CEE DOG
New member
Eraser vs. IPA
Intro:
After reading my recent review on CarPro Eraser I had one member ask me how Eraser compared to IPA so it occurred to me that I must not have done a clear job of showing this. Visually I hadn’t shown the two side by side with a test so here we go!
The Test:
The video tells the story but basically I applied Poor Boys Black Hole (a glaze with fillers) to the top of the panel and 3M Ultrafina (an oily polish) to the bottom of the panel. Then I stripped one side with Eraser and one side with IPA.
The IPA was a very strong dilution by any of the standards I have seen written (25% IPA and 75% water) And, yes that does take into account the percentage of IPA I started with.
I based my ratio of IPA mix on what Dr. G told me in my Q&A with him about IPA and also what Mike Phillips wrote in his article on the subject. Mikes article also relied on other chemists in the industry. Here is a partial quote from Dr. G in the Q&A I just referenced.
“I would follow the recommendations that Mike Phillips has made of 10-25% IPA in water as a safe cleaning solution. The reason for this wide range is due to the variations in the clear coat paint systems. Therefore, when dealing with a soft clear coat or for those who notice a great deal of softening effect, they should stay at the lower end of the range while others can use the upper limit. Of course, the greater the percentage of IPA, the faster it will remove the oils.”
So as you can see I picked a heavy ratio of IPA.
I also went out of the way to place lots of oils on the paint before stripping it with each product.
Video: Eraser vs. IPA
Eraser vs IPA.wmv - YouTube
Conclusion:
CarPro Eraser removed all of the oils more thoroughly than the strong mix of IPA. As you saw in the video some spots on the IPA treated side still had oil of some kind on the surface.
Do those spots that still have oil matter?
Well, if your goal was to remove the oils and some are left then obviously they matter.
If checking your paint after polishing to make sure you achieved a perfect finish I say yes it matters (obviously).
If applying a coating that does rely on a completely oil free finish they matter a great deal. Obviously your coating wouldn’t have the same durability on those spots and my theory is that even worse your applicator would spread some of the oils from those spots and compromise the durability of the coating in other areas as well. That is just my theory and I could be way off but there you have it.
If applying a polymer sealant or wax the remaining oils left by IPA don’t matter near as much as if you are applying some of the nano coatings that rely on a completely oil free surface. How much they do matter I don’t know the definitive answer to that.
--- Update on Dust Resistance ---
I watched my test panel that was kept out of the rain for 1 week and could find no difference in the dust resistance between IPA and Eraser.
For more information you can find my full review here: http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing-product-discussion/137977-review-carpro-eraser.html
Intro:
After reading my recent review on CarPro Eraser I had one member ask me how Eraser compared to IPA so it occurred to me that I must not have done a clear job of showing this. Visually I hadn’t shown the two side by side with a test so here we go!
The Test:
The video tells the story but basically I applied Poor Boys Black Hole (a glaze with fillers) to the top of the panel and 3M Ultrafina (an oily polish) to the bottom of the panel. Then I stripped one side with Eraser and one side with IPA.
The IPA was a very strong dilution by any of the standards I have seen written (25% IPA and 75% water) And, yes that does take into account the percentage of IPA I started with.
I based my ratio of IPA mix on what Dr. G told me in my Q&A with him about IPA and also what Mike Phillips wrote in his article on the subject. Mikes article also relied on other chemists in the industry. Here is a partial quote from Dr. G in the Q&A I just referenced.
“I would follow the recommendations that Mike Phillips has made of 10-25% IPA in water as a safe cleaning solution. The reason for this wide range is due to the variations in the clear coat paint systems. Therefore, when dealing with a soft clear coat or for those who notice a great deal of softening effect, they should stay at the lower end of the range while others can use the upper limit. Of course, the greater the percentage of IPA, the faster it will remove the oils.”
So as you can see I picked a heavy ratio of IPA.
I also went out of the way to place lots of oils on the paint before stripping it with each product.
Video: Eraser vs. IPA
Eraser vs IPA.wmv - YouTube
Conclusion:
CarPro Eraser removed all of the oils more thoroughly than the strong mix of IPA. As you saw in the video some spots on the IPA treated side still had oil of some kind on the surface.
Do those spots that still have oil matter?
Well, if your goal was to remove the oils and some are left then obviously they matter.
If checking your paint after polishing to make sure you achieved a perfect finish I say yes it matters (obviously).
If applying a coating that does rely on a completely oil free finish they matter a great deal. Obviously your coating wouldn’t have the same durability on those spots and my theory is that even worse your applicator would spread some of the oils from those spots and compromise the durability of the coating in other areas as well. That is just my theory and I could be way off but there you have it.
If applying a polymer sealant or wax the remaining oils left by IPA don’t matter near as much as if you are applying some of the nano coatings that rely on a completely oil free surface. How much they do matter I don’t know the definitive answer to that.
--- Update on Dust Resistance ---
I watched my test panel that was kept out of the rain for 1 week and could find no difference in the dust resistance between IPA and Eraser.
For more information you can find my full review here: http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing-product-discussion/137977-review-carpro-eraser.html