Confessions & Observations From A Virgin Machine Detailer (Huh???)

[edge1217]

It was 80 degrees and sunny in Southern CT today. All that remained of our 30” February blizzard was a patch of dirty black snow about a foot high along the side of my driveway. The crocuses were popping up. I had the day off. I was fresh out of excuses. It was go-time. Nerves were running high. I’d never done this before. But my Edge was a disgrace and my image was on the line. Something had to be done.

 

Keep in mind that all throughout my incredibly long life I have never done anything other than wash and hand-wax a car. I did both of those things once a year, whether it was needed or not. I never heard of claying, and I thought a DA was some kind of haircut from the '50s. The concept of putting a vibrating power machine against the finish of my months-old Edge was, well, inconceivable. But that was in my past, and I've moved beyond. Today I did it.

 

The Bottom Line: WOW!!! Fantastic results! I have never owned a car so clean and shiny, and I swear it actually looks better than the day I drove it off the lot. The finish looks and FEELS like glass. This was so easy, and in a strangely curious way, it was actually fun!

 

The Rewind: Some of you may have seen a thread from a couple of weeks ago where I asked if it was ok to wax over a 6-month old Auto Armored car. I mean, two weeks ago I was thinking Liquid Turtle Wax, guys. But Richy, Edgieguy, Joehio and others responded with a lot of helpful suggestions and encouragement about doing it right. I learned the answers to important, time-honored questions like “Doh, what’s a Clay Bar?” and “Dude, won’t a DA polisher grind right down to bare metal?” I had gone public with my stupid questions and it was too late to pull back and risk further ridicule from my country, and perhaps the entire civilized world. So being backed into a corner, I bought a ton of stuff, including the dreaded DA Polisher, and decided it was time to put my new-found “knowledge” to work. Two weeks ago I knew absolutely nothing about machine polishing and waxing. Today I know next to nothing about the subject. That, my friends, is amazing progress.

 

The Method: I decided to use a method that Edgieguy documented very nicely on this thread

 

http://www.fordedgeforum.com/topic/11359-getting-the-sport-ready-for-winter/

 

His description was very detailed and very clear, and he was a noobie too when he first gave it a shot so I figured maybe it wasn’t too bad for me to try copying. This was an approach that Richy had helped him with, and it looked totally intimidating and intriguing at the same time.

 

For equipment, I used a brand new 6” Griot’s Garage DA Polisher, with a 5” Lake Country Backing Plate and 5.5” Buff and Shine Pads (Green and Blue). For chemicals I used the same as Edgieguy -- Iron X, Meguiar’s Clay/Quick Detail (as a lubricant), Duragloss 501 and 105 Cleaner/Polishes mixed 4:1 with Duragloss 601 Bonding Agent, and Collinite 845 Insulating Wax. I used an assortment of products from Corey at Car-Pro US -- some of those blue hand applicators, the amazingly soft and thirsty blue MF drying towel, a couple of MF wash mitts, and some of those miracle streakless glass cleaning sheets. BTW, Corey sent me a confirmation on Easter Sunday that my order had shipped. Say Hallelujah, where else do you get service like that??? I also used a few Cobra MF towels for wiping the polish and wax residue, and the Cobra Guzzler drying towel (but I much preferred Corey’s blue drying towel!).

 

I won’t go into the process details because Edgieguy has already done that (see the link above) and I followed his procedure as closely as possible. But I do have some exceptions and observations that might be of interest to anyone else who is thinking about taking the plunge.

 

Ten Confessions & Observations From A Virgin Machine Detailer (well, you know what I mean….)

