really struggling with paint inspection / swirl detection

S

someidiot

New member
both of my cars are a dark grey with metallic flake

I`m a bit of a tactical flashlight guy and have some nice LED lights. They don`t seem to help at all, even when held at 45 degrees. I bought a cheap worklight, which doesn`t seem to help. I try it in direct sunlight, which gives the best results but when I can`t work.

does anyone have any suggestions, tips, tricks for a dark paint like this before I spend big money on Scangrip stuff?
 
someidiot said:
both of my cars are a dark grey with metallic flake

I`m a bit of a tactical flashlight guy and have some nice LED lights. They don`t seem to help at all, even when held at 45 degrees. I bought a cheap worklight, which doesn`t seem to help. I try it in direct sunlight, which gives the best results but when I can`t work.

does anyone have any suggestions, tips, tricks for a dark paint like this before I spend big money on Scangrip stuff?
Click to expand...

What "Nice LED lights" do you have ?
Some LED flashlights are too bright and only pinpoint a tiny spot, to really be that great. Then you have the glare shining back in your eyes..

I also have Scangrip and they really work well but they are in excess of $500+..

The Yellow Cat LED Lights are relatively inexpensive and work very well for me.. I can see anything using them, and they are a nice size to supplement other lighting.. I correct a spot, take the light out of the detailing cart, and shine it over the spot if I need better lighting..

Here is the link -- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...beb-4819111bef9a&pf_rd_r=2VRHAX2WHRCXZY7NGRV0
They have lithium batteries and come with an A/C charger that can be kept in them while using or taken off..

Recently, I had to paint correct a new 2017 Red Tesla that was full of damage from the factory.. The Shop that hired me had pretty good lights for just seeing, but none were portable or as bright as this little yellow light that I ending up using to correct the entire vehicle over several hours...
Dan F


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I have good experiences with some of smaller, LED flashlights at HD. I believe it is the Coast brand, $10 - $30. Used one yesterday showing swirls before and after to a customer on his Black E class Mercedes.
 
Stokdgs said:
What "Nice LED lights" do you have ?
Some LED flashlights are too bright and only pinpoint a tiny spot, to really be that great. Then you have the glare shining back in your eyes..

I also have Scangrip and they really work well but they are in excess of $500+..

The Yellow Cat LED Lights are relatively inexpensive and work very well for me.. I can see anything using them, and they are a nice size to supplement other lighting.. I correct a spot, take the light out of the detailing cart, and shine it over the spot if I need better lighting..

Here is the link -- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...beb-4819111bef9a&pf_rd_r=2VRHAX2WHRCXZY7NGRV0
They have lithium batteries and come with an A/C charger that can be kept in them while using or taken off..

Recently, I had to paint correct a new 2017 Red Tesla that was full of damage from the factory.. The Shop that hired me had pretty good lights for just seeing, but none were portable or as bright as this little yellow light that I ending up using to correct the entire vehicle over several hours...
Dan F


.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Dan. Some of the lights are like a Fenix PD35, 800+ lumens. they definitely seem too bright. I was using a headlight the other day and it seemed to just flood everything. I couldn`t see where I was applying my product and ended up missing spots on removal

how close do you get with the light to see defects? the cheap light I have looks like that, but I`m not sure exactly how to use it. do you shine it straight on, or at an angle?
 
Try shining it down the side of the car. That seems to show up scratches better for me. An angle will get a better look at swirls.you really do need something with different levels of brightness so you don’t wash out the defects.
 
I agree with Guz, it may not be the brightness, but the color it emits. I’ve got the Scangrip hand held light and it works well for me.
 
Maybe it’s not an option - but IME you really have to look at these things outside in the sun.

It’s like, if I had a nickel for every thread someone installed a coating in their garage & it looked great - only to pull it outside & it was all splotchy.
 
someidiot said:
Thanks, Dan. Some of the lights are like a Fenix PD35, 800+ lumens. they definitely seem too bright. I was using a headlight the other day and it seemed to just flood everything. I couldn`t see where I was applying my product and ended up missing spots on removal

how close do you get with the light to see defects? the cheap light I have looks like that, but I`m not sure exactly how to use it. do you shine it straight on, or at an angle?
Click to expand...

