Did first exterior detail, help me out. Pics.

[imported_motoo344]

Hey everyone,



So I came home today and decided I was going give a go at my first detail with some real cleaning products. Anyway, it ended up taking me a long time to do the wheels, never seen so much caked on brake dust. Then I worked on the paint, by the time I was done, I decided to do the interior another day. This was a lot of work and it was fun and I can not wait until I get better. Here are some pics.



Very dirty car...

Clean...well at least as much as I could... :sadpace:

Hood after some swirl remover, polishing/sealant

Pic of my pathetic detailing rig.

All in all, it was a learning experience. I have a long way to go, but nothing time and practice won't fix. I think I did very well claying the car, I took a lot of time and the paint felt great after. The porter cable was an interesting experience, I followed a guide, but I still don't know if I was doing it right!



I have a few questions though...



I still have some swirls, what products can I get? I was pretty hesitant because I did not want to mess anything up. I assume I need to go more aggressive. I am going to order new pads among other things.



What do you guys do for really tough brake dust? I assuming a power washer would have helped, but that was not an option today.



There was some paint on the drivers side of the front bumper, you can kind of see it. Clay took a lot of it off, but there was a lot I could not get. What products are good for removing things like this?



Thanks, I am sure I will be adding more questions and updating. I am tired and its time for dinner!

 

[Joshua312]

Some more aggressive clay should take care of the paint on the bumper. There also designated paint removal products you can buy from Top Of the Line.



Which polishes do you currently have? Also, which pad/polish combination was used for this detail? Some tire dressing on the tires would really put the finishing touch on the after product.



I wouldn't call your detailing setup pathetic! No need to have a million products if you don't need to, some of us are just obsessed with trying the "flavor of the week".

 

[imported_motoo344]

Ya, I def wanted to be the tire dressing on, my back is hurting pretty bad right now lol, so I kind of just packed it in. I used the tropi-care products. I went with their swirl cutter with their orange pad, which I believe is their medium...I could be wrong. I liked their wash, polish/sealant. One thing the kit was lacking was pads, only came with 4, so I def wanna get some more.

 

[Neofate]

Hey everyone,



So I came home today and decided I was going give a go at my first detail with some real cleaning products. Anyway, it ended up taking me a long time to do the wheels, never seen so much caked on brake dust. Then I worked on the paint, by the time I was done, I decided to do the interior another day. This was a lot of work and it was fun and I can not wait until I get better. Here are some pics.

Look mah -- We caught us 'nother one. :welcome

All in all, it was a learning experience. I have a long way to go, but nothing time and practice won't fix. I think I did very well claying the car, I took a lot of time and the paint felt great after. The porter cable was an interesting experience, I followed a guide, but I still don't know if I was doing it right!

Looks good! -- First immediate thing I noticed you missed was the tires. You need to dress those, they really stick out like a sore thumb to someone like me.. and is a really quick/easy thing. But perhaps you just didn't have any dressing on hand, or (maybe) you don't like the finish?

I have a few questions though...



I still have some swirls, what products can I get? I was pretty hesitant because I did not want to mess anything up. I assume I need to go more aggressive. I am going to order new pads among other things.

Anything you want -- It works like this,.. there are dozens of GOOD products,.. but they all do the same thing.



You have a few categories and then a bunch of products with fancy names that do the same essential thing with small variances.



To name a few:



Intensive Polishes: (For your worst scuffs/scratches/heavy marring) -- Most agressive, .. generally between a polish and compound in strength.



*Yellow pad common with this.



Intermediate Polishes: (Generally , on most vehicles, the first line or step in the polishing process -- for mediocre/common swirls/spider webbing/scratches/medium marring)



*Orange pad common with this.



Finishing/Light Polishes: (As the name implies, the last step of the polishing) -- Not always needed. An example: You use an intermediate polish, and the car looks great -- A finishing polish wouldn't hurt it, but isn't generally needed.



However, you use an Intensive/agressive polish with a Yellow and you are likely to develop a haze and or some polish marring -- Possible holograms..



New people get worried and confused by this sometimes, because they think they just spent all that time polishing and the finish is hazy, and not shining like it should, but it feels right. --



This is where finishing polish comes in: It is a very light abrasive that will remove the light marring/haze/ and so forth that might have been generated from the Intensive/agressive polish and pad.



*White pad often used with this.



Glazes: (These are products that go on before your LSP -- They are not worked in like a polish, but simple applied. You can use your hand applicator or the machine. These add luster/shine/depth -- Wetness and so on to the look on *top* of the polished vehicle,.. but usually before the sealant.) --



*Green, or Blue, or Grey pad(s) often used with this.



Sealants: (As the name implies again, seals all that wonderful work you just did to the vehicle. Many of them are synthetic. In that they are polymer based and acutally BOND with the vehicle with a 12-72 hour *cure* time. ) -- A sealant keeps the elements from damaging your shine and protects the paint. Often very hydrophobic. Example: NXT 2.0 -- (Technically a sealant and wax combination).