 

1. I used an entire bottle of Iron X on my Edge but saw very little iron dissolve. I sprayed it on in the shade, spread it with a foam applicator, let it dwell 5 minutes, agitated it with a foam applicator, rinsed it off thoroughly, and wiped it dry with a MF towel. My Edge is Mineral Gray which is a fairly light color, so I would think I’d see the purple streaks pretty easily. I saw a few streaks, mostly on the back liftgate, and also on the centuries-old license plate that had been transferred from my previous car. The biggest and quickest-forming purple spot I saw was on the floor of my garage where the Iron X had dripped. My Edge was just 6 months old with less than 6k miles of suburban driving, so I guess it hadn’t picked up much iron. Will definitely try Iron X on my other car when I do that. Probably not necessary for new-ish cars that have been lightly driven though.
2. Like Edgieguy, I was amazed at how fast, easy, and effective the clay bar treatment was. The sides and rear of my car, even though it was only 6 months old, looked really clean after a good washing, but they were so rough to the touch that I could actually HEAR my hand run over the surface. Claying turned the entire car smooth as glass, with no detrimental effects to the clear coat, which was one of my noobie fears. At Richy’s suggestion, I did order a Polyshave Decon block and Ultra lubricant from Corey. I used it first on the glass to break it in per the instructions, but I didn’t know if I was using it right and it’s impossible to see the dirt that’s being removed because of the black surface. I called an audible at the line of scrimmage and opted for the clay treatment instead to use on the painted surfaces until I had a better idea how to more confidently use the Poly Shave Decon block.
3. I can’t tell you how petrified I was at first to put that 1.3 million RPM machine against my beloved Edge. I got over my fear in the first 10 seconds. To my surprise, it didn’t grind down to bare metal. No primer showed through, and it didn’t even cloud the clearcoat finish. So Richy was right after all.... My fear of the machine quickly turned into respect, and respect quickly turned into enjoyment, all before I had completed my first panel. Looking deep into that shiny finish, I could see a strangely demented grin looking back at me. Why didn’t I buy a DA years ago? What a time-saver and what a nice, even application! And wow, my arm wasn’t even sore from all that rubbing! In less than a minute I became an amateur with the confidence of a pro – normally a deadly combination but fortunately not a problem here.
4. Now for a confession.... I was so concerned about using a DA that I actually MASKED the chrome and vinyl/plastic parts with blue painter’s tape (it’s OK to laugh, the shame will make me stronger somehow). I was concerned about the DA grinding 60-grit polish into my chrome and dulling it, and I was also concerned about “burning” the plastic parts from a three-thousand degree hot buffing pad. Idiot…. By the time I finished my second panel, I wished that I hadn’t masked all that stuff. I don’t think my clever little extra precaution was at all necessary. Next time I won’t bother, and then I’ll be entitled to laugh at the next Noobie who says he masked his trim. Idiot....
5. Due to my lack of experience, I erred on the conservative side in terms of my DA power settings. I applied the 501/601 solution with a setting of 3, which is probably a little slow for the initial polishing. I did the 105/601 and the Collinite 845 applications on a setting of 2, which was probably also a little slow. Will take it up a notch or two the next time (especially since that will be my wife’s car).
6. I knew that the addition of 601 Bonding Agent to the 501/105 polishes would not remain stable for too long, so I didn’t want to mix up too much. I knew that I needed to mix it with 501 (and then again with 105) at a 4:1 Polish:Bonding ratio, but I wasn’t sure how much solution to make up. Turns out I guessed right on the money, but I got there in a bizarre way. I rinsed out the dead Iron X bottle REALLY well (what's up with that smell???) and then I squirted 1/2" worth of 601 liquid into the old Iron X bottle, then brought it up to the 2.5” mark with 501 Polish. Why 1/2" and 2 1/2", and why use a ruler instead of a liquid measuring device? I dunno, it just felt right. Plus if my wife caught me using her kitchen measuring cup for Duragloss Bonding Agents and Polishes I’d be grounded or worse for sure. This measuring method produced just a tiny bit more solution than I needed for the entire car, applying in thin but even layers. The same process for measuring the 105/601 solution produced just enough of that mix for the whole car too. I measured later and it looks like this translated to about 1 ounce of 601 BA to 4 ounces of either 501 or 105 polish. I screwed a squirt top cap from one of the DG products onto the old Iron X bottle, shook the mixture really well, and used that system for squirting solution onto the buffer pads.
7. I had been forewarned that the Collinte 845 Insulator Wax was very viscous, so I set the bottle in the direct sunlight on the driveway to warm it up while I applied the other products. That helped but it was still thick, so I set it in hot water for a few minutes and it turned into a very free-flowing liquid. I still shook it really well, but it didn’t take much effort. Very thin, squirted really well onto my favorite t-shirt (my only "whoops" of the day).
8. For the most part, I applied all the polish and wax products by squirting four nickel-sized dabs directly to the buffer pad once the pad was primed, just like you see on all those YouTube videos. Why nickel-sized and not penny-sized is beyond me. I decided to follow tradition and use nickel-size dabs because just like Canada, the US will soon be phasing out the penny so I wanted to set up a highly scientific procedure with an eye toward the future. I figure this probably explains the nickel thing on YouTube, because I know a lot of Canadians post there and pennies are already irrelevant to them. I used one of Corey’s blue hand applicators for the area and contours where the buffer pads couldn’t reach, using a new pad each time I changed to another type of wax or polish. Those areas I buffed out with a MF towel. I figured that it's probably much easier doing it this way rather than taking off all the door handles and parking lights just so I could use the 6" machine all around the entire car.
9. Like Edgieguy, I used a green 5.5” B&S pad for the 501/601 apoplication, a blue B&S pad for the 105/601, and another new blue B&S pad for the Collinite. Richy had suggested that I could use the white pads, which I think are slightly more aggressive. Now that I know how gentle the DA polisher is, I think I’ll try the white pads the next time. The B&S pads seemed really nice, but being a noobie what do I know? I was expecting them to fly off like Frisbees at 1.3 million RPMs but surprisingly that didn't happen. Any pad that passes the industry standards for non-Frisbeeing is pretty good in my book, so I'll probably keep buying these BS pads. And that's no BS. BTW, there was very little dirt coming up on the buffer pads, so I think the clay did a great job. The clay bars were moderately dirty (I used two bars but probably could have just used one, but I was being very careful about keeping the clay kneaded and clean).
10. I learned an important lesson that I had learned once before but chose to ignore -- do not do the glass until the very last step. I had washed the car yesterday and was looking for something else to do before I did the buffing today, so I did the glass even though I knew it was supposed to be that last step. That was dumb. I had to clean the polish and wax off the glass….

 

So there you have it, a virtual Top 10 List For Noobies! I hope this helps to get other noobies over their fear of machine polishing and waxing. Two weeks ago, I was basically asking if it was ok to apply Liquid Turtle Wax over my Auto Armor finish. Now I I’m a seasoned pro with pretty much one entire car already under my belt and another one coming up. I can’t believe how nicely this turned out – no scratches or swirls, and no bare metal showing through. With its "miracle molecule" ultra-slick finish, my Edge's top speed is now 7 mph faster, it can slip undetected through some of the most sophisticated radar traps in Southern CT, and best of all, bird crap slides right off like butter on greased Teflon. Amazing.

 

I’ll try posting a couple of pics tomorrow.

 

Thanks again to all who provided advice and encouragement (and for getting me to part with $500 in cool toys and supplies!).

Edited April 11, 2013 by edge1217

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

Keen observations, and glad your experience turned out well for you This post will help out a lot of people new to the scene! BTW, time to post some pics :stats:

 

Have you figured out the MF towel and pad cleaning process? That's the next thing I am sure you are thinking of

 

If you get enough towels, may want to organize them in drawer carts or something similar. Also buy some quality empty bottles and label them for the particular product you are using. My preference, but I don't like reusing bottles for different products. How clean is clean, you know?

[edge1217]

Thanks, WWWPerfA_ZNOW. You absolutely read my mind about cleaning those MF towels and the buffing pads. That was going to be my next question. How do I do that? I used a magic marker to label the backs of each pad so I knew what was embedded in it, figuring I could clean them as best I could and then dedicate each pad to a specific chemical. Right now I have each one sealed in its own Ziplock bag until I can figure out how to clean them.

 

And you're right about re-using the Iron X bottle, not cool at all. Buying empty bottles was one part of the pre-planning process that I forgot to do, and the empty Iron X bottle was all I had. Did my best to clean it with hot water and Dawn and then swab the inside with a wadded up Cheapo Depot MF towel and reapeat the process, but who knows? Hopefully when I go to the garage my Mineral Gray Edge won't be a Mineral Purple Edge....

