[mShu7]

Originally Posted by canrhea

do you have to wax the paint after using a clay bar on the car??
or would the quick detailer spray be ok?

If you don't wax or seal after claying, you're leaving the surface unprotected.

[canrhea]

but it would be best to polish before the wax right?
so clay, polish, then wax?

[mShu7]

Originally Posted by canrhea

but it would be best to polish before the wax right?
so clay, polish, then wax?

Yes, exactly

1 - Wash
2 - Clay
3 - Polish
4 - Protect (wax or sealant)
5 - Maintain (weekly or bi-weekly washing)

Good luck!

[canrhea]

thanks

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by Septro

Just ordered the following from your site (great site btw George):

Chemical Guys: Jet Seal 109 - 16 oz
DI Microfiber: Microfiber Mini Glass Pad
DI Microfiber: Waffle Weave Drying Towel
DI Packages: Porter Cable 7424 Advanced Kit
Menzerna: Intensive Polish (IP)
Menzerna: PO106ff Ceramic Clear Coat Polish
Squash Air: Glare GV Squash Air Freshener

I have a couple of light swirl marks and water spots from the past year and have not ever polished/waxed my car. Since I have a black sapphire color - those imperfections tend to show easier than others.

I didn't get a wax yet since I can't seem to decide what would work best for me but I was leaning towards the 50/50 route. Maybe someone here could offer some advice what wax works well with JS109?

Thanks for the kind words and your support Septro. You selected a great package for your car. I'd recommend applying the Intensive Polish with the orange LC pads and then following up with the PO106FF on white LC pads. This should bring some new life to your paint for sure.

CG 50/50 wax is one of the best bang for the buck waxes considering you get 16oz of product compared to most waxes that are 8oz or less. It works great with JS109 and I think you'll be very pleased with the results. Another great option on Black Sapphire would be Dodo Juice Blue Velvet.

Originally Posted by canrhea

do you have to wax the paint after using a clay bar on the car??
or would the quick detailer spray be ok?

Driven Auto Detail offered some great advice. If you have any other questions on anything, please do not hesitate to ask.

George

[mShu7]

Originally Posted by canrhea

thanks

No problem. Glad to help! Make sure you are using quality products as well. Anything that George sells would be great!

[mikeokimster]

ONR question.

It seems as though that after I use ONR, it clumps the dirt particles to where the water droplets seemed to have dried off. This leaves me a bit weary on towel drying. Any ideas on what I can do?

[mShu7]

Originally Posted by mikeokimster

ONR question.

It seems as though that after I use ONR, it clumps the dirt particles to where the water droplets seemed to have dried off. This leaves me a bit weary on towel drying. Any ideas on what I can do?

I use ONR all the time and I can't recall having that problem. What kind of media are you using to wash with ONR? I always use a cotton chenille mitt.

Maybe try wiping the panel once, rinsing the mitt, and then wiping it again???

When you are having this problem, are you washing an extremely dirty car?

Just trying to think of what would cause the problem you are describing.

[canrhea]

what do you guys think about meguairs professional product line?
would it be be ok to use their polish without using a buffer?(just hands)

Originally Posted by Driven Auto Detail

No problem. Glad to help! Make sure you are using quality products as well. Anything that George sells would be great!

[mShu7]

Originally Posted by canrhea

what do you guys think about meguairs professional product line?
would it be be ok to use their polish without using a buffer?(just hands)

Meguiar's professional line of products are good products at a fair price. You can't go wrong with them. If you wanted to polish by hand, I would suggest you buy M105 for defect removal, and M205 for final polishing.

You may want to wait for George to chime in as well since he carries a few lines of polishes. He'll be real familiar with the product he sells so he might have a good suggestion as well.

[canrhea]

i just dont have the extra $$ for a buffer and pads right now......or else i would love to order some

[mShu7]

Originally Posted by canrhea

i just dont have the extra $$ for a buffer and pads right now......or else i would love to order some

Believe me, I understand. My comment about waiting for George to chime in was simply to give you another option for hand polishing. I know he carries polishes from Menzerna, Poorboy's, Clearkote, etc. so he may know of another option. In fact, Clearkote Vanilla Moose Wax Hand Glaze might a product to consider since it's formulated for use by hand.

[mikeokimster]

Originally Posted by Driven Auto Detail

I use ONR all the time and I can't recall having that problem. What kind of media are you using to wash with ONR? I always use a cotton chenille mitt.

Maybe try wiping the panel once, rinsing the mitt, and then wiping it again???

When you are having this problem, are you washing an extremely dirty car?

Just trying to think of what would cause the problem you are describing.

The car is not that dirty, as it rained a day prior and I washed the car a week before. I use a cotton mitt as well. The dust on the car seems to bunch up at the water spots when it dries up. Maybe I should apply another go through with ONR to ensure all the particles fully wash off.

[mShu7]

Originally Posted by mikeokimster

The car is not that dirty, as it rained a day prior and I washed the car a week before. I use a cotton mitt as well. The dust on the car seems to bunch up at the water spots when it dries up. Maybe I should apply another go through with ONR to ensure all the particles fully wash off.

Yeah, try the extra wipe-down and see how that works. Keep us posted!

[jimh103]

How often do i have to clay my car? Also, can i just skip the polish step and just wax the car after i clay the car? Thank you

[mShu7]

Originally Posted by jimh103

How often do i have to clay my car? Also, can i just skip the polish step and just wax the car after i clay the car? Thank you

I typically recommend that people clay their car twice a year (every 6 months). However, if you live in an area where there is a lot of fallout, you may need to clay more often. The easiest way to tell when you need to clay is to feel the surface after it's been washed. If you the paint doesn't feel as smooth as glass, then you probably need to bust out the clay bar.

If you aren't up for polishing (which is completely understandable if you're working by hand), yes, you can skip it and go from claying to waxing/sealing.

Hope this helps!

[Detailed Image]

Mike from Driven Auto Detail offered some great advice, I'll try to chime in with some thoughts as well.

Originally Posted by mikeokimster

ONR question.

It seems as though that after I use ONR, it clumps the dirt particles to where the water droplets seemed to have dried off. This leaves me a bit weary on towel drying. Any ideas on what I can do?

A couple techniques you could try. Pre-treat the panel you're about to work on with a spray solution of ONR and water and let it dwell for a minute or two prior to washing with the traditional ONR method. This will help break down contamination and possibly wipe cleaner with less debris and water spots. Another option is before you wipe with your towel, mist the panel or the towel directly with a quick detailer to minimize any friction and potential marring from drying the panel. This is probably the best solution to what you're describing.

Let us know what you end up trying and if anything makes a difference.

Originally Posted by canrhea

what do you guys think about meguairs professional product line?
would it be be ok to use their polish without using a buffer?(just hands)

Most of the Meg's pro line is designed to be used with a buffer, like the M105. I would only recommend using the Meg's ScratchX as a by hand option. It's going to take a lot of elbow grease and time and effort to properly polish by hand and you also need to keep your expectations realistic because you certainly will not be able to achieve the same results as you could with a quality buffer.

Originally Posted by jimh103

How often do i have to clay my car? Also, can i just skip the polish step and just wax the car after i clay the car? Thank you

I'd recommend claying about twice a year during the larger Spring and Fall details to start fresh or before any polishing session. If you are exposed to more industrial fallout than normal than it can be used more frequently. Keep in mind, when you clay your vehicle, you'll want to follow up with some sort of protection.

If you have any other questions on anything, let me know.

George

[OEKlM]

Question about taping crevices....

I know to tape off any metal moldings as polish could cause discoloration. I see some people taping off all the crevices to avoid getting any polish/wax in there, and I see some people just taping off metal parts.

I would rather not want to tape my crevices so I can polish my panels all the way to the edge of the panels. What do people usually use to remove excess product/dust from inside the crevices?

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by oeklm

Question about taping crevices....

I know to tape off any metal moldings as polish could cause discoloration. I see some people taping off all the crevices to avoid getting any polish/wax in there, and I see some people just taping off metal parts.

I would rather not want to tape my crevices so I can polish my panels all the way to the edge of the panels. What do people usually use to remove excess product/dust from inside the crevices?

The easiest way to prevent getting product in the cervices is to minimize the risk of any polish getting in there. If you use the same pad panel after panel without cleaning it out, the pad becomes clogged and eventually the polish built up can come out onto the vehicle. If you stick to using 3 pea sized drops of polish per panel, swap out for a fresh pad every few panels, then having excess polish cake up in the crevices is less likely to happen. I personally do not tape up the panel gaps, but everyone is different. If I do get any product in there, I usually wedge a microfiber towel in there to remove it, or if it's a door, hood, trunk, etc. pop it open and clean it when you're done polishing.

Hope this helps.

George

[OEKlM]

Thanks George. I really didnt want to tape up the crevices so I guess Ill just switch up pads after a couple of panels. =)

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by oeklm

Thanks George. I really didnt want to tape up the crevices so I guess Ill just switch up pads after a couple of panels. =)

Sounds like a plan, keep us posted on how the detail turns out.

George

[Nebster]

i've also used a q-tip to clean my gaps. At least with the doors, hood and trunk you can easily just open it up to clean the excess out. I find that the q-tip works well around the tailights and the bumpers / fenders. plus they're cheap and don't clog up a microfiber towel with products.