Colors

[Zigfried]

I'm learning detailing and I'm wondering about colors. On a plain white color, you can easily see any spots of dirt as you are clay barring them. Even on perl white, it's already harder to spot these dots of dirt. So is there some trick to seeing this dirt on anything but white cars?

[Mike Phillips]

Hi Zigried,

Welcome to AutogeekOnline! :welcome:


When you talk about "spots of dirt" in the context of removing them using detailing clay, I think the way most would describe the spots of dirt is using the generic term of, contaminants


Could be lots of junk, like tree sap, paint overspray, industrial pollution, fallout, etc.


And - instead of trying to see them on any color you FEEL for them with your sense of touch as well as the baggie test. Like this,

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4213/Ram_005.JPG



The baggie test or even your hand feeling the paint will work like looking with your eyes.

And to be honest, I don't think you can clay a car and then do the baggie test and get to the point where you feel absolutely zero bumps on the paint, seems like there's always something somewhere that you can't get off. This could include tiny bumps in the paint from when the car was painted.

So don't drive yourself crazy aiming for perfection.



:)

[Desertnate]

If you are trying to see spots of contaminates like little tar drop, small bug splatters, or other bits embedded in the paint, there is no easy way to see them on dark colors like you do lighter ones.

Feel is a good measure like Mike pointed out. When I'm doing a complete detail of one of my vehicles and after I've washed and clayed, I'll take a really close look at the more problematic areas like rocker panels and the "spray zones" across the lower doors and fenders. I'll hit them with a bright light and get right up close to see if I've missed anything that visually noticeable. I've found sometimes there are small bits of grime you can't feel, but can still see.

[2black1s]

... And to be honest, I don't think you can clay a car and then do the baggie test and get to the point where you feel absolutely zero bumps on the paint, seems like there's always something somewhere that you can't get off. This could include tiny bumps in the paint from when the car was painted.

So don't drive yourself crazy aiming for perfection.


Agreed 100%.

I've actually clayed a section, then repeated the baggie test, and the section felt worse than it did before the claying. Obviously, I wanted to know what was going on.

My investigation revealed that what I was feeling was tiny lint particles left behind from the microfiber towel I was wiping with. When I wiped with another towel (soft cotton terry cloth in this case), the surface felt perfect.

The baggie test, which by the way, I learned from this forum, is super-sensitive and you can drive yourself crazy striving for perfection. But if you ever feel something that just doesn't seem right after claying, check your towels for linting.