swirl finder lights
- Thread starter renewit
- Start date
termigator
New member
I use the Brinkmann. I got it at PepBoys for $30 ($40- $10 off coupon).
JoeGravelle
New member
renewit said:
oh boy is it a nice unit. I had to go out and purchase one with someone elses card so we could get the paint perfect on an R2D2 using automotive paints. Best thing ever but stupid expensive
LICamaro85
New member
I use the brinkman as well, I think the biggest thing is too use "swirl finder lights" under low light. Meaning when in the garage and you are going to use the light shut off the rest of your halogens etc. and just use the "swirl light" this makes it much easier to actually see the swirls IMO.
What I usually do is polish the whole car "blind" under my normal halogens then when I complete an entire step I go over the car in the dark with the brinkman and see if I need to correct anything else than go on to my next step.
- LI 85
What I usually do is polish the whole car "blind" under my normal halogens then when I complete an entire step I go over the car in the dark with the brinkman and see if I need to correct anything else than go on to my next step.
- LI 85
Accumulator
Well-known member
I seem to be the only guy in the world who doesn't like the Brinkman all that well 
Don't get me wrong, it's a good light and for what it costs I'd say people might as well have one.
But I generally do a lot better with my incandescent lights (ceiling-mounted and hand-held).
Some stuff still shows up better/*differently* under halogens, but the incandescents are my overall faves.
And even the fluorescents that I always disparage can be great for checking gloss levels and certain types of texture issues.
I've been using the 3M SunGun more and more ever since I *FINALLY* got the hang of it. It's still the only thing besides natural sunlight that will show holograms and *VERY* light micromarring. I oughta credit Dave KG here, as I had initially thought the SunGun didn't work all that well, but his insistence motivated me to keep working with it until I learned just how to use it correctly.
IMO the *BIG* thing is to turn out all the other lights. Whatever light you're using for a given task should be the only light that's on.
The halogens will usually give me a good idea about how severe the marring is and make for decent in-progress inspections. Then, once I think I have things pretty well corrected, I turn out all the other lights and inspect with the incandescents. Once everything passes muster under those, I turn *them* out too, and start inspecting with the SunGun (which can be such a big long job that I'll have to stop and recharge it), which shows stuff I simply can't see under any other lighting (e.g., think M105 finishes out OK? So did I until I got the hang of the SunGun, then it was "yikes!").
Heh heh, Mike Phillips and I sorta have a running joke between us regarding my over-the-top approach to inspection lighting. He's pointed out, quite sensibly, that nobody's walking around in real life inspecting cars with special lights, looking for flaws that would never bother a normal person in real life situations.
Mike and I have both found that under some conditions, the SunGun (used properly) is even more demanding than natural sunlight. Guess it's a question of what you're aiming for. There's a lot to be said for not looking for problems that you don't know you have
Don't get me wrong, it's a good light and for what it costs I'd say people might as well have one.But I generally do a lot better with my incandescent lights (ceiling-mounted and hand-held).
Some stuff still shows up better/*differently* under halogens, but the incandescents are my overall faves.
And even the fluorescents that I always disparage can be great for checking gloss levels and certain types of texture issues.
I've been using the 3M SunGun more and more ever since I *FINALLY* got the hang of it. It's still the only thing besides natural sunlight that will show holograms and *VERY* light micromarring. I oughta credit Dave KG here, as I had initially thought the SunGun didn't work all that well, but his insistence motivated me to keep working with it until I learned just how to use it correctly.
IMO the *BIG* thing is to turn out all the other lights. Whatever light you're using for a given task should be the only light that's on.
The halogens will usually give me a good idea about how severe the marring is and make for decent in-progress inspections. Then, once I think I have things pretty well corrected, I turn out all the other lights and inspect with the incandescents. Once everything passes muster under those, I turn *them* out too, and start inspecting with the SunGun (which can be such a big long job that I'll have to stop and recharge it), which shows stuff I simply can't see under any other lighting (e.g., think M105 finishes out OK? So did I until I got the hang of the SunGun, then it was "yikes!").
Heh heh, Mike Phillips and I sorta have a running joke between us regarding my over-the-top approach to inspection lighting. He's pointed out, quite sensibly, that nobody's walking around in real life inspecting cars with special lights, looking for flaws that would never bother a normal person in real life situations.
Mike and I have both found that under some conditions, the SunGun (used properly) is even more demanding than natural sunlight. Guess it's a question of what you're aiming for. There's a lot to be said for not looking for problems that you don't know you have
black03mach
New member
Im saving my pennies for a sungun but accumulator's post really has me thinking...if with my brinkman i can get the paint corrected to the point where there is nothing in the sun then why bother to go forward...I've seen some of the discussions and im still hung up because if there are still swirls that can bend and refract light then there is still more gloss to be found imo...but who know...damn this website! I miss the days when cars looked good after washing with dawn and an old towel and then waxed with a tshirt
Accumulator
Well-known member
black03mach said:
Well, I will point out that *I* can't get things "sunlight ready" under the Brinkman. I can come close enough (holograms and super-light micromarrng excepted) with the incandescents though, and a hand-held one is only ~$25 at Lowe's.
Heh heh, I know exactly what you mean
And once I get something *really* nice, keeping it that way can be such a PIA that it can take some of the fun out of the ownership experience.It's kinda a relief for me to have my '93 Audi for just that reason. The previous owner let it get so bad that only a repaint will fix it, so I just try to *not* look so closely and/or let it bother me. There's something to be said for a "20/20 car" (i.e., it looks OK from 20 feet away when it's going 20 mph).