Waxes: (Loosely held term for a protective layering that adds shine/luster/ can darken color , and many other properties.) -- Waxes are often made from Carnuba, or in part. There are so many variations of such it is beyond the scope of this definition and I'm sure you know exactly what a 'wax' is -- Though some get twisted, such as NXT 2.0 It crosses over into the Sealant category, but also the Wax category. -- The wax (only) products go on top of the sealants if one chooses. Is totally optional.



*Blue,Green or Grey pad often used for application. -- Removal is best by hand (MF) -- But some use MF bonnets on their pads on their RO's. Some actually use a MF towel and spin it with the Rotary/RO.





This is just a sampling, and you know most if not all of this I am sure.



Some good brands to order from are:



Menzerna, Zaino, Pinnacle, Optimum, Klaisse, Meguiers, Wolfgang, etc.



As you see there are quite a few 'top notch' brands that you really can't go wrong with. Some people prefer Menzerna polishes over say, Zaino, and vice versa.



Pads:



You want all the various pads to work with -- and importantly you want many of them.



In order of agressiveness:



Yellow - Most agressive -- (recommended 3-4) (Agressive polish)

Orange - (Recommended 3-4) (Intermediate Polish to agressive)

White - (Recommended 2-4) (Finishing Polish to Intermediate)

Green - (1-2) (balance of polishing and finishing - good for AIO products)

Gray - (1-2) (No cut, applies waxes, sealants, glazes)

Blue - (1-2) (No cut, applies same as above -- But flatter surface and softer -- Interchangable with Gray,.. many prefer this for their wax application, etc.)









Of course you can finagle these numbers to your own liking. -- The cutting pads do wear out,.. but they last a while if you take care of them. -- The number/quantity is for the rule that you only put one product on one pad. Never cross products on the same pad. Once a product is used on X pad -- Even after you clean it, you want to label that pad by letting it dry and then putting it in a sealed baggy with the product used's name on the outside)



But enough of pads, and fundamentals lol -- I'm sorry for going into such basic detail.

What do you guys do for really tough brake dust? I assuming a power washer would have helped, but that was not an option today.

I use any standard wheel cleaner for tough brake dust -- But generally I don't use any wheel cleaner, as I don't let it build up to any great level and have it protected.



For brake dust that is really caked on.. I would recommend:



Meguiars Wheel Brightener



That should do the trick.



Now once clean,.. it is highly recommended to use the Sealant you used on your vehicle paint on your wheels. Why? This will somewhat repel brake dust ( only slightly ) -- But more importantly it allows the removal of brake dust in the future to be MUCH easier, as the dust is settling on the surface of the sealant, not the actual wheel. (Doesn't look too bad either )

There was some paint on the drivers side of the front bumper, you can kind of see it. Clay took a lot of it off, but there was a lot I could not get. What products are good for removing things like this?



Thanks, I am sure I will be adding more questions and updating. I am tired and its time for dinner!

I would honestly recommend you continue to clay the area,.. That should be your best and safest bet for the paint removal. There are chemicals that will remove the paint, but chemicals/solvents of that nature that remove paint, are dangerous because they can obviously take a toll on the underlying paint/clearcoat. Wetsanding it highly regarding for stubborn overspray.



Again, I would continue to claybar the paint for the safest results. But still be careful there.. I've witnessed claybars burn straight through paint -- (But the person was rubbing as hard as he could and used the whole bar up on a 2x4 area).



All in all, great job.. Nice car -- I love that bodystyle Mercedes. -- Add a few products to your arsenal and it will be looking 110% !

 

[imported_motoo344]

Thanks for the advice. Very friendly around here. I will definitely be ordering more pads then. I think I just did not have the right pad/swirl remover to get rid of all the swirls.

 

[Joshua312]

Again, I would continue to claybar the paint for the safest results. But still be careful there.. I've witnessed claybars burn straight through paint -- (But the person was rubbing as hard as he could and used the whole bar up on a 2x4 area).

Is this even possible? To "burn" through paint wouldn't you need to create an obscene amount of heat or use very harsh abrasives. Never heard of such a thing just by claying.

 

[imported_motoo344]

Alrighty, I ordered some pads and another polish.

 

[Rol777]

Look mah -- We caught us 'nother one. :welcome







Looks good! -- First immediate thing I noticed you missed was the tires. You need to dress those, they really stick out like a sore thumb to someone like me.. and is a really quick/easy thing. But perhaps you just didn't have any dressing on hand, or (maybe) you don't like the finish?







Anything you want -- It works like this,.. there are dozens of GOOD products,.. but they all do the same thing.



You have a few categories and then a bunch of products with fancy names that do the same essential thing with small variances.



To name a few:



Intensive Polishes: (For your worst scuffs/scratches/heavy marring) -- Most agressive, .. generally between a polish and compound in strength.



*Yellow pad common with this.



