mopping

[samass]

so i want to mop my car cuz its in a right state, i have autoglym super resin polish, autoglym ultra deep shine, and of course t cut.
can i get away with using either of those? if not, whats good, but cheap?
am i right in thinking that tcut would do more harm than good?

total noob with this, used the super resin on my fiesta when i had it just to play, and there was no way id have done anymore damage to the paint, so wasnt bothered if i burnt it or anything.

anyone got any advice/tips?

cheeaars

[ginge191]

mopping.. like, the same mop you use on the floor :|

[Matt]

All I know I'd don't use Tcut. It burns the paint on a mop

[samass]

mopping.. like, the same mop you use on the floor :|

yeah man, i've bolted two pegs in it so i stand on those on the onnet and spin around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around till its really shiney :mrgreen:

All I know I'd don't use Tcut. It burns the paint on a mop

cool, figured as much

[MarkTD]

Don't use a rotary as you'll probably end damaging your car. You want to use a DA

T-cut will help bring your paintwork back to life, but be careful with it. SRP is an excellent polish it has alot of fillers so can make even the worst of cars look good. Also work on one panel at a time.

But before you start attacking it with polishes etc you need to give it a really good wash and claying. You might find by doing this that it isn't as bad as it seems.

[samass]

can i use a rotary if i be careful and keep it moist and moving? (giggity)

cool, ill look into clay, see what i can get near me

[mark_airey]

You shouldn't do any damage with a rotary as long as you aren't an idiot with it and you use it properly, as for what properly is, I have an idea what I'm doing but I'm no expert and in no position to be dishing out advice

[samass]

thats what i figured. after having a play on the fez, and reading thru stuff on detailingworld etc, i have a rough idea what i should be doing and what i shouldn't be... might as well just give it a bash!

[Jenkosowls]

Bah rotarys! that flame spitting world ending method of polishing....... or not rotarys really are not that hard to use you would have to be a right tool to cause serious damage. keep the Rpms lower than 3k and keep the pad flat and moving youd be fine. sprtz a bit of water and work the polish till its clear. Youd be best of using a compound polish megs ultimate compound is good as it uses diminishing polishes so only really need the one as the polish becomes finer as you work it. Menzerna is where its at! The audi thats in my other thread is rotary!

[samass]

haha yes, id heard exactly the same thing about them!
ah right ok, so if im being cheap, would i just use the super resin, then the ultra deep? i think the super resin is a bit coarser than the ultra deep.
man, that audi did come up a treat!

[Jenkosowls]

SRP is ideal for a quick easy finish as it contains resins and fillers to hide swirls marks and minor scratches. Ultra Deep is more off an all in one rather than just a polish but i have found it very diffcult to remove residue after because of this. it seems to bind more and is a pain in the back side. So much so iv still got 3/4 of a bottle left.

You can pick up megs ucp for about £12

[samass]

ah right, well, halfrauds have a 3 for 2 on car cleaning stuff, any other recommendations for other meg stuff to get at the same time? thinking probs some clay, but i dont think they do it at halfords. any other brands worth looking into?

[raymond76]

if your car is black i would really avoid a mop unless its really really bad, getit in the sun after and there will be swirl marks. i had a valet business for 4 years "untill i got married" for a bmw specialist and the best way to get a dark car looking right is buy hand!!!!! hard work but worth the effort mate. use a polish with a light cut in it apply a mist of water while polishong it will get messy but dont worry. do a coulpe of panels at a time when they are dry remove with a rag"soft".. then sounds mad but wash tthe car really well with cold water and soap. Dry it with a shammy DONT use a blade . then for the satisfying bit. get a good polish auto glym is a ok option and polish the car again and them remove it ... your car will look fresh as a daisy....
and people after polishing your car dont then use hot water from a jet wash to clean it, it removes the polish!!!!!

[cwspellowe]

My advice? Don't use a compound until you know what you're doing, use something with less of a cut. Compounds are harsh even by hand so a novice with a mop could quite easily burn through the paint. Compounds are used more for blending paint and overspray as they're REALLY harsh.

A good session with the clay bar and a medium cut will do your car wonders. And remember it's better to take paint off gradually until you're happy despite it taking ages than jumping in with liquid sandpaper and removing the clear coat completely.

And Raymond. Remove the polish? I presume you mean the active fillers as polish is supposed to be worked then wiped off. Unless you meant removing the wax/sealant used?

