FK1000p Beginner questions

Accumulator said:
Now you`re talkin` :D See...keep thinking about this stuff, REALLY thinking, and some good ideas will come to you. That`s how I`d look at it too.

I`d do the chemical decontamination first so the only stuff that has to be mechanically removed is the stuff that genuinely requires that. I want to do the least amount of mechanical decontamination possible...maybe none at all!
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The catch there, for me, is I`m generally thinking of decon as part of a once per year "aggressive wash" prior to polishing (or heavier depending on the vehicle). I think back to the ironx marketing stuff which shows clay breaking off the embedded iron level with the paint and the chemical getting in to do the rest. If you leave chemical action to dissolve the whole lump, you need a lot more chemical (at best) if you keep dousing until there`s NO visible reaction or (at worst) you leave the deepest embedded particles in place.

Also, in my case, I always seem to pick up mostly non-ferrous fallout. I am somewhat inclined to nanoskin off the aerosoled tree sap, overspray and industrial crap off the paint first, since ironx won`t touch it anyways. The you`ve exposed the most embedded iron to the chemical. [I personally have a heck of a time with the trees at the family cottage misting sap - the wipers go "sssh sssh" on the glass after a week/weekend there and you can feel it on the paint. Traditionally I throw on an extra layer of LSP before going ]


Unless of course you have wave after wave of touchless decon chemicals - IPA for sap, prepsol for overspray, ironx for ferrous fallout..... or lube, nanoskin and polish....

[EDIT: point I forgot - and what if I have iron that`s be subsequently covered by sap and other non-ferrous stuff - then Iron-X never gets at it ]

Several approaches probably work just fine and it may depend a lot on just how much of what kind of contamination you have

[EDIT - yes, I`m overthinking this :) ]
 
LOL....OK.....looks like there`s more than one process in use out there. Having read some opinions, I think I`ll go back to IronX prior to clay.
 
I am stjll amazed ar how far FK1000p spreads. I covered the whole hood of my car witb one pass using a yellow foam applicator ( the slightly larger type ).
Probs 1 minute to put on and after waiting 20 mins another minute to rub off.
Too easy.
 
Hi Digger11 - just as as an alternative i decided not to use any commercial applicator for my recent FK1000 application I went with tips of fingers grazing the paste and using them with the palm of the hand to massage it around in a very thin manner. Just wanted to take another foam applicator out of the process.It was just like finger painting LOL. Result came up excellent and i was able to use more pressure than i would have with an applicator as i am always a bit worried about picking up any tiny debris on the applicator in an open environment (Carport). Saw the AMMO guy doing a wax job like this and liked the process as it also gives you a great feeling for how the paint is.
 
DannyZZ- You`re wearing nitrile/latex gloves, right? While I`m not paranoid about such stuff, I dunno if I`d want the FK1000P in direct contact with my skin to any great extent.

Digger11- Yes indeed, if you have a lot of product on the applicator it oughta cover a lot of territory! I lean towards not having
much product on there as it helps me get the thin application, but it`s certainly not a right/wrong sort of thing as long as it goes OK.

Surly- As long as it`s Quality Thought, I`m generally in favor of "overthinking" things (scare-quotes intentional as few people seem to do much productive thinking these days ;) ).

A few things...given the conditions at the cottage, you apparently have to do far more of this Detailing stuff than I do. I really just wash/re-LSP for years on-end. Haven`t done a Major Detail since...gee, can`t even remember, I`d have to check my Detailing Log.

Regarding the Decontamination, which again, I seldom have to do other than when I acquire a new-to-me vehicle, I use ValuGard`s ABC. The "A" component takes care of the non-ferrous contamination; it`s basically just a Super-Shampoo. It is very effective IME, removing sap/etc. with no problems although a bit of claying, if necessary, would add some aggressiveness (oh man does "A" eat up clay quickly) and allowing the "A" to keep dwelling for a while will allow it to treat any areas that they clay exposed. Then the "B" component, which is mildly acidic, removes the ferrous contamination. This is the step where I *might* clay, if necessary, while the product is dwelling (again, it`s tough on the clay). Again, said claying exposes the areas previously covered by the (ferrous) contamination and the continued dwell of the "B" then treats that area. The "C" step is just a regular, ph-neutral, wash to neutralize the (already rinsed-off) "B".