 

A few pics to follow, if I can figure out how to upload them!

Edited April 10, 2013 by edge1217

[fishx65]

Awesome write up!!! I've pretty much done the same thing for many years but have always applied Zaino and Duragloss by hand. I just picked up the Griots GG6 last week but have not had a chance to use it yet. For those thinking about picking up a DA, Advance Auto now carries the GG6 on their website so you can use AA codes to order it online. I used a $50.00 off $125.00 code and got it for $95.00 shipped to my doorstep!!!! Regular price at AA Online is $140.00 before tax.

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

A short take on cleaning stuff is here and here.

 

Very handy.

 

Specifically for cleaning pads: here and here.

 

HTH!

 

Help on uploading pics is here You can also get to the proper place to edit the photo gallery/albums for your profile via this link (worked for me).

Edited April 10, 2013 by WWWPerfA_ZN0W

[Dingo]

Awesome write up!!! I've pretty much done the same thing for many years but have always applied Zaino and Duragloss by hand. I just picked up the Griots GG6 last week but have not had a chance to use it yet. For those thinking about picking up a DA, Advance Auto now carries the GG6 on their website so you can use AA codes to order it online. I used a $50.00 off $125.00 code and got it for $95.00 shipped to my doorstep!!!! Regular price at AA Online is $140.00 before tax.

Holy acronyms, Batman!

[edge1217]

Here are a few pics that I took of my 2013 Edge after my first attempt at machine polishing yesterday. This is also my first attempt at uploading images to this forum too. Not sure why these came out as small images, but if you want to take a closer look, just click on an image to enlarge it.

 

My Edge is that fairly light Mineral Gray color, so it just doesn't show off the finish quite as well as a darker car would. But still I think you can get a sense of how reflective the finish is now, and the entire car just feels as smooth as glass. Please keep in mind that I didn't have time to do the wheels and tires so they don't look as great as they should.

 

 

It's a wonder I don't get pulled over a lot more often with plates like this.

A dramatic shot of the rear bumper. There's something about the lines of the Edge bumper from this angle that remind me of my '65 Mustang's bumper. Sure wish I still had that car!

A reflection of my driveway, looking into my rear liftgate. You'll see a thin white band on the left of this image. That's snow still left over from our 30" blizzard two months ago!

Reflections of my stacked patio chairs and garbage bin inside my garage. Sweet.

Reflections of "stuff" in my very cluttered garage. That's my next project....

Edited April 10, 2013 by edge1217

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

Very nice color, and very nice finish. Good luck with organizing the garage, that job never ends!

[edge1217]

Thanks WWWPerfA_ZNOW. Yeah, the garage always gets trashed in the winter months with the snowblower brought up from the shed and all the patio furniture and outdoor stuff brought in for storage in the garage. Tiling my daughter's floor a few weeks ago brought a ton of tools out of hiding too, and they're still scattered all over my garage. Not to mention all my new detailing stuff! This spring I hope to paint the garage and install some kind of organizer system. You're right, it never ends....!

 

I also wanted to thank you for your helpful links regarding pad cleaning and image uploading. Really appreciate it!

[Edgieguy]

Great write up. I needed a laugh, and I got many many more. For cleaning try Lestoil brand degreaser (laundry and detergent aisle) it'll clean your pads so they look new.

[edge1217]

Thanks Edgieguy! Lestoil? Wow, that's a blast from the past! "There's less toil with Lestoil!" I can still hear the jingle. I tried wringing/scraping the pads out with hot water and then using Zep Degreaser. Got a lot out but there's still more, so I'll try some Lestoil tomorrow to finish up. The worst pad was the one with 501/601, really tough stuff! Going around the block tomorrow to see if anyone wants their car polished. This was fun, looks like I have a new hobby!

[JOEHIO]

Come on down toJersey, you can do mine (only kidding). I plan to get to the wife's MKS first, then mine. I have to get my Duragloss products first. \I told my wife that she can run my car for a few days, want to do a complete job on hers, although it's not that bad. She was at Home Depot the other week, some guy started talking to herr about the car (how great it looks), asked where she has it detailed, and she told him that I do,it. He gave her his number, said I should call him, he would like to talk to me, and guess what, he's in the detailing business. MAybe it was just a pick up line :shades: .

