Recent content by caudleej

I'm an F-150 owner and from my experiance with my truck and those of people I detail for your setup sounds good for a starter. I honestly do a lot of detailing and I own a Griot's Garage 6" DA and I love it. It has plenty of power and I can use less speed with that machine than on the other DAs...

I purchased this cheap $20 paint gauge just for the heck of it and I am not sure what to think. Given the price, I wasn't expecting much but one thing I can say is that the readings seem to be consistent. I tested this sucker on my truck which has been only lightly polished a few times since it...

I know this subject probably gets beat to death but I am always wondering when it is time to make the call to not compound and or polish paint anymore in order the maintain the longevity of the clear coat. I have been wondering this even more since I have dealt with scratches on the hood of my...

I decided to give M83 a try today since I thought it might cut a bit better than M205. I am new to detailing in the last few years and with the new SMAT abrasives out that's pretty much what I started with and have never really reached for any of Meguiar's diminishing abrasive products. I know...

I have found that the majority of scratches come from drying the car which is why I have never been a fan of using a drying towel because even though the car has been washed there is still going to be that one piece of dust or dirt that is going to cause a nice surprise. I have been using my...

The weather here in north/central Florida has been wet and nasty for over a week. Last weekend I detailed the truck and put on a coat of carnauba paste