magnifier for use on paint?

I have one that I got at Radio Shack, and felt that it was a waste of money. I've not used ti at all, its hard to foucs on the paint.
 
Boss likes to use a jewelers loop and you better be ready for things you didn't expect:bigscream :eek

If you have to look that close, i hope you are getting it ready for a museum...

I think Natty bought something different and cheaper...maybe he'll read this and respond later:dunno
 
Poorboy said:
Boss likes to use a jewelers loop and you better be ready for things you didn't expect:bigscream :eek

If you have to look that close, i hope you are getting it ready for a museum...

I think Natty bought something different and cheaper...maybe he'll read this and respond later:dunno
Click to expand...

Yep, I have a Jewelers loop, but can't find it right now, as somebody borrowed it, and didn't bring it back! :angry
Anyhow, Poorboy is correct............. you'll see some things that are very interesting............. and sometimes frustrating. It's a nice little tool, but don't let it dictate your detailing.......... and it can!!!!

I believe Natty has one from Radio Shack, and I'm pretty sure he liked it. :dunno
 
I have used one from the sharper image that was nice. I can't remeber the price, but it worked quite well. I only like to look at my paint with one of those if I am trying to stay up at night. You just will not be able to sleep after that! :)
 
AutoInt has a "Detailer' Special" thru April 1 (I think). Cerrious, three different buffing pads, Finishing Wax (Good Stuff!) and the newer 10x mag is thrown in free. All for about $36 bucks... I like the new 10x - it has a light source that can be angled... much nicer than the Radio Shack vesion...

Still, I find minimal use for them. Just me.

Jim
 
The only time I have used a magnifier or loop is when doing stone chip repair.
Other than that I spent too much time trying to fix the impossible.
Detailing under the 1000 watt halogen lights is as close to perfect as I want to get ... and many times I turn those off too!
 
A 10x or 8x loupe (pronounced loop) is a very common tradeshow giveaway in the printing industry. I use them to examine defects before deciding on repair efforts or while making repair attempts. My "baby" has a few etched spots on it. I've wetsanded two of them to extinction and found the loupe to be invaluable during that process. The kind printers use have a fixed focus so you just place them on the surface and it's in focus.

I don't find it disturbing to look at the paint under 10x magnification. I guess it's because I've looked at so much printed material under a loupe and gotten used to the vastly different appearance things have at that magnification. BillD mentioned a 60x in this thread - wow, I can't imagine the change you would see at such magnification nor how that would be particularly useful. I think that would be overkill.
 
I'm not sure whether it's worthwhile to get one but I may stop by a Radio Shack just to look. Thought I might use to evaluate any significant paint blemishes. Now, the Autoint site has been using a 30X, is that too overkill? Would a 10X be suffcient?
 
I have the 10x loupe, and it's great for figuring out if the defect is above the paint surface (can use clay) or below the surface (etching, where a polish is required).

I was also the one in the other thread who talked about the Radio Shack piece. I mentioned the 60X piece since the 30X is no longer available. With proper light, the loupe is fine, but the 30X can be helpful when proper light isn't available. I'm guessing the 60X would be a total waste of time.
 
I have a loop as well and use that but I find very little use for it. Sometimes when there is a deep scratch or something long those lines.
 
upselling

I use a 10x jewelers loupe more for a "wow" factor for new clients. It's a great way to explain the etched in bird dropping stains, overspray, and industrial fallout and educate them on the processes involved with the removal of things that are "not included in a standard detail."

I also add that once they are educated, they feel better about spending the extra 50 bucks* or that they are getting an excellent deal when I throw it in for free.


*Combine this with a paint gauge and it the process can cost even more ;)
 
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