safety of car dusters

N

northstar518

New member
hi fellow autopians;I just wanted to hear from you guys and gals about what you think of using a car duster to remove light dust rather than detailing prior to taking the car out.will they scratch the paint?i have a black car and the surface is as slick as a baby's rear and my car never goes out in the rain but i'd like to get your opinion.thanks
 
The slicker the paint, I imagine the safer the CCD will be. The trick is to barely touch the paint while sweeping with it and to shake it after each and every stroke.
 
But note that if you move a piece of abrasive [whatever] across the paint with any pressure on it, you'll cause marring. I tried the duster a few times, just *barely* touching the car, and I mean barely. So lightly I had to adjust my technique to remove mere dust. When I inspected it, there was light marring; I must've picked up a bit of something abrasive. I said "never again" and now I use it to dust the shop.



But I remember an Autopian using it on a black Porsche (on the wing, IIRC) and he reported no marring at all.



Guess it all depends on stuff like how hard the paint is and what kind of dirt you're dusting off and how much pressure you apply. Heh heh, feel lucky?
 
IMHO if you use anything to move the dust you risk a scratch/mar if you press down too hard. I use a duster without any obvious problems.
 
I use one a lot in a car showroom. As Accumulator has said you have to very delicate with it, otherwise catching a bit of grit between the duster and paint :eek:

I've had a few minor mishaps, but it's a decent compromise for a showroom.
 
I wouldn't use a duster on expensive car detailing projects. But on lower priced projects I wouldn't worry about it.



...and to shake it after each and every stroke.
Click to expand...



Depending on the duster (California Duster) there's no reason to shake it - the just stays in the strings.
 
Yea, shaking isn't going to harm it at all. You don't shake 'em to get the dust out of them. In fact, as directed ... the more dirty it gets the better it works.
 
blackf0rk said:
... the more dirty it gets the better it works.
Click to expand...



That's what they say, but I just can't accept the idea that moving an increasingly dirty thing across my paint is a good idea ;)
 
I think the problem with these is that people use them under the wrong circumstances. If you use it the day after you wash and you haven't driven the car like a car in a show, then it's great. If you use it after 2-3 days of driving the dust and contaminants are pretty much held on there good, afterall, driving at 80 mph doesn't make it come off. At that point, the force required by using a duster to push it off is going to swirls/scratch the finish.
 
If the car is really dirty I don't use a duster. I wash the car. I only use the duster to take superficial pollen and/or dust off a clean car. I barely run it across the surface. In fact I'll hold it 6" above the car and "fan" with it and barely have it touching the paint. I almost never lay the duster on the paint and use it that way.



I use it a lot during detailing. I'll wash the car, dry it and before I apply wax I'll run the CCD over it to make sure that no debris gets caught on the applicator while waxing. I have a lot of trees in my yard and it's rare I get a day when there's no wind at all so I'm fanatical when it comes to this because I've often gotten marring from something getting blown on the car and then rubbed into the paint inadvertently. During pollen season the CCD is my best friend. I don't use it as much now. Every year I buy a new one.
 
I tried this on my black car that was relatively clean and it did introduce some slight marring. I will not do it again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top