Detailing Talk
09-14-2015, 03:00 PM
#183
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Rock Hill, SC
Posts: 957
alright guys, need some help. Finally got my f150 back from the body shop after the wreck. I'm wanting to do a good wax on it and sealant? Couple questions.
Which polisher do y'all recommend and do not recommend. This will be my first one. I want to get a good one that will last a while and do the job easily without too much effort on my end.
Second, What waxes..etc do yall recommend for a silver truck. Want deep shine and something that will be easier to clean thereafter.
Any tips/tricks is appreciated as well.
Which polisher do y'all recommend and do not recommend. This will be my first one. I want to get a good one that will last a while and do the job easily without too much effort on my end.
Second, What waxes..etc do yall recommend for a silver truck. Want deep shine and something that will be easier to clean thereafter.
Any tips/tricks is appreciated as well.
09-14-2015, 04:02 PM
#184
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Waxhaw, NC
Posts: 445
Detailing Talk
I really like my Torq 10 from Chemical Guys. Very solid and well built machine. I know the Porter Cable 7424 is one of the most popular ones since its been around quite a while. I haven't had enough experience yet to be able to recommend certain products over others, but I can tell you you'd probably want to do a sealant and then a wax over it. I have Chemical Guys Jet Seal (lasts up to 12 months) and Butter Wet Wax (cream wax with carnauba in it) that goes on super easy and comes off super easy. You can put wax down over sealant but not the other way around.
Putting a glaze down before sealant helps add to the deep shine of the finish too. Surely you'll get others offering up much more information than I have to offer, but I really like Chemical Guys products so far and they have kits available with the Torq 10 and should include pads, small bottles of compounds and polishes, plus I got a free bottle of Jet Seal and a glaze with mine for about $220. It was a hack of a deal. I'll see if they still have it on their site.
Tip: any wax that doesn't contain carnauba in it isn't truly a wax, it's a sealant.
Putting a glaze down before sealant helps add to the deep shine of the finish too. Surely you'll get others offering up much more information than I have to offer, but I really like Chemical Guys products so far and they have kits available with the Torq 10 and should include pads, small bottles of compounds and polishes, plus I got a free bottle of Jet Seal and a glaze with mine for about $220. It was a hack of a deal. I'll see if they still have it on their site.
Tip: any wax that doesn't contain carnauba in it isn't truly a wax, it's a sealant.
09-14-2015, 04:08 PM
#185
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Waxhaw, NC
Posts: 445
This is the kit I got, except they're not including the free bottle of Jet Seal anymore. I will say that, while the Jet Seal is pricey, a little goes a long way. I got a 16 oz bottle free with my bundle but for you, I'd say the 4 oz bottle would be enough to do your truck a few times and to see how much you like it.
Here's the kit: http://www.chemicalguys.com/TORQ_10F...p/buf_501x.htm
And then there's a coupon code when spending $200+ to get this glaze for free: http://www.chemicalguys.com/Wet_Mirr...gap_104_16.htm
Here's the kit: http://www.chemicalguys.com/TORQ_10F...p/buf_501x.htm
And then there's a coupon code when spending $200+ to get this glaze for free: http://www.chemicalguys.com/Wet_Mirr...gap_104_16.htm
09-14-2015, 07:19 PM
#186
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 7,051
I have the Griot's Garage polisher and am quite happy with it. As John mentioned the Torq and the PC are great units as well. I think technique, pads and products are as important or more so than the polisher itself. I like CG, but thought their V34 dried a bit fast for me. But it cut very nicely and their V38 put a nice shine on the car.
Meguiars 105/205 is a hard to beat combo. It seems that everyone has their personal favorite, many times it is a mix of products. Let us know what you decide on.
Meguiars 105/205 is a hard to beat combo. It seems that everyone has their personal favorite, many times it is a mix of products. Let us know what you decide on.
09-20-2015, 09:25 AM
#189
Alan is correct statng that product & technique are just as important as the machine itself. That being said, I've used just about all of the major DA polishers on the market, as well as a few rotary buffers.
Personally, I don't care for rotary buffers unless I'm using it for waxing. If you know your chemicals and pads, you can achieve the same results with a DA as you can with a rotary. I've also found that when it comes to DA polishers, amperage is everything! You won't get as good a result with a 3.2 amp motor as you would with a 5.4 amp (as an example), due to the fact you have less speed adjustments to be able to work your products, especially compounds. So knowing your machine limits can be just as tricky as knowing your chemicals. I've found that the Flex DA tends to be very unforgiving, controlling and takes a lot of effort to handle correctly, while I have bought $69 Chicago Electric DA' s from harbor freight and use them more than my porter and Megs DA. The GRIOTS that Alan has is a very nice unit, very comparable to the porter and easy to use/guide.
John also has the steps right....glaze/seal/wax. You should also decide what correction steps are needed prior to glazing (either compound & polish or polish), since they are nothing more than a filler/enhancer. I would always recommend a complete tear down of the paint surface before doing sealants, just for the fact that you will get much better longevity out of the process (no sense in sealing dirt against your car). For a proper tear down/rebuild, I would use these steps.
Wash/Wipe down with rubbing alcohol/clay/compound/Wipe down/polish/glaze(optional)/sealant/wax
I use a lot of Meguair's professional series products as well as Menzerna polishes.
The reason I include the wipe down stages (mix 80% isopropyl 1/1 with water), is to help lift contamination as well as lift product residue after compounding. This is a necessary step prior to polishing, since you don't want the polish to be diminished by mixing with left over compound. Polishes need to work on their own, as their purpose is to light cut and smooth out everything the compound did.
Sealants-there are really only 2 types. Polymer/resin based and silicone based. Stay away from anything that is silicone based! It's the worst possible thing you can put on your car
Waxes-they are pretty much all the same as well. Some will add fillers that curtail to certain colors, which is a good thing. Don't be fooled by waxes that say 100% carnuba. Any wax that has carnuba, is using 100% carnuba. It's just the amount of carnuba they put in the product. You can't use carnuba straight (implying 100%), because in its raw form, it would tear the crap out of your car. Unfortunately, not many manufacturers list the amount of carnuba they use in their products, so it's a huge guessing game. All they will tell you is that they use 100% pure carnuba. If you're keen on synthetic waxes, then there is no need to use a sealant, they do the same thing.
All in all, this is a lot of information, so the best thing I can tell you is, "Find what works for you and stick to it"
If you have any questions feel free to PM me
Personally, I don't care for rotary buffers unless I'm using it for waxing. If you know your chemicals and pads, you can achieve the same results with a DA as you can with a rotary. I've also found that when it comes to DA polishers, amperage is everything! You won't get as good a result with a 3.2 amp motor as you would with a 5.4 amp (as an example), due to the fact you have less speed adjustments to be able to work your products, especially compounds. So knowing your machine limits can be just as tricky as knowing your chemicals. I've found that the Flex DA tends to be very unforgiving, controlling and takes a lot of effort to handle correctly, while I have bought $69 Chicago Electric DA' s from harbor freight and use them more than my porter and Megs DA. The GRIOTS that Alan has is a very nice unit, very comparable to the porter and easy to use/guide.
John also has the steps right....glaze/seal/wax. You should also decide what correction steps are needed prior to glazing (either compound & polish or polish), since they are nothing more than a filler/enhancer. I would always recommend a complete tear down of the paint surface before doing sealants, just for the fact that you will get much better longevity out of the process (no sense in sealing dirt against your car). For a proper tear down/rebuild, I would use these steps.
Wash/Wipe down with rubbing alcohol/clay/compound/Wipe down/polish/glaze(optional)/sealant/wax
I use a lot of Meguair's professional series products as well as Menzerna polishes.
The reason I include the wipe down stages (mix 80% isopropyl 1/1 with water), is to help lift contamination as well as lift product residue after compounding. This is a necessary step prior to polishing, since you don't want the polish to be diminished by mixing with left over compound. Polishes need to work on their own, as their purpose is to light cut and smooth out everything the compound did.
Sealants-there are really only 2 types. Polymer/resin based and silicone based. Stay away from anything that is silicone based! It's the worst possible thing you can put on your car
Waxes-they are pretty much all the same as well. Some will add fillers that curtail to certain colors, which is a good thing. Don't be fooled by waxes that say 100% carnuba. Any wax that has carnuba, is using 100% carnuba. It's just the amount of carnuba they put in the product. You can't use carnuba straight (implying 100%), because in its raw form, it would tear the crap out of your car. Unfortunately, not many manufacturers list the amount of carnuba they use in their products, so it's a huge guessing game. All they will tell you is that they use 100% pure carnuba. If you're keen on synthetic waxes, then there is no need to use a sealant, they do the same thing.
All in all, this is a lot of information, so the best thing I can tell you is, "Find what works for you and stick to it"
If you have any questions feel free to PM me
Last edited by steel pony; 09-20-2015 at 09:39 AM.