After 2 days of addicting reading on this detailing forum, I just ordered today the PC 7424 w/orange pads + Pinnacle XMT (swirl remover & wax).
Flashback 3 days ago-waxed our 02 Sequoia w/Mothers over the counter step 2 (cleaner) & 3 (carnauba wax). Looks a little better but oxidation &/or water spots still apparent; or at least the paint is hazy so I assume thats what it is. After reading so many of Bandon1/Jumbo's posts, I'm addicted. I want to make sure this plan is ok.
Sequoia-1) apply with pc either the Pinnacle swirl remover or use Maquires Scratch X. 2) Do the clay bar treatment (over the counter product-Mequires). 3) apply with pc either the Pinnacle wax or Mothers Carnauba I have left. The main reason I bought the pc was to get the haze out of the paint. Will this sequence of events make me happy.
Secondly-05 Tacoma that always had Zaino-1) apply Duragloss #652 with pc, 2) apply Duragloss #105 by hand.
Based on my action plan you can tell my priority/expense goes to the Tacoma; Sequoia has some dents, etc. so I'm not looking for perfection.
Am I ok with what you see or is the Mother's &/or Pinnacle products garbage?
Wash
Clay
Swirl Remover
some sort of polish
wax/sealer
Thats normally the steps I take. Depending on how the swirl remover does, you can probably skip the polish step, since you are not looking for the highest gloss/perfection.
For the Sequoia, I would do the clay bar first to make sure the clear coat is good and clean and then use the swirl remover with the PC. Follow that up with whatever wax you have left to restore shine. I like to apply the wax with the buffer (still haven't gotten to use my PC ) and remove by hand with clean microfiber towels. I've never tried any of the finish buffing pads, although I do have one in the kit with my PC so hopefully that will be something in the very near future. I'll be getting with the pros on here about technique for that stuff. You are correct about this part of the site being addicting. I HAVE to check every day to see what Brandon1 and Jumbo have suggested to somebody...
In using the pc, how much pressure should I apply & how long do I go over my 2ft square section? And for my tacoma that is in good shape do I put the polish on with less time using the pc? I assume the paint condition is what dictates how long to use the pc in the same area, correct?
thanks for the feedback. Can't wait to try this again while it is less than 100 degrees out here in AZ.
In using the pc, how much pressure should I apply & how long do I go over my 2ft square section? And for my tacoma that is in good shape do I put the polish on with less time using the pc? I assume the paint condition is what dictates how long to use the pc in the same area, correct?
thanks for the feedback. Can't wait to try this again while it is less than 100 degrees out here in AZ.
You shouldnt have to apply very much pressure at all to the PC. Keep the pad flat on the surface to allow maximum contact with the paint and let the PC do the work, just guide it where you want it. You'll be able to feel if you need more pressure. The PC is very user friendly.
After your wash and clay, start with an easy panel like a front quarter. I really like to use the big halogen lights on a tri-pod to help make the job more precise. If you can get your paint to look pretty good under 1000w halogens, it will look perfect in natural sunlight. Set the light up down wind of the panel your working so you get a nice reflective surface.
Start by lightly misting your pad, this gives the pad a little more bite. I usually give it a light squirt with some detail spray. Apply your polish to the pad and smear it around on the panel, avoid turning on your PC until youve smeared the polish or it will sling everywhere. Turning on the PC before its in contact with the paint will also cause the polish to sling, so best to start and stop the PC while its n the car.
Flash time for polish is subjective to that particular polish, but a couple minutes is pretty standard for most polishes to begin breaking down. Polish your panel, wipe clean with a microfiber buffing cloth and inspect the area for flaws and rework the panel if you need to until you feel its pretty close to perfect under the lights.
I dont remember if you mentioned your pad collection or not, but I would grab at least one of each color. You'll want to experiment with different pad and polish combos. If youre polishing with an orange or yellow cutting pad, you can step down with a cleaner such as Klasse AIO or FK1 215 and a white pad to remove the oils left over from the polish. Then a soft black finishing pad to apply your sealant such as Zaino or Duragloss 105. Over time you'll end up with a big pile of pads.
Dont be afraid to try different combos. There are no rules set in stone with detailing. I even mix my polishes together and experiment with different abrasive qualities. Have fun with it and your truck will look amazing.
Jumbo, thanks for your feedback. That detail was very informative & makes sense. I ended up buying the kit which has the orange pads & the white buffer pads. Good info what you said about changing the pads & stepping down. I wasn't aware of how important this all was & all the tools add up in price. Starting out I thought the wax was the most important but its starting to look like the process is just as important. I will have to buy more pads to supplement my collection & thanks for the feedback on removing the oils from the polish. Damn theres a lot of details to this.
I assumed the pads wouldn't last long but if they do, I guess I need to get them. What is the best way to wash everything when your done? I assume wash in allergy soap, or I purchased a pad cleaner from autogeak.
Wax doesnt do much without proper prep work. Prep work is everything.
With proper care your pads should last a long long time....... literally years. I just wash my pads in the sink with Dawn and hang them dry for a day or two then put them away. I store my pads in sealed baggies then in a small tool bag. Before I use them I give them a short blast of air from the compressor to make sure there are no dirt particles attached.
You definitely have to have different color pads. Each color is specific for an application. Yellow pads are for heavy cutting, orange for medium cutting, white for light polish and black/gray for final sealant applications. Those colors are for Lake Country pads. If you are cutting some heavy swirls out with a yellow pad and an abrasive polish, the next step would be an orange pad and a light to medium polish, or a white pad. Then a black finishing pad. One of each color will get you rolling for now. Then as you go grab a few more.
I only use the allergy soap for my microfibers, for my pads I just use Dawn. If you bought that pad cleaner from autogeek then youre all set.
Having never gone to the extent with the pads and different levels of "cutting" I'm a little confused. I understand everything you said, but my 3 year old truck finish looks better than most new trucks (with the exception of the rock chips in the front) with very little in the way of swirl marks and I've never done anything more than wash by hand, orbital buff Mother's wax, clay bar from time to time, and keep it shiny with Turtle Wax Ice. I realize you have never seen my truck, but would you think I need to use different types of pads, or just use the white and black pads? My finish is very smooth, even to the plastic baggy test you mentioned a while back. I have the orange and yellow pads in the kit I got, but I don't want to overdo anything... Also, how do you tell different abrasives of the waxes?? Obviously, the compounds are abrasive, but how abrasive are average waxes like Mother's? Do products such as the Turtle Wax Ice, and Mother's and Meguiar's synthetic waxes count as sealants or do you guys recommend I go for other products. I've been very happy with the results I've gotten from these products, but now that you guys have me obssessing over a perfect mirror finish paint job and "expertly" detailed truck, I just want to make sure the extra effort and money spent are going to do the job.
If you already have an orange and yellow pad, then pick up a white and black pad and call it a day. Eventually you will use the yellow, but you'll find your white and orange to be the most used. Black is a finishing pad and has no cutting ability, you'll use that for applying final sealants such as Zaino or PUPP.
Waxes don't have any cutting power or abrasives, you need polishes for that. The label on the polish will describe it's use and cutting powers.
If you are happy with the results you're getting from your over the counter products, then by all means keep using them. But once you begin getting into the higher end boutique products you'll be hooked for life. They are so much easier to use and provide much better and more efficient results.
Jumbo-very good info.
After I apply my clay, cleaner, polish, & wax, I was planning on taking off the wax with a clean cloth & then use the slip over white cloth thing (can't remember the name; don't have all my printouts in front of me) on my pc. I assume this helps buff the shine after a manual wipe, correct?
When you say over the counter is fine but the finer waxes/polishes will be better, give me a rating within a reasonable budget. I've got Mother's Carnauba over the counter, Pinnacle with my pc order, ordered Duragloss #652 & 105. I've used Zaino & was pleased with the results. Are there others within this reasonable budget?
Im not fan at all of the bonnets for removing wax. All they do is build up with wax very quickly and need to be traded out for a fresh one. If your prep work is good, and youre using a good quality wax/sealant, removing by hand will be more than enough. Invest now in some high quality microfiber towels, they make al the difference in the world.
You should be happy with Pinnacle, they make good stuff. Zaino is one of my all time favorite sealants, however I've never had good results with their Z-Fusion polish. Z2 and Z5 are two of my anchor sealants. I mix the Z2 and Z5 together 50/50 and the results are amazing on lighter colored cars. Durability is excellent.
The Klasse Twins are great together also. Klasse AIO is a great cleaner, polish and sealer all in one little red bottle. Klasse SG (silver bottle) is a very good sealer and looks really nice on top of AIO. Apply 2 coats of SG with the PC and a black pad and come back a week later and top with Four Star PUPP and you have one mean looking combo. Durability is excellent.
Those are all very reasonable price wise, but you'll get so much better results than anything you can buy at wal mart. On top of the that they are very efficient and easy to use, so you arent wasting product.
csawyer-have you used your pc yet? I used mine on fathers day & I'm not sure I am satisfied with the results. There is still some haze in the Sequoia paint but it might be the Pinnacle swirl remover wasn't course enough to get that out. I will try a small area again down the road to see what happens.
My tacoma with the duragloss #105 was ok but not as good as my past Zaino z1 & z2. But that could be because I didn't put on a polish. I did a section with the duragloss 652 but couldn't tell the difference between the two. For the money, I thought the clay bar did absolute wonders.
There is still some haze in the Sequoia paint but it might be the Pinnacle swirl remover wasn't course enough to get that out. I will try a small
Not knowing exactly what polish you used, but it is possible that the haze you are seeing is residue left from the first polish, but can be removed by following up with a lighter polish. This is a pretty common thing when using a heavy polish, they usually leave the finish kinda cloudy. A lighter polish and a white pad (PC on 4) should clear it up and leave you with the results you were hoping for in the first place.
I did finally get to use my PC on Sunday night--I had to let the heat die down--it was over 100 degrees here during the day. I set up some work spotlights in the garage and went to town. I just used what I had for now. Hand washed and dried everything. Clay bar across all top surfaces, front end, and front quarter panels. I used Maguiar's scratch and swirl remover with the orange pad (speed setting on 5) on the hood, front end, and front quarter panels (areas needed most attention). I ended up going over everything twice until I felt like it was good and shiny and smooth. Still didn't get all the minute scratches out, but I'm attributing that to the "over the counter" product. Then, also with an orange pad and level 5, I used Mother's cleaner wax over the entire truck. Followed that up with Turtle Wax Ice liquid wax product applied with the black pad on level 5. I removed all products by hand with new microfiber towels. I was thrilled with the speed at which I was able to complete such an undertaking. I was out there for about 4 hours total. The PC made the application part SO much easier and my shoulders and elbows didn't get sore!! I've always had a bad habit of applying too much product and having a hell of time getting it all off. The PC just spread everything so evenly and with the bright lights I could see the haze better, so that wasn't an issue this time. The design of the application pads seemed to make each portion of product cover more area on the truck as well. I was pleased with the results when I finished on Sunday night, but I was even more pleased when I got out in the sunlight on Monday. Sitting in the driver's seat looking down on my bright blue mirror finish hood with very little in the way of visible scratches anymore, I went straight over to the dealership and ordered some touch-up paint for the rock chips in the front end so I can try to make that look better. Overall, I'm extremely happy with the PC. Once I get some "real" detailing products, I think it will make that much more of a difference!! When we get back from vacation next week, I'm going to attack the wife's SUV and see what I can do with that... Based on what I've listed here, if you "pros" have any suggestions, please chime in...thanks...
Newbie - Waxing my planned steps
) and remove by hand with clean microfiber towels. I've never tried any of the finish buffing pads, although I do have one in the kit with my PC so hopefully that will be something in the very near future. I'll be getting with the pros on here about technique for that stuff. You are correct about this part of the site being addicting. I HAVE to check every day to see what Brandon1 and Jumbo have suggested to somebody...
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