that ghost logo? I'd like to remove mine, but been too chicken.

 

First, have you ever seen this thread http://www.adamsforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4034? Chicken of what?

 

2nd

You tell me if the ghost can be revomed....

 

I didn't use SMW at all yet, I am waiting untill the whole vehicle is done, though some parts I used SHR and some I used SHR and FMP.

 

 

 

 

(you can really see the orange peel in this zoomed in photo, but no scratches or swirls, or ghost:thumbsup:, well at least 95% of them are gone, I am no Junkman.......yet lol)

 

 

 

Unfortunaley, the ghost was right in a curve which is a huge pain. A flat surface is very easy and the same pressure can be put on it and you can watch the black line. But on a curve, the edge of the pad will rub the outside of the concave and will slow the pad (which is good because you would probly do a lot of damge if it didn't slow) but man is it hard to keep the thing spining and get the inner part of the concave surface. That might be what caused my orange dust I will talk about later, the edeged rubbing the paint?

 

I am thinking about getting the 4" pads not just for my bike, but even my car. One reason I like my cars so much is all the lines and curves, but man is it a pain to polish lol. I use the 7.5 on the trunk, top roof top, hood (pretty much everything horizontal). But everything verticle has so many curves in it like the bumper, the trunk, the fendors, doors, though convex isn't nearly as big of a deal, it just makes you break up your grid smaller and you can just hang the pad over the edge, its no where near as much of a pain as a concave curve is.

 

My bike looks fantastic too (I did the tank only), but indoor light doesn't do it justice because you can only show a section at a time, I will wait for some sun and get a nice pic of it!

 

 

 

 

Now some questions.....

 

I was also getting a TON of orange dust from the pad. I took a pic of it to show you just my windshield, the garage looks like it snowed orange inside!

 

 

(looks like flake on my paint lol, but that is orange dust on my windshield)

 

 

Is the orange dust something that happens on all new pads? I assume it has to do something with the cut of the compund too, becuase the white pad wouldn't dust nearly as much (if at all) and I used that with FMP.

 

 

(not sure what that 3 lines of light is from, I swear it is not from swirls)

 

When I am all done I will get some outside pics, it just looks much better in the sun, I don't have enough light in my garage to show much.

 

 

I didn't take an after of this picture, but you can see the 2 deep scratched in it. I went over 4 passes on it and nothing. Would you recommend me using the yellow pad and speed 6 with a lot of pressure, or yellow with speed 5 with 9-14lbs just on that scratch (not doing a whole grid)? Or is that too agressive for an novice?

 

and as far as the PC getting too hot.... I think my guage of wire is good, but is a good test to touch the metal "shielding" (where conterweight and the whole thing orbits), and it should be warm, but if you can't hold your hand on it, then it is too hot? Mine deffinatley never got too hot to where I couldn't hold my hand on it as long as I wanted, it was warm though, but I assume that is normal?

 

Well, sorry for the length, and I can understand if you can't understand a lot of that as some of it is hard to explain in words, but any help/advice or as many of the many quesitons you could answer is greatly appreciated.

 

 

Thanks for you time.

Edited September 29, 2009 by nooner

[MitsukiGT]

First, nice work on removing that ghost. I was worried that the sticker part would remove clear\paint. LOL

 

As for working the products, I am with you...it looks dry. Junkman wants me to make a video of me working the product, so I'll try that tonight.

 

Curves, I noticed the same as you. I'd be curious to see if there is a proper way to do the curves using the PC. I am having a very hard time doing the sides of the "power bulge" or whatever you call in in my trucks hood. PC like you said sill stop moving when I try to work it.

 

If the product is hard to wipe off then you likely didn't work it long enough. When I am to the point to wipe if off it is effortless. I wonder if your halogen light is too close to the area and warming it up? I did that once.

 

Some dusting is normal. If you get allot of dust your pad is likely dirty, full of product, dry or working allot of eras where the pad is not touching much surface (like curves). My first time I also got the dust storm. My problem was too much product in the pad, it was caked in there.

 

So far your paint looks good.

 

I think that is all I can answer. The rest of your questions I think I need an answer to as well

[nooner]

First, nice work on removing that ghost. I was worried that the sticker part would remove clear\paint. LOL

 

Thanks. Oh I understand what you mean now. I used GOO gone or any bug and tar remover to get all the sticky off. All that was left behind ot buff was scratches and ghost, but no residue.

 

I think I scared everyone off with the post length lol. I am starting to think that maybe I have a hard clear coat? I wish I knew, but since I don't know what breaking down looks like, I can't do the proper slow cut so I can't find out if it is hard or soft.

 

Guess its back to work