Easy for me to spend your money, but there`s no way I`d ever subject any of our vehicles to a situation like that at your family cottage. I`d hitch a ride with somebody else or, more likely, rent a vehicle. We *never* take our vehicles certain places, just not worth it to us..well, to me at least, and I`m the guy who has to do the Detailing.
 
Just a quick update....I had a little time after work today to get started on our new Edge. So I took out the McKee`s Xtreme Iron Remover and did the chemical decontamination. One plus of having a white car, I guess, is when using an iron remover, as it`s easy to see what`s happening. I was kinda surprised at how many red streaks appeared on the hood, as, remember, this is a brand new 2017 car. There were very few, however, on the rest of the car.

Another observation? 16oz of the iron remover MIGHT be enough for 2 cars...but that`s iffy. I was a bit disappointed how much is used for one car.

I`ll clay tomorrow....maybe polish if I have time.
 
Dannyzz said:
Hi Digger11 - just as as an alternative i decided not to use any commercial applicator for my recent FK1000 application I went with tips of fingers grazing the paste and using them with the palm of the hand to massage it around in a very thin manner. Just wanted to take another foam applicator out of the process.It was just like finger painting LOL. Result came up excellent and i was able to use more pressure than i would have with an applicator as i am always a bit worried about picking up any tiny debris on the applicator in an open environment (Carport). Saw the AMMO guy doing a wax job like this and liked the process as it also gives you a great feeling for how the paint is.
Click to expand...

Not knocking ya if it works for ya, but I personally am not a fan of polish or sealant on my hands, let alone to this extent. It would drive me crazy. Like fiberglass in the hands crazy.
 
Accumulator said:
Surly- As long as it`s Quality Thought, I`m generally in favor of "overthinking" things (scare-quotes intentional as few people seem to do much productive thinking these days ;) ).

A few things...given the conditions at the cottage, you apparently have to do far more of this Detailing stuff than I do. I really just wash/re-LSP for years on-end. Haven`t done a Major Detail since...gee, can`t even remember, I`d have to check my Detailing Log.
Click to expand...

Well - I`m not renting a car for half my summer when I already have one Been this way since before I even had my license so it is what it is. Originally a carport was going to be built to protect the cars. Never happened

What I need is a good way to desap without a full decon or removing all the LSP. As mentioned, my current car was "coated" with that Xzilon stuff and it`s resisted the sap Bette than anything else to date. My tin of Fk1000p arrived yesterday :)

I was hoping that PB bug squash might work on the sap and be suitable as a whole car pretreat. We`ll see.

I could use to do way more detailing, and might need it more than your cars. But there isn`t time. It`s a hobby that I want to excel at again but there`s very little time budget. Right now it`s more like protecting the investment and doing what I gotta do. This is why I have so many product questions lately. I can`t buy them all and run comparisons :(

Thanks for all your advice :)
 
Hi All and good to know people are interested in OH&S when using the chemicals and about being careful with your skin re absorption uptake. I remember speaking with a buddy years ago who worked on an oil rig and had degrees in chemistry etc and he would not use Talcum powder said the stuff should be banned because of the additives and left the room when his wife reached for the can of Fly spray. So in his absence i will take the advice of the forum and use gloves next time. That`s the good thing about these forums gets you thinking
 
OzzieMike- Ah, sounds like you`re off to a good start and that the car didn`t go through too much before you got it.

Heh heh...I LOVE white cars! Accumulatorette was always thrilled when I`d buy one as she knew that keeping it all Autopian would be a piece of cake for me. EVERY white car I`ve ever had was an absolute joy, just drove the wheels off `em. Better stop now or I`ll start pining for my previous Crown Vic!

Surly- Heh heh, sounds like the rental idea is NOT feasible after all :D

That`s quite a challenging situation you`ve got there, I`ll be interested to hear how the FK1000P works out for you. At least you seem OK with the whole thing...you know what to expect and how big a PIA it can be. Now if that xzilon stuff is *BETTER* than the Fk1000P at resisting sap I`ll be interested to hear about it! Ya just never know....

And I *absolutely* understand about having to ration out resources like time. I too basically see the whole thing as a matter of preserving our current vehicles, none of which I want/plan to replace...not *ever*. Also on the same page about trying lots of (new) products; I haven`t bought much of *anything* detailing-related for ages. And when I plan to, I`m gonna get a lot of input from everybody here before I place that order.
 
Another update....

Last night/this afternoon applied 3D HD Polish+ with my GG6 and green LC pads. This afternoon applied the FK1000P, which went on surprisingly easy and was nearly as easy to buff off. (Many thanks, Accumulator, for mentioning the word THIN many, many times). Finished up with the windows and Chemical Guys VSP tire dressing. Very pleased with the results of FK1000P on the paint!

I have to mention that, although white is an extremely easy car to keep clean...and hides a lot of scratches/swirls....it`s kinda hard when applying the FK1000P, as it`s tough to tell when it`s on. Million dollar idea: FK1000P in a formulation that goes on pink, but dries clear!

Tomorrow I`ll start my wife`s car. She bought a new (white) car a couple of weeks ago...new 2017 Ford Escape.

So we now have "Me" (2017 Ford Edge) and "Mini-Me" (2017 Ford Escape!
 
NickClark08- Yeah, I agree about it looking better the next day or so..which I take as another clue that it`s best to wait when layering; *something* happens during that time.

Ozziemike- Glad my !THIN! got through :D

Since that thin application is so hard to see on white, I just go by feel and try to turn it into an exercise in Working Methodically. That color-change *would* be a great tweak!

And yeah...while I`m the guy who says "clearcoat is clearcoat and marring is marring", I agree that flaws that`d drive us nuts on any other color can be a complete non-issue on white as long as the REST of the vehicle`s detailing is top-notch ( the white paint`s gloss and especially the contrast between the white and any other colors- black trim/seals, metallic finishes, etc.).
 
I suspect that the white on our cars hides even more than standard white would. Both our cars are what Ford calls White Platinum Tri-Coat.

And I agree that, when working on a white car, it`s necessary to work methodically...section to section...panel to panel. (I didn`t think to try your "braile" method to check where the FK1000P was and wasn`t!).

Just finished chemical decontamination of the wife`s car and washed it. I`ll clay it later...and maybe get some polishing done on it before the day`s over.
 
I used a foam applicator and did it by hand. Since the recommended coating is very thin, I was leery of using my DA. The product glides right on, though....and I think using the DA would have made the job harder, not easier. (Just my $0.02 worth...YMMV).
 
OzzieMike- Depending on the atmospheric conditions, fogging the surface with your breath (which I always do when buffing off anyhow) can often show what you`ve covered/not.

Glad yours glides on easily enough...every now and then somebody gets a tin of "rock hard and difficult" and IMO those folks oughta call FK/the vendor and get it replaced.

And I agree about the machine making a simple/easy job more complicated/difficult...not that I haven`t appreciated doing other LSPs via machine, including (hm.....) the M16 that FK1000P was developed to compete with. I do sometimes wonder...but it`s just so easy to not bother getting out/setting up/putting away the polisher.
 
Completed both new cars. I`m very pleased with the results.

Some observations:

  • I used HD Polish+ on the Edge prior to the FK1000P, and decided to use the McKee`s 360 AIO on the Escape prior to the FK. I think I prefer the results of the McKee`s 360 over the HD Polish+...the finish on the Escape is a bit glossier than the Edge.
  • My tin of FK1000P was pretty hard, too. I found that "swirling" the applicator pad in it softened the top of it enough to apply it to the pad. From that point on...no problems.
  • I`ve been using Invisible Glass for years on my windows, but was always miffed that, when polishing the glass, the glass kinda "grabbed" my MF towel (and would do this regardless of how many coats I applied). This time I switched to Sprayway aerosol, and found the MF towel didn`t grab anymore. Unless there`s something better out there than Sprayway, I think I`m done with Invisible Glass.
  • Kind of a surprise I just noticed today....both the Edge and Escape have the exact same color (as per the window stickers)...but the Escape seems just a tiny bit "whiter" than the Edge. Wonder if this is because they`re made in different plants (Escape is made in Louisville....Edge in Canada)?

Here are the vehicles for your dining and dancing pleasure:

Me and MiniMi Small.jpg
 
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OzzieMike- Huh, that *is* an interesting observation about the paint diffs..(and leads me to think about touchup paints..). Glad your FK1000P wasn`t so hard as to make its use a PIA.

For glass, I`ve recently started using my 3D 50:1 glass cleaner (mixed up with distilled water). So far it`s *really* impressing me! I`m even reaching for it instead of my Zep40 for use around the house.
 
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