[Jenkosowls]

Seriously whats with all the scare mongering? rotarys arent as lethal as people think! and the whole thing about dont compound dark cars cause youl mess it up you can mess it up just as bad as with a silver car you still get holograms etc etc. A dark car is ideal as you see whats happening easily and if you cock it up with holograms you correct with a less aggresive polish. Scrap bonnet is ideal practice

1) never polish a car via D/A or rotary in direct sun you dry the polish to quickly and cause dry buffing which increases the risk of burning through but even then youd have to have silly high Rpms or hold it in one place for a lengths of time. Megs UCP isnt very Aggresive most high street retail compounds are pretty safe the specilaists ones such menzerna power finish is totally different game

2)Always have one light source to see your work being done (if correcting pain)

3) Always use the least aggresive polish first with a less cut pad

4) If the polish dries up before being broken down use a quick squirt of QD

5) After every panel use QD or final inspection to fully remove any polish residue often enough holograms are mistaken for buffing residue.

And if any one thinks i dont know what im on about look here https://www.facebook.com/PrestigeAutoCare.Detail

[cwspellowe]

It's not scare mongering on my part. How is the untrained to know the paint thickness of each panel and how long is "too long" in one spot? When you've done it a few times then fine, it's easy enough, but hand someone a power tool who doesn't know how to use it and you're asking for tears.

RF theory is simple enough.. for me. But if I sent you out with all my tools tomorrow and told you to crack on, it's not that hard, you'd f*ck up somewhere I guarantee. Do it a few times though and you'll get the hang of it.

I'm not saying he shouldn't try it. That's how I learned, lots of reading, a few choice purchases and a bit of patience and i'm happy with my bodywork skills now, from fibreglassing to painting to finishing and correcting. Noone taught me how to do it, I just tried it.

The comment about black cars is silly though. You'd only end up covering it in swirls if you did a bad job. The idea of mopping a car is to remove swirls completely. The fact they show up more on a black car just means you're doing a bad job of it

[Jenkosowls]

I never said you should only learn on dark cars I said it was ideal as you can see where your going wrong if you go wrong in the first place and if you mess up you can see for your self hiw changing things can correct. My mine grip is people instantly assume a rotary your going to cock up which isn't the correct mind set to begin with as you will just cock up. There's plenty of help on many detailing forums and the op seems to have done a little research already into the subject which Is always a good thing.

[Rippthrough]

Meh, never had any trouble with the rotary, I've done everything from ceramic paints, to rattle can finishes, clear, and single stage, just takes a little care and attention is all.

I probably take less paint off correcting the car with the rotary than most do scrubbing with t-cut as you ten to concentrate on one spot by hand without realising it...


And Raymond, your valet service sucked

[samass]

ok so lots of interesting stuff to read there, thanks guys!

first off, my cars not black, its green, just the colour in my sig is a bit off haha

i feel pretty confident about going out and attacking my car with my rotary, im sensible enough to take it easy and make sure im not heating up the panel, and to work in a small area first, keeping the head moving and flat. i know to make sure the polish doesnt dry up too quickly, by not doing in the sun etc etc

ive used a few cutting compounds before by hand, obviously on a rotary its a bit different, but i have a rough idea of what to expect from reading up and playing on my fez (which was basically a scrap bonnet )

im gunna go to halfords tomorrow after the f1 and pick up some compound and other polishes and stuff, ideally id like to try a lighter polish first, than diving straight into a compound, so on that front, whats a good one thats not too harsh?

on the actual mop front, i have a selection, and from what i gather, you use a firmer sponge for more aggressive cutting, and then a softer one for finishing. is that right?

sorry for the massive essay guys, read the last two paragraphs if TL,DR

thanks

[Rippthrough]

Megs #80 is a nice light finish polish that's very easy to get used to.
With the foam, yes, pretty much, foam with more open pores will cut more than ones with smaller finer pores too.

[cwspellowe]

Phil you seem very insightful for someone who barely cleans his car

[Rippthrough]

Just 'cause I don't clean mine shitheap, don't mean I don't do others....lets face it, if I wash mine it'll dissolve!

[samass]

[Jenkosowls]

phils just scared of the rust lurking in his roof....

[Rippthrough]

phils just scared of the rust lurking in his roof....

Nah, I fixed it