I used only one. Its Meguiars cleaner wax, and it is brilliant

 

I reckon I'm in quite a minority here. Ag polish performs well. This I feel less abrasive, works great on all colours and leaves a wax that will last 2-4 months.

Megs #66 quick detailer! Don't be out off by the name, its no quick detailer spray, its a cleaner wax.

Great stuff, great value. Interesting to know if anyone else uses it. I love megs, tried 90% of their products and find this performs just lovely.

Good thing is, for the less experienced it doesn't mark plastics or rubber too badly, its reversible at least.

If you like beading, you will like this.

Try it.

 

OK, it's my bad! I should have read the label. OPS/ Poli-Seal does declare
that it contains abrasives. However, it's very probable that the way that I
use it, they by no means come to the fore. In common with similar products
that contain "micro-abrasives", they do need some fairly thorough "working"
into the paint. Hence their greater effectiveness when used by machine which
could not ever be emulated by hand, and especially by my hands!

The opening words of the Serious Performance Paint Cleaner are... The SP
Paint Cleaner is a non-abrasive paint cleaner. I've no reason to disbelieve
that, simply because I've never "worked" this product, or ever felt the need to.
The result spoke for itself in the pads review I pointed to earlier.

Steampunk, I really appreciate the detail that you've into with your replies.
However, I've not gone to that level of research and would find it quite
daunting to do so. I've always put forward a gently, gently approach to all
of my detailing, because in my view aggressiveness just makes any remedial
work just that bit harder.

As far as the Opti-Seal is concerned, I'd still stand by the quality of finish it
provides, either to stand on its own, or as a base for something else. Within
it, the user has a choice of whether or not they put those micro-abrasives to
good use, or not. Clearly, I don't...

With Season's Greetings,
Steve

 

Hi Steampunk,
I like your detailing reply and as usual I appreciate your inputs. Your reply is what you and I discussed about 3 months ago. I would like to ask the following question: if I used any these products such as Autofinesse AIO, DJ LPS or need for speed and BFEGP with DA and finishing pad with no cut such as CG red pad, LC CSS red pad or LC crimson. From my limited knowledge I don't expect any paint thickness reduction will apply to a paint?

 

Dodo-Juice Lime Prime & Need for Speed are both fairly abrasive (About 3-4/10), and depending on the paint can offer significant correction; even on a finishing pad. If used periodically, you'll be fine. If used very frequently, and on soft paint, the figures will start adding up. LPL is non-abrasive, and utterly safe, and will remove zero material. Dodo-Juice Supernatural Micro-Prime is what I would look at if you want to dabble with ultra-fine abrasive cleansers, as this for all intensive purposes a jeweling polish, and a bloody good one at that! The cut is 1/10, the set time is moderate in length, it's nice and oily to work with via DA or rotary once you get a feel for it, and produces a depth and wetness on solid colours that's phenomenal. Diminishing abrasive, so work it just like you would Menzerna (Zenith-Point, up to speed 4-5 on a DA, or maybe 1200 RPM on a rotary, and back down to speed 1 for the last leg of the refinement.). Because it's so fine you can use it as frequently as you like (Unless your paint is already close to strike-through.), and you won't get into too much trouble. However, it doesn't provide much correction, so don't expect major swirl busting. For best results, the paint has to be close to perfect before use. I would even consider using it as a final step after refining with Menzerna SF4000 or Megs #205 on a finishing pad, which shows you just how fine this stuff is! The more you use it, the glossier your paint gets (Well, up to a point.).

Auto-Finesse Tripple is very fine (1/10), and has a very short cycle (45-Seconds on a DA, speeds 1-3-1), so it will have very little effect on your film thickness. Even if used frequently, you won't get into much trouble

Blackfire GEP is mostly kaolin clay filler, with a soft abrasive, and a very short work time. Again, like Tripple, it's not going to offer a whole lot in the way of micron-reduction.

However, having said that, I personally consider the latter two best suited for 'quick enhancements'. If you want to go over your car in 45-minutes and make it look a little better, those two are good options (I believe Prima Amigo would be another.). Dodo-Juice LP & NFS take a little bit longer to work, but achieve greater correction; perfect for more serious enhancement type details. If you want perfection, and don't mind putting the effort in to get it, SN Micro-Prime is where it is at.

Hopefully this helps...

Steampunk

 

Steampunk; thanks for your inputs and I really appreciated.

Steve,

Pardon my astonishment! Why on earth would you want to do this with a
machine? Assuming you started with perfectly clarified paint, and in the
interim you've been pretty careful with your washing technique, you come to
a point, say after 6 months where you want to strip back to clearcoat.

I agree with you in every aspect; however for me I like to use DA to discover the true effects and the crosslink between products such as DJ LPL, DJ SNMP, ect and finishing pad (no cut) on soft paints. I'm also trying to come across with the best technique and approach for controlling the DA and speed to give the most depth and glossy finish as possible with the setup in mind for avoiding paint thickness reduction. Of course you can argue me why I'm doing that but again it's just me to discover and develop new things. BTW I'm only work at this project sometimes during weekend and it's time depending.

Hopefully this helps and I wish all of you a Happy New Year.
Moheb

 

Hi Moheb,

I agree with you in every aspect; however for me I like to use DA to discover the true effects and the crosslink between products such as DJ LPL, DJ SNMP, ect and finishing pad (no cut) on soft paints.

Words fail me... to what end? I hope that what follows doesn't sound like I'm
blasting off at you, though I am incredulous at what I've read!

Most manufacturers create products in order to simplify processes for us.
You seem hell-bent on creating new complexities for no apparent benefit,
especially to your paint! It's certainly not going to save any work, and it
carries a real risk of increasing surface wear. There will be so little of the
previous protective coating left that a DA, or any machine, is superfluous.
A gentle clean, by hand, with a good PWC fits this need perfectly.

How are you going to measure the effects and to whom will this provide any
meaningful benefit? I'll let you into a little secret, just because someone finds
an easier method of arriving at an end, does not make them any less of a
detailer! I should know, I've been advocating the simplest and most gentle
touches on DW for nigh-on 4 years.

The extremely satisfying results I have achieved prove that they work. I
sometimes have to pinch myself to believe how good my car looks, and that
it was me who's achieved the level of shine that it carries. Oh, and my paint
is as soft as I'd ever want it to be, so there would be no way that I'd ever
consider compromising that any time soon.

Just because you have a DA doesn't mean you have to use it at every
opportunity. It's the canny person who can distinguish well between when to
wield it, or let it lie. Working by hand is arguably more rewarding anyway,
especially if you have some cherished metal to care for.

Seriously, life is too short. Just enjoy the shine and being seen out enjoying it!

With Season's Greetings,
Steve

 

Results from a pre-wax cleaner by DA > hand. You can get a nice finishing polish effect if you step up the pad, which is quite often enough to remove all wash swirls. More than safe enough to use every 3 months for the rest of the cars life!

 

Hi Steve

I agree with you and I'm not ignoring the fact a gentle clean by hand using PWC will satisfy the purpose. And using DA or rotary is based on the need, however, to be honest with you I'm using DA not only for WC but also for LPS such as BF, Autofinesse, Menzerna, CG Sealant as well. And some time I do by hand too. Any way I feel is nothing wrong if I do by hand or DA every 3 months.

Hope that help

Thanks
Moheb

 

I've gotten a little confused with this thread, as it looked like to start with talks were about all in one type products, and now has moved onto pre wax cleansers? both of which are different and serve different purposes?

What I will say though is that using either of the above type of products by DA (not rotary) does from my own findings give extra benefits over using them by hand, as at the end of the day a DA is an extended version of hand polishing (not rotary though) this may not work with all products but the likes of lime prime and tripple have certainly performed better via DA, although on well kept paint the benefit is less.

 

...but the likes of lime prime and tripple have certainly performed better via DA, although on well kept paint the benefit is less.

Which is basically my point. Dave, the OP has soft paint and asked about
cleaning without risk of taking off any more clearcoat. If the paint is well
kept, especially with most modern LSPs, the need for cleaning back can
quite easily be extended well beyond every 3 months.

Results from a pre-wax cleaner by DA > hand. You can get a nice finishing polish effect if you step up the pad, which is quite often enough to remove all wash swirls. More than safe enough to use every 3 months for the rest of the cars life!

Oh crumbs, that makes detailing sound like a chore, rather than a pleasure.
That frequency, on cars with really soft paint, is a bit questionable too. As for
wash swirls, I'd simply modify my wash regime to obviate creating them in the
first place. Perhaps surprisingly, this makes washing easier and quicker.

Because modern LSPs are so good at what they do, I'd be looking at boosting
the protection, rather than replenishing from scratch so frequently. This is of
course wholly dependant upon how much contamination the car collects in
the interim. It's this which should determine the frequency of cleaning back.

With my soft paint, which has yet to have a machine put near it in nearly 4
years of ownership, I'm quite seriously looking at doing clean-backs annually;
this instead of summer and winter preps. With gammy hands, I don't want to
be creating work for myself, though I'm not prepared to go the whole route
with forever lasting nano products. That's for when I don't get much choice.

Not only do modern LSPs provide such good, long-lasting protection, we have
the benefit of access to some fantastic QD products that help extend both
the looks and basic protection. Caring for the paint comes back to how you
have refined your washing process in making sure that you do as little damage
as possible at the riskiest moments.

Waxing a car is one of the most therapeutic things I can think of. The idea
of substituting a machine for this purpose, to me seems like not only overkill
but a complete emotional divorce. It isn't as if the pre-wax clean is hard work,
you _don't_ need to rub it, especially if you don't want to deplete the paint
thickness. There is no comparison as to how much pleasure can be gained
by stroking those fine curves by hand, especially when compared with having
to concentrate more on avoiding doing damage with a whirring machine.

When you get two goes at a really pleasurable task, to me, that's win, win!
I really don't get this idea that you have to somehow martyr yourself for a
cause, especially when it's only about shiny paint...

With Season's Greetings,
Steve

 

First I would like to apologize to all of you if this thread has been moved away from the original title. Pleas all accept my apology.

Second, Steve, I sent you PM.

Happy new year to all

 

Hi Moheb,

First I would like to apologize to all of you if this thread has been moved away from the original title. Pleas all accept my apology.

Second, Steve, I sent you PM.

Happy new year to all

Many thanks for your good wishes. There isn't any need to apologise, threads
quite often go in directions that we don't anticipate, though this one hasn't
really deviated that much! It's how we learn from each other anyway.

In my reply to your PM, I've pointed you to a couple of threads that will
probably give you more insight than a direct reply to your questions. That's
why, for example, I wrote the FAQ on using ONR; so many saw me as some
kind of guru, when I was just an enthusiastic user, and I could barely keep up
with the PMs asking for more info. IMO, trying to answer questions outside
the public arena kinda defeats the whole point of the Forum. For starters, I
may not have the best answers anyway!

I'm often amazed at how much extra, and (to me) needless, effort that some
people put into detailing. I possess a power washer, but when that comes
out, I take my car well off my premises before its plugged in. This is because
I have some respect for the shine on it, and how it was achieved. More often
than not, it's the simplest approach that works best and it's often these that
I advocate. Top of the list always is finding the most gentle approach that's
possible. It has served me very well over the past 4 years...

With Season's Greetings,
Steve

 

Thanks Steve for the above link, I appreciated.

Moheb