Intermediate Polishes: (Generally , on most vehicles, the first line or step in the polishing process -- for mediocre/common swirls/spider webbing/scratches/medium marring)



*Orange pad common with this.



Finishing/Light Polishes: (As the name implies, the last step of the polishing) -- Not always needed. An example: You use an intermediate polish, and the car looks great -- A finishing polish wouldn't hurt it, but isn't generally needed.



However, you use an Intensive/agressive polish with a Yellow and you are likely to develop a haze and or some polish marring -- Possible holograms..



New people get worried and confused by this sometimes, because they think they just spent all that time polishing and the finish is hazy, and not shining like it should, but it feels right. --



This is where finishing polish comes in: It is a very light abrasive that will remove the light marring/haze/ and so forth that might have been generated from the Intensive/agressive polish and pad.



*White pad often used with this.



Glazes: (These are products that go on before your LSP -- They are not worked in like a polish, but simple applied. You can use your hand applicator or the machine. These add luster/shine/depth -- Wetness and so on to the look on *top* of the polished vehicle,.. but usually before the sealant.) --



*Green, or Blue, or Grey pad(s) often used with this.



Sealants: (As the name implies again, seals all that wonderful work you just did to the vehicle. Many of them are synthetic. In that they are polymer based and acutally BOND with the vehicle with a 12-72 hour *cure* time. ) -- A sealant keeps the elements from damaging your shine and protects the paint. Often very hydrophobic. Example: NXT 2.0 -- (Technically a sealant and wax combination).



Waxes: (Loosely held term for a protective layering that adds shine/luster/ can darken color , and many other properties.) -- Waxes are often made from Carnuba, or in part. There are so many variations of such it is beyond the scope of this definition and I'm sure you know exactly what a 'wax' is -- Though some get twisted, such as NXT 2.0 It crosses over into the Sealant category, but also the Wax category. -- The wax (only) products go on top of the sealants if one chooses. Is totally optional.



*Blue,Green or Grey pad often used for application. -- Removal is best by hand (MF) -- But some use MF bonnets on their pads on their RO's. Some actually use a MF towel and spin it with the Rotary/RO.





This is just a sampling, and you know most if not all of this I am sure.



Some good brands to order from are:



Menzerna, Zaino, Pinnacle, Optimum, Klaisse, Meguiers, Wolfgang, etc.



As you see there are quite a few 'top notch' brands that you really can't go wrong with. Some people prefer Menzerna polishes over say, Zaino, and vice versa.



Pads:



You want all the various pads to work with -- and importantly you want many of them.



In order of agressiveness:



Yellow - Most agressive -- (recommended 3-4) (Agressive polish)

Orange - (Recommended 3-4) (Intermediate Polish to agressive)

White - (Recommended 2-4) (Finishing Polish to Intermediate)

Green - (1-2) (balance of polishing and finishing - good for AIO products)

Gray - (1-2) (No cut, applies waxes, sealants, glazes)

Blue - (1-2) (No cut, applies same as above -- But flatter surface and softer -- Interchangable with Gray,.. many prefer this for their wax application, etc.)









Of course you can finagle these numbers to your own liking. -- The cutting pads do wear out,.. but they last a while if you take care of them. -- The number/quantity is for the rule that you only put one product on one pad. Never cross products on the same pad. Once a product is used on X pad -- Even after you clean it, you want to label that pad by letting it dry and then putting it in a sealed baggy with the product used's name on the outside)



But enough of pads, and fundamentals lol -- I'm sorry for going into such basic detail.





I use any standard wheel cleaner for tough brake dust -- But generally I don't use any wheel cleaner, as I don't let it build up to any great level and have it protected.



For brake dust that is really caked on.. I would recommend:



Meguiars Wheel Brightener



That should do the trick.



Now once clean,.. it is highly recommended to use the Sealant you used on your vehicle paint on your wheels. Why? This will somewhat repel brake dust ( only slightly ) -- But more importantly it allows the removal of brake dust in the future to be MUCH easier, as the dust is settling on the surface of the sealant, not the actual wheel. (Doesn't look too bad either )







I would honestly recommend you continue to clay the area,.. That should be your best and safest bet for the paint removal. There are chemicals that will remove the paint, but chemicals/solvents of that nature that remove paint, are dangerous because they can obviously take a toll on the underlying paint/clearcoat. Wetsanding it highly regarding for stubborn overspray.



Again, I would continue to claybar the paint for the safest results. But still be careful there.. I've witnessed claybars burn straight through paint -- (But the person was rubbing as hard as he could and used the whole bar up on a 2x4 area).



All in all, great job.. Nice car -- I love that bodystyle Mercedes. -- Add a few products to your arsenal and it will be looking 110% !

You are the man! good info in your post dude : )

 

[eyezack87]

Is this even possible? To "burn" through paint wouldn't you need to create an obscene amount of heat or use very harsh abrasives. Never heard of such a thing just by claying.

If I remember correctly, it was Neo who was the victim of this :sadpace: