Ask the Detailer

I always go over them I just don't spend much time on them.

 

Thanks guys

 

Couldn't help but snap a pic last night as I checked the mail...

 

What kind of weirdo takes pictures of his truck all the time?

 

The one whose wife doesn't let him take pics of her naked anymore....at least willingly. She does say that I rub on my truck more than I rub on her. I told her I can't last an hour and a half with her anymore, but can with my truck...and some. Plus I can play with the tailpipe without complaining.

 

My wife told me she was going to put Beadmaker on herself so I’d pet her as much as I did the tundra.

 

I just picked up some Optimum No Rinse, what mix ratio are you guys using in your foam cannon?
(it just got delivered last night and confess I haven’t even read the label on it)

 

I’ve never tried to use it in a foam cannon. I honestly don’t think it will work in one, since it doesn’t create suds. You’re gonna love the product though!

 

Gotcha, thanks.
I have other soaps for the gun and will save the ONR for other uses but I REALLY need a shaded place to do all this stuff.
Garage full of crap, AZ sun and humidity usually in the 10-15 range means I am limited to predawn hours or nighttime.

 

If you're trying to get her pregnant, avoid...."certain areas"....If not trying to get pregnant, put a good layer of it down!

 

I have the same issue, and ONR is a godsend for that situation. As long as the truck doesn’t have caked on mud, you can do the whole truck with the rinseless wash dilution (1 ounce in 2 gallons of water. Preferably distilled water but it will work either way.) Since you’re wiping it off immediately, you can do it in direct sunlight. Just do a panel or half a panel at a time.

https://youtu.be/G7LiR1l9ZVk

 

Bahaha maybe I should put PPF on the fertile parts!

 

I'm in Canada. Stop yer crabbin'

 

When you wash with ONR do you just use 1 bucket, what about mitts? I've a black Tundra as well and just got some ONR today. Thanks.

 

Wondering about using a DA polisher and attempting some polishing or even some light paint correction. I have a black Tundra and made the mistake of using the local car wash( never again).

Now I have never used a polisher but having been a farmer I'm not afraid of getting my hands dirty and doing stuff for myself. So is this something a person can tackle on their own without screwing things up or should I stick with a pro?

 

Easy do to yourself and completely worth it. Just Google mike Phillips autogeek da polisher and follow his tutorials

 

Awesome I'll take a look. Been looking at a Griots da 6" polisher.

 

That's the one I have and it's great. They just released the G9 and looks like a better design. If you can swing it, I'd go that route. Black Friday should be a good time to buy.

 

Most people use two buckets. One with the ONR in it, and another with water and a grit guard for rinsing the mitt or towel.
I don’t like to put a towel or mitt back in the solution or back on my paint when it’s been used though. I don’t feel confident that I can get it rinsed well enough. Black paint is just too unforgiving.

I use one bucket, and a ton of towels. No side of a towel makes more than one pass. I fold the towel twice, which gives you 8 sides to work with. One pass, then flip the towel. Once all 8 sides have been used, it gets set aside and I grab another towel. I’ve never counted, but I probably use at least ten per wash. This is just the to me, the safest method.
I know a few guys also do this, @briarpatch and @booyaa for example. We’re paranoid about reintroducing dirt to the paint.

I also keep a separate set for wheels, exhaust, nerf bars, etc. One set of towels for paint, one for everything else.

 

I agree with @OV-1794 . Definitely something you can do yourself. Just make sure you get a dual action polisher, not a rotary. Almost impossible to mess something up with a DA. The Griots G9 is an excellent machine at a really good price.
If you don’t want to spend that much, you can get one for about half that price at Harbor Freight. It’s not as good a machine as the Griots, but it can get the job done. It will just take longer, and the machine will wear out a lot sooner. The Griots has a lifetime guarantee, and they mean it. Those guys absolutely stand behind their products.

Keep in mind that on top of the machine you’ll have to get pads and product. I’d say you can expect to spend just as much on those as you do the machine.

 

WM is perfectly correct here. There is no safer way to wash - period. Even 2 buckets you run the risk. You should always touch the paint with a guaranteed fresh side of a towel/mitt.

Unless you like paint correcting every few years.

Mad mitts/towels are cheap. Those and one bucket of soap - profit

 

Thanks for the tips guys. I see the G9 isn't a whole lot more so I'll probably go that route. I watched a video or two about using ONR and they would lightly spray the vehicle with some detailing spray to lube the surface a bit before using a mitt.

The town I live in has a brand new touchless car wash, never used one and not sure how clean they get a vehicle but should be reasonably safe anyways. I might give it a try sometime this winter. Any of you guys familiar with them.

 

Touchless is better than soft touch, but they don't clean real thoroughly. I've learned that in this thread. Lol

 

i cringe when i drive by car washes and see the cars in there... i go home and hug my truck and assure it everything will be ok

 

Yeah kind of what I figured but in the winter if your actually driving your truck it almost seems pointless to try and keep them perfectly clean. Also a touchless run through and finish with some rinseless wash in my garage should work well together.

 

And keep in mind, the car washes use pretty harsh soap (not pH balanced), so it's more likely to strip what protection you've applied. Or so I've heard.

 

100% accurate. That's why its so important to prepare for winter with a good ceramic coat.

 

If you have to go to a car wash, touchless would be the way to go. One thing common to brushes and touchless car washes...the soap they use is pretty harsh, as the idea is to start with a dirty car and end with a clean one quickly. I only use car washes for the undercarriage wash if I've hit a stretch of driving on salted/brined roads

 

All of this is accurate. They don’t clean very well, but I will use one to get the major stuff off, then follow up with ONR. They will also degrade any sealant and wax. I generally don’t mind, since I reapply that stuff way too often anyway.

 

Spraying detail spray on there ahead of time is helpful, but you don’t need to buy a separate one. Just make it out of the ONR. There’s different dilution ratios for ONR depending on what you do with it.

1:16 is the quick detailer ratio.

ONR is a really versatile product. This link is a great guide for many of it’s uses:


http://optimumforums.org/topic/63301-onr-definitive-thread/