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

I also wanted to thank you for your helpful links regarding pad cleaning and image uploading. Really appreciate it!

 

Anything I can do to get you to do more work and spend more money

 

Great write up. I needed a laugh, and I got many many more. For cleaning try Lestoil brand degreaser (laundry and detergent aisle) it'll clean your pads so they look new.

 

Thanks for the tip, Andy! I will look for it as well; have never seen it at my local Safeway/Giant, maybe I will get lucky?

[edge1217]

Too funny, Joe! So maybe I'll hold off on doing the wife's car after all.....

[Edgieguy]

Anything I can do to get you to do more work and spend more money

 

 

Thanks for the tip, Andy! I will look for it as well; have never seen it at my local Safeway/Giant, maybe I will get lucky?

http://www.amazon.com/Lestoil-Concentrated-Heavy-Cleaner-Bottle/dp/B0036B89US

[richy]

I completely enjoyed your post! I LOL'd many times. You, my friend, are a gifted writer! I am delighted that you took the leap of faith based on info gathered here and also that your results were so great. Without trying to sound condescending, I am proud of you.

As far as the IX goes, if you see purple, even on the ground, that means it was interacting with contamination on the surface. Otherwise it stays clear..that's how you know.

For cleaning DG 501 or 105 out of your pads, I suggest using a solvent. Let the pad soak overnight and THEN use APC on it. Squeaky clean after that.

Again, my sincere appreciation for taking the time to write a brilliant article!!

[edge1217]

Thanks Richy, glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for even more new tips and advice. I see that your post to me was your 777th post on this forum, so I'll take that as a good luck omen of more good experiences yet to come!

Edited April 11, 2013 by edge1217

[JOEHIO]

Richie's 777th post, has to mean something ! I just checked online, and Walmart has Lestoil in stores. Checked out the pic's you posted, the Edge looks awesome - GREAT job on it !

[edge1217]

Thanks Joe, I'm just really happy that it wasn't Richy's 666th post.....

 

Yesterday I made a special trip to my local Wally World to get Lestoil. Said a cheerful hello to the greeter (aka security guard), dodged the dreaded electric scooters slaloming at 1/4 mph through the 4x4 displays in the main aisle, ran past the fem-hy section, and headed straight to the laundry section. Denied!!! Lest-oil must have turned into No-oil because they didn't have any of it in my store. Not sure if that's the case at all Wally World stores. I know my store has been out of stock on just about everything except Chinese products ever since about 2003. Maybe yours is the same way too. So you just might want to do what I did and drive to your store first to see if they have it in stock before you make a special trip there to actually buy it (huh?).

 

I'll just go ahead and order Lestoil on Amazon, since I get free shipping with Prime membership. The other day I ordered Griot's Garage pad cleaning solvent from Amazon so I'll try that and Lestoil side by side after I do my wife's car. Ha, now that I've done one entire car and have reached professional status, I'll bet Richy will be dying to have me write one of those highly technical side-by-side L2D reviews of Lestoil vs. GG Pad Cleaner. Maybe I'll make it a 3-way and throw in some Easy-Off Oven Cleaner so we can see how that sucker works. BTW, I carefully selected Griot's Garage pad cleaner after doing some extensive research (i.e., when I searched Amazon for "pad cleaner" it was the first thing that popped up so I figured it HAD to be the best, plus it came in a jug that reminded me of moonshine, and that brings back fond memories of my grandma). Oh yeah, and it was one of the few pad cleaners on Amazon that ships direct from Amazon, so with Prime membership I got free 2 day shipping. Speed was important because I really want to get going on that write-up. :stats:

Edited April 12, 2013 by edge1217

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

I'd be interested in what the directions say regarding the disposal of the pad cleaner fluid afterwards. Is it safe to put down the drain, or should it be disposed of like used motor oil?

