Lost in the Detailing World!

myshirt

I want to detail my car, but there are so many questions...

I have done an amount legwork by reading through the forum, but I am getting lost...

Can someone review the below to start me? Am I incorrect anywhere? Are some of my steps overkill?

If anyone can help, please do.

Is all this I have below 'safe' for a newbie..?? For example, before I even looked at this, I can say that I know for a fact I would never use a rotary machine... for fear I would tear the paint off my car! But in it's place, I am led to believe I would be ok using a DA machine.

It is a BMW, the clearcoat is hard, the paint is hard, so I know well I am p!ssing against the wind to try polish it by hand.

And I would prefer to polish it correctly the once, seal it and take care of it with good washing and a glaze from then on.... rather than be polishing my paint with abrasive products on a regular basis.

My sense of things from your reading the advice of you guys...

• Rinse wheels & wheel arches
• Wash wheels using microfiber noodle mitt and wheel cleaner
• Rinse the wheels
• Dry the wheels

Now on to the bodywork…

• Rinse the car
• Spray some soapy water on the extra-dirty sections of car; give it a one minute head start
• Snow foam the car; let it set
• Rinse the car
• Wash panel by panel using two bucket method
  • Lambswool mitt
  • Gritguards in place
  • rinse whole car after each panel to keep car wet and cool
• Rinse the car again, keeping it wet and cool
• Detar the car – panel by panel, rinsing after each panel
• Rinse entire car again
• Clay the car using clay bar and auto-detailer or clay lube; rinsing entire car after each panel
• Rinse the entire car again
• Dab dry the car with Microfibre towel
• Tape off rubbers and plastics in prep for polishing
• Polish car panel using a DA polisher – start on low rpm’s, increase to finish.
• Let cure on panel; buff out with microfibre towel
• Move on to next panel; repeat polishing
• Finish polishing of car, buff out, etc
• Leave the car for a bit
• Apply a glaze using DA Polisher
• Leave car for a bit
• Come back, buff out
• Leave the car for a bit
• Come back, apply sealant, allow to cure, buff out with microfiber towel
• Leave the car for a bit
• Apply wax, thin layer, buff out
• Leave the car for a bit
• Apply wax, thin layer, buff out

randy hickey

Basically what you're looking for is the procedure to follow when doing a paint correction?

Doctors differ and patients die, but the basic steps are the same.
Here's the method I use when doing a paint correction;
1. Spray with tardis to de-tar.Let soak for a few minutes until you see the tar spots start to run down the bodywork.
2. Quick rinse with power washer.
3. Snow foam.Let dwell for five minutes,then rinse with power washer.
4. Shampoo using the two bucket method.
5. Rinse with open ended hose,and let stand for a few minutes -not too long.
6. Clay the car from top to bottom.Tedious,but very much worthwhile.Don't forget to lube as you go.
7. Shampoo again!
8. Rinse again!
9. At this point I dry the car purely to speed things up.(Microfibre towel).
10. Start masking off.Headlights,all glass.all plastic and rubber trim- basically anywhere polish has no business being.Take your time at this stage and get it right-you'll be glad later.
11. Ring for appointment with psychiatrist.You have just realised you are 2-3 hours in to this madness, and you haven't even really started yet!
12. Systematically start polishing from roof down.At this point,the perceived wisdom is to start with fine (low cut) polish and work your way up to the heavier cut stuff the more comfortable you get.You'll quickly get a pain in your vanos unit and go with the coarser compond when you realise it's the only one making any impact on the ceramic germanic clearcoat.(FWIW my favourite here is Menzerna Fg 500 with a Hex Logic orange pad)
Doesn't matter what pad/polish combo you go with- the technique will always be the same.Three pea-sized dots of polish on the damp pad,place the polisher on the panel being treated,then switch on.
Take each panel in 18" x 18" sections,starting in low speed just to spread the polish over the area,then moving up to the higher speed to work the polish.
Do not push down on the polisher- it's own weight is generally good enough.(The exception being side panels where you must exert a small amount of pressure roughly equivalent to the weight of the machine.)

Alternate from horizontal passes to vertical passes in your section, taking care to stop every now and then to lube the pad.Eventually you will see the polish has completely broken down,and you can move on to the next area.
As a beginner you will want to wipe off each of these sections as you finish them to check that you've taken out all the swirl marks.

13. Offer the neighbours a beer.It's now midnight and the whole street is wondering what in the name of jaysus you're at.

14. Buff off the remaining compound dust residue.
15. Shampoo.
16. Rinse with open ended hose.
17. No son,you can't have a go of me powor washor.
18. Dry using microfibre towel.The neighbours are now ringing each other.
19. Wax or sealant or both- whatever rocks your boat.Apply and buff off x 2.
20. Ring your mate, apologise for waking him up at three in the morning and explain that your wife has just kicked you out.

Job done.

myshirt

Randy Hickey, cheers!

You hit on a good secondary topic there also.

The wife.

Overlook at your peril.

Getting the strategy right here is as key a part of a successful day of detailing as any.

randy hickey

Oops, I missed the very important step 14A!

14A. Remove all masking.

easygoing39

Where can I buy the blue masking tape all you detailing lads use??? Anywhere in Dublin?? Or online if no bricks and morter shop local??

randy hickey

What your after is 3M 3434.
The primary reason it is used, is that it is a low-tack masking tape, so when you're finished a paint correction, for example, you aren't left with stripes of adhesive all over your otherwise perfect paintwork.
It is also waterproof.

I've never seen it in a motor factors, but then again, I wasn't looking for it there.

Try Curran's Detailing Shed, or if you're down in the southeast you could try Larry in Cleancar.ie.

http://www.detailingshed.com/machine-polishing/192-3m-3434-tape.html

Curran

OP your method is just about spot on!
And Randy's method is good too, and isnt far wrong with how the wife and neighbours will react

Just a few things that I have picked out from your original method...

• There's no need to rinse down every panel after washing it, unless the sun is causing the panels to be very warm (we dont get many days like that here )
• I would advice you consider a de-ironise/fallout step (to remove bonded iron particle, usually from hot particle from brake pads). This is usually done after the de-tar step. The likes of Iron Cleanse or Iron X are the best products
• Machine polishing is slightly different to hand polishing. Hand polishes are design to have fillers in them to help hide swirls. These need to be sealed in with either wax or sealant. Machine polish is different and contains more oils, which will prevent your protection from bonding well to the paint work. It is best after you finish all your machine polishing to take the car out for a wash down with APC. This will remove any oils in the paintwork and also all the dust from the car. Dry it afterwards and the paintwork is ready for the next step...either glaze, sealant or wax
• Glaze isnt always a step that is used. It does give the car a very wet look, but it also hinders the bonding of your protection, so durability wont be as long as might be suggested. If you've done a good job polishing, I would suggest that the car wouldnt need it, unless you only give the car a light polish and are trying to cover in some of the deeper swirls.

On the 3434 Tape - as said, its low tack and waterproof. Regular low tack masking tape isnt the same, and you will risk pulling off bits of clear coat when you remove it. The 3434 Tape is also quite durable, so if you are careful applying it and removing it, it can often be re-used in different areas two or three times...some people prefer to tape up the whole car at once, which would mean its all waste. Others do it panel by panel so try re-use sections if you can.