Amigo --
With just that yellow CAT light, its small enough to be hand held easily, so on that new red Tesla, I just held it close to the paint at different angles and was able to tell if I needed to do anything on that spot, before I moved to the next spot..

This CAT light has 2 brightness levels, and you just have to turn it on, and again press the On/Off button partway down quickly, and it will change the level..
I used the highest level for this a little darker red color in a well lit shop, and it worked fine..

Certainly, bigger more expensive lights are great, and if you have the need for them, they will help a lot also.. Like I said I have 2 of the first generation Scangrip lights on a Scangrip, really heavy duty tripod stand, and they really work well in my shop..They are not the cheapest lights either.. :)
Good luck with your research !
Dan F
 
If you are into tactical lights you would probably like the Emisar D4 with the Nichia 219c quad emitter

It`s a 90+ CRI 5000k emitter. It`s currently what i use for swirl spotting.

It has the best UI of any light I`ve ever had, it ramps from 1 lumen all the way to 3350 lumens.

I will say you need to be careful with it and lock it out before putting it in your pocket

It`s nickname is the nut roaster, due to it`s small size and heat generated on turbo.
 
Sorta-random thoughts follow, and/but I have no idea what I`ll buy if/when I replace my old halogens/incandescents/SunGun:

While my wife and I have a *scad* of good flashlights, including LEDs, I don`t use them for paint inspection as none of them are all that great. I`d get away from the Flashlight Approach anyhow, if only because..

I can`t inspect the work while I`m doing it with a flashlight as both hands are busy. Perhaps the headband light would work OK but I don`t care to wear that for extended periods and mine would cover a rather small area.

I`ve never had the "color" of an inspection light factor in with regard to swirl-spotting.

I have had *numerous* lights that were too bright for this, especially on metallics.

Having an otherwise dark environment can be a HUGE factor; hard for most lights to display every flaw unless the room is otherwise dark (what`s the actual term...maybe "Dark Field" or something like that).
 
That is why most European and Asian shops went to dark walls. It keeps the lights from washing out defects.we did this at our shop and it makes a world of difference.
 
The Fenix PD35 (Dream Crusher) is easily one of the best inspection lights out there but each light is better at showing certain defects and obviously it varies depending on the paint too. The Fenix is great for seeing swirls, holograms and especially the faint DA haze that you won`t typically see in the sun, but it`s not very good for RIDS. I usually have my PD35 on the second lowest intensity too. Halogens seem to be great for swirls/holograms but suck for faint DA haze.

Any darker solid color should be easy to spot defects but metallics and lighter colors will be more difficult. I feel you really have to train your eyes to see certain things on the light metallics.

Some pics of various lights showing defects on grey metallic cars.

Halogen


Brinkmann


Fenix PD35




Cheap Husky LED showing rotary holograms


Scangrip Colormatch
 
The most important specs as I have understand it is the CRI. It`s suposed to be cri 95. Saw that one light that was linked to in the thread had cri 97. So don`t know if it`s a difference to the better with a higher cri value. Scangrip has their lights at CRI 95.

One light that can reveal swirls good are the yellow/orange kind on gas stations and parking lots. Especially white and silver and those other lighter shades. Wonders if something like that light can be used as a second inspection on the paint. The sun is still best but don`t available all of the time.
 
swetm- I simulate the "parking lot lights at night" by using a bare incandescent bulb in an otherwise dark room, sometimes switching to the SunGun even though it`s "color matching"/etc. is of zero importance to me.

I do toy with the idea of upgrading to LEDs some times, but honestly I can spot *everything* on my vehicles (from the silver ones to the dark blue Audi) just fine. When Mike Phillips teased me about being "unrealistically critical" I knew my inspection regimen was dialed-in :D

I find natural sunlight good for *some* things, but certain flaws are invisible to me until I do the Dark Field/Point Source types of inspection.
 
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