[edge1217]

My Griot's Garage Microfiber & Foam Pad Cleaner arrived today so I put it to work. The label says the product is actually designed to be used in the washer or sink, so I assume it is safe to go down the drain. The bottle has a QR code and the link goes to a Griot's video on Youtube showing it being used in the washer and also in the sink. The guy is using gloves though, which is probably a good idea. There are no special "dispose of" instructions.

 

I had read a complaint somewhere online that the Griot's stuff smelled like alcohol, but to me there wasn't much of a smell at all, which gave me mixed emotions -- it seemed safer than I was expecting, but would it be strong enough to clean well? Actually, I think it did a pretty good job, but keep in mind that I'm a novice and have no frame of reference for judging the results. I polished the car with one pad for DG 501/601, another for DG 105/601, and another for Collinite 845. After I finished, I washed them first with Zep Orange and then with Dawn, with several applications of each and some hot water rinses in between. Not sure why I used both Zep and Dawn, I suppose that's like wearing a belt and suspenders and coveralls all at the same time. I wasn't sure if one was as good as the other, so I figured as long as the mixture didn't explode, two had to be better than one.

 

The pads seemed clean the other day after Zep & Dawn, but the 501/601 pad struck me as especially stubborn and I wasn't sure if it was completely free of polish. I was, however, pretty satisfied that I had given it my best shot. Today when I used Griot's, I first wet the pads as directed and I noticed that there was still some wax holdout on the 501/601 pad, since the water took a couple of seconds to sink in. This was noticeable on the 501/601 pad, but not really an issue on the 105/601 and Collinite pads. But after spraying on the GG stuff, the 501/601 pad gave up a LOT of blue polish, even though the other day it was wringing out clear after using ZEP and Dawn. I was surprised at how much the GG stuff took out today. I got a little more junk out of the 105/601 and Collinite pads, but not much, but then again I think the Zep and Dawn had worked pretty well on them the other day. I wrung the pads out pretty well after using Griot's and then spun them dry on my DA, and they definitely feel softer after the Griot's treatment. They seem pretty clean now but just to be safe I've marked the pads and will dedicate them to the same chemicals that they spread on their maiden voyage. There is no visible dirt or polish on any of the pads, and there doesn't seem to be any more wax holdout on that stubborn 501/601 pad.

 

BTW, I used pretty hot water for Zep, Dawn, and Griot's with no ill effect to the foam or the backing. Hot water seemed to help break up the polish and wax better than warm water.

 

This is the link that was embedded in the QR code on the bottle:

 

 

Hope this helps!

Edited April 13, 2013 by edge1217

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

Looks like I should give the GG product a trial. Would any microfiber-specific detergent perform compared to the GG product, I wonder?

[richy]

I've tried many different cleaners to remove 501 from pads, and in my experience the best combo is:

1). Soak in solvent overnight

2) wring out

3). Wash with APC to remove solvent.

 

Nothing else works as well. Just my opinion, but when you see what a bitch it is to remove the 501, you get an appreciation of how strong the sealant is in that product....think of it...it's meant for boats submersed in water for months!

[edge1217]

Thanks for this, Richy. Yeah, that 501 is really tough stuff for sure! Question: What do you use for solvent? Would you consider the Griot's Pad Cleaner that I used a solvent, or is that more like an APC?

 

I remembered that you mentioned soaking pads in an earlier post and I did give that a try yesterday but forgot to write about it. After I washed and wrung out the pads by hand and spun dry them on my DA, I sprayed them liberally again with Griot's and put them in sealed ziplock bags and let them sit overnight. This morning I rinsed them really well with warm water, wrung them out by hand, and spun-dried them again on my DA. Put them back in new ziplocks (dry bags, with no Griot's solution in the bags) and left the bags on my workbench with the pads facing up and the ziplocks open so any remaining moisture would dry out. I draped a couple of thin plastic shopping bags over the open ziplocks to keep any stray dust from getting into the open bags and onto the pads (pollen is a killer lately!). I hope that they will be totally dry by the end of the day so I can zip up the bags and store them. Ziplocks and pads are labeled as to which chemicals they were used for.

[richy]

I use Varsol but any cleaning solvent will do. I think Wally World sells one called Kleen All or some such thing. The solvent will dissolve the sealant.