Funny thing is, people are always complimenting me on how nice it looks, but nobody seems to notice the condition of my nearly-perfect minivan :think:
Sounds like many people spend a lot of time looking for defects that are invisible to people under normal circumstances. I can tell you one thing for sure. The clear coat failure you will eventually end up with by chasing every little invisible defect will be visible to every body in every lighting condition.
Don't give me the BS about a PC or other dual action machine not being able to damage paint. If it can remove swirls it's removing clear coat. Remove too much clear coat and you have a problem period.
Don't give me the BS about a PC or other dual action machine not being able to damage paint. If it can remove swirls it's removing clear coat. Remove too much clear coat and you have a problem period.
Accumulator
Well-known member
Anthony A said:
Right, taking off paint is taking off paint no matter how you do it, and you can only take off so much before you get issues. If you park in the sun a lot, I wouldn't want to take off more than half-a-mil, and that's not much.
IMO, unless you can go at least a year without needing to repolish, there's not much point in going for (near-) perfection. And by "repolish" I sure don't mean getting out orange pads and aggressive products!
Heh heh, look at how Barry Theal and I do our good-natured :argue about just this very topic.
But once you *can* go years without having to do any real correction, I see no problem in doing the light burnishing required to keep things really nice. Look how over-the-top I am about this stuff, yet non of my vehicles have paint failure (except that '93 Audi and I got it that way), not even my '80s cars with original single stage metallic (very, *VERY* fragile paints there folks).
And IMO you can have a residual RIDS (well, maybe it won't be so *deep*, but it will be isolated) in the middle of a panel, but that doesn't mean that having the other 99.99% of that panel nicely polished is pointless. All my vehicles have flaws like that, and there's no way I'm gonna take off enough paint to correct them. You have to decide what you're gonna fix and what you're gonna just live with.
LICamaro85
New member
I can not agree with you more Accumulator. All of my cars have a RID here or there but that does not stop me from making the rest of the panel perfect. Unless you are using a heavy compound with a PFW or heavy cutting pad every 6 months for years and years I do not think you will get any paint failure. The depth of the majority of swirls is so minimal that most PTG can not even pick it up when you measure before/after when you correct with a PC.
That is the only reason I like to go with my DA's instead of my rotary because you take "just" enough clear off to fix that panel without going overboard. Sure it does it slightly longer to correct a car via PC but IMO it is worth it to have that extra paint on there.
- LI 85
That is the only reason I like to go with my DA's instead of my rotary because you take "just" enough clear off to fix that panel without going overboard. Sure it does it slightly longer to correct a car via PC but IMO it is worth it to have that extra paint on there.
- LI 85
Pats300zx
Super Moderator
I just picked up a Fenix TK11. I love this thing
Brinkmann broke after it fell off the roof of my Camry. I bought a Fenix TK11R2 for $50 shipped during the sale Amazon had. Its lighter, more powerful, and much more willing to take a hit than a plastic Brinkmann. I'm glad it died, because it was annoying carrying around something so bulky!
PS, the Fenix also has the ability to pick up some holograms as well
PS, the Fenix also has the ability to pick up some holograms as well
Barry Theal
New member
I use so many lights when I do a correction its crazy. I have an addiction to lights like John Klevin does to waxes. Its Bad. lol John if you read this can you tell me that light you use in your video. I want it!!!! Besides the I think 16 pair's of lights on my ceiling. I also utilize these below. The Sun Gun is great, but very costly. My newest light fetish is LED"S these things are amazing. They show more, but make sure you get a high lumen one. I was actually at walmart with the kids the other day getting some camping gear and seen this 170 lumen led rechargable spot light. I couldn't get it. my wife was with lol. I had the brinkman and was not happy at all. I thought it was made cheap. I know a lot of guys who love them. It just wasn't for me. If your serious about it. The sun gun is a must. If you look at the picture below I have a real big halogen flood light that has LED's in the four corners of it. This thing show all and its rechargable. Killer light there. My new favorite these will drive you crazy :LOLOL Are my new safty glasses with LED's built in. These show everything. They are a must!!! If your a weekend warrior, I would by some halogens, and a nice LED flashlight. As for Accumulator, he is just nuts!!!! :hifive:
Accumulator
Well-known member
Barry Theal said:
Aw, come on...add in the incandescent trouble light, it's only a few bucks
Wooh-hooh, yeah, at least when it comes to lighting :xyxthumbs
Might have to get myself a pair of those LED safety glasses!
But yeah, good flashlights (and LEDs are the current hotness) are must-have items anyhow. "Don't leave home without one"...seriously. Last time a car crash shut off the lights in a store I was patronizing, I was the *only* person there who had one.
Wouldn't surprise me if *you* always have certain, uhm...tools... on you when you leave the house either
[/QUOTE]
Barry Theal
New member
[/QUOTE]Accumulator said:Aw, come on...add in the incandescent trouble light, it's only a few bucks
Wooh-hooh, yeah, at least when it comes to lighting :xyxthumbs
Might have to get myself a pair of those LED safety glasses!
But yeah, good flashlights (and LEDs are the current hotness) are must-have items anyhow. "Don't leave home without one"...seriously. Last time a car crash shut off the lights in a store I was patronizing, I was the *only* person there who had one.
Wouldn't surprise me if *you* always have certain, uhm...tools... on you when you leave the house either
LOL yeah I have a few things on when I leave. I have a iphone app now that I can login and see everything in every room. Nothing like it. :grinno: Then theres the ole 45, but thats another story I can't discuss here. :chuckle: