Machine cleaning

[lezmtaylor]

I have bought a machine cleaner, but haven't the faintest idea how to use it.
How to please.

Lez

[Denis O]

Have a look on here Lez

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/i ... 218b5dc5e3

for lots of tips.

Hope it's a DA as they are supposed to be easier to use.

Quite easy to burn the paintwork with a machine in inexperienced hands.

[X5Sport]

Practice on something unimportant first!  As said you can do serious damage if it goes wrong.

R

[Horizon]

[quote="X5Sport"]
Practice on something unimportant first!  As said you can do serious damage if it goes wrong.

R
[/quote]

Like the wife's Audi ) ) )

[Raj]

I'm assuming you mean a machine polisher such as a Meguiars G220 or something?

If so then you need to decide which pads you are going to use with it, which polishes, how bad the paintwork is to start with, etc.

Also need to know whether it is a rotary you have bought or a DA?

[jaynana]

on this subject, if i may 'expand' on it, i'm thinking of a good detailing job this spring. This is a massive step up for me..  :-[

here's my game plan:
1. a nice sunny spring day (don't have a covered garage  )
2. wash and dry the car nicely.. (no di vessel so there will be residue.. unavoidable other than drying well)
3. meguiar's clay
4. swirlmarks treatment poorboy?.. or meguiar's again?
5. meguiars ultimate wax

will be purchasing meguiars polisher as well for the job.

i realise that i'm turning into a meguiars shop here!! lol. that's not necessary.

any views from those who know detailing better are much appreciated..

thx
j

[lezmtaylor]

Thanks for all the replies.

It is a DAS6 pro dual action polisher.

Hope I've bought well £99.

Lez

[AW8]

DAS Pro 6 is a good machine Lez. I have a Meguiars G220 but bought before launch of your machine which IMO is superior to mine. (The early G220 can eat motor brushes quite rapidly).

As for what to do as said Detailing World expains all - just take your time navigating around the site & look for the various guides. 

This for Jayana Lez & others who may be interested........My post wont go into nearly as much detail as the DW site, however, folk ideally should understand the correct chain of processes required to effectively wash and then detail paintwork..............This is what works for me.

1. Wash.
2. Claybar.
3. Mask black trim etc where you dont want polish residue/splash marks etc...many go OTT on this so up to you but time can be wasted here if too obsessive.
4. Machine Polish.
5. Wax/Sealant also known as last stage product (LSP)........this usually done by hand-  not with machine

DW has seperate step by step guides to doing each of the above tasks.

For machine polsihing you need to ensure you have appropriate products so that means correct size/make & cut ability pads. No real need to buy/try on scrap panels if using a DAS Pro - Folk could get into bother but IMO would have to be reckless on hard BMW clearcoat to cause any lasting damage.

You need a fair amount of cut in the product/pads to correct BMW clearcoat assuming you dont have section(s) prior repainted with less durable finish. I suggest having a couple of polsihes one with significant cut such as powerloss from Menzemera or 105 fro the Meguiars range. This would be for initial correction &/or subsequent repeat uses if you have marks you want to locally correct, (e.g hedge/bush scratches you may later collect after initial detail). You might then follow using a gentler 2nd stage polishing product. ( I use meguiard 80 or 83). Pads vary in cut too so I would have at least 2 pads.....a cut pads for initial or later localised correction plus another polish pad l finish pad. I use a cut pad for Megs 105 then a general polish pad  for other polish (be careful though as the coarse pads can cause some marks if they dry out or machine not moved around enough). I have enever used wool pads & advise against same if starting out. I spritz pad with water in an old spray bottle so damp this stops pad drying pout and breaking down. Pound coin size of polish only and start slow speed to avoid splattering polish everywhere. Plenty of vids on you tube for random orbital polishing, (ensure you watch these and not rotary vids a techniques differ).

At least 5 or so Microfibre cloths are essential to remove polishor buff by hand (you typically use the machine to apply & work the polish only as machine wont remove residue or get finish you need). You dont need to spend a fortune on these and plenty selling them on various links on DW &/or ebay.

A few comments on washing........Others spend far more time each wash than I do with snow foams pressure washers, prewashes and DI vessels etc. I am simply not prepapred to mess around reeling out the hose each time I wash the car. I don't even use detergent/shampoo in general light soild washing........my view that such products can compromise integrity of the LSP. I accept DI pressure washers & DI vessels etc are good but IMO it is possible to wash and dry/buff with towel faitly swiftly removing any water mark traces......I accept the benefits or reducing contact &/or hard water from the washing equation but car washing for me a regular occurence not just a Sunday indeulgence........I would rather have a daily driver looking 80-90% for 80-90% of the time rather than it looking a little bit better once a week only to get dirty the next day. (I dont currently have water source at front of house or a garage to keep same connected and redy to go).

Once clayed & then polished by machine these stages should not need repeating more than once or maybe twice a year though a lot may depend on use of vehicle & care taken when washing/drying.

HTH


 

[lezmtaylor]

Many thanks, most informative, the machine seems to be a single speed, cannot see any rotary speed control.


Regards,
Lez

[AW8]

That doesnt sound correct.

You can see pic of speed setting here

[Raj]

Very good post AW8.

One interesting point is regarding your wash cycle. What does that consist of for yourself as you say that in lightly soiled washing you don't even use a shampoo as that could compromise the LSP but rubbing fine contaminants after all your effort would cause worse wouldn't it?

[AW8]

My wash cycle is twin bucket with MF dry towel panel or section at a time. I wash  ever day (or other day if not dry outside). I only drive a few miles to work and back so have luxury of washing with minimal surface debris to remove. I omit as light soil only & the shampoo can compromise LSP. That said I follow up with MF and citrus bling every approx every other wash. If light soil only I can wash and dry a car in 10 mins or so  as no need to rinse......Like I say car looks quite acceptable & decent as everyday driver 90% of the time when in regular use. In summer and without debris, dust, muck I simply dust car and MF with bling daily......this means I often only have to wash when it rains adue to low mileage between attention given.

Water marks not an issue if dried quickly and no residue from shampoo issues either. Bling and MF improves matters as does keeping on top of LSP coats.

I can quickly rinse off any mud on arrival home and work if needed albeit thats a rare issue. 

[jaynana]

:thumbup: AW8, who needs Detailing World with advise like this?  cannot come any better lol

out of jokes, i'm no detailing fanatic but my steps and products were actually after researching a bit in DW.. plus other.. although i prob missed the step by step guides.. must look again


[quote="AW8"]

1. Wash.
2. Claybar.
3. Mask black trim etc where you dont want polish residue/splash marks etc...many go OTT on this so up to you but time can be wasted here if too obsessive.
4. Machine Polish.
5. Wax/Sealant also known as last stage product (LSP)........this usually done by hand-  not with machine

[/quote]

a notable absentee is focussed attention to swirl marks. although you do mention machine polish. is that intentional? i suppose with your level of cleaning you prob don't need it?

i do have swirl marks thus my addition of that step..

good news also is that the DAS 6 Pro is cheaper than the Meguiars G220

thx

j

[AW8]

Raj - Keeping on top of washing reduces heavy soil & the friction required to remove debris over the clearcoa though I do use shampoo, (Megs NXT), when required.

J- I'm certainly no expert. I started reading autopia forums 10 years ago so and then later DW albeit I havent been on there for a while...............................

I don't have a process to remove swirl marks each wash. Topping up LSP will IMO hide/conceal remove marks to some extent. Some LSP's do conceal/fill swirls such as say Meguiars NXT2 others will also polish out marks to some extent such as the original AG SRP. Even a top up with wax like Collinite 476/915 will improve matters & Megs Scratch X can be used as stop gap. For true corection (not concealment) the machine needs to come into play....................................The G220 comes out as required ( time permitting). I try to keep a balance between correction of swirl marks & integrity of clearcoat durability. IMO anything less than machine correction on BMW clearcoat & you will struggle to truly remove swirls AG SRP is only thing I have found that comes close to attempting this but with more success on Jap cars, 

3 family owned black cars here so plenty to keep me busy.

[Raj]

Cheers for the reply buddy.

So you are using the 2 bucket method but for me without the use of a jetwash/snowfoam to remove as much debris/fallout I'd be too worried of the swirls I'd still be putting into the lacquer.

Having said that I'm becoming more lazy these days and not as worried about swirls and the like. As long as it looks clean/smart/shiny then as you say it's a daily driver so never going to be concours condition.

Also to do a proper deswirl etc you need to factor in more than a day and that's time I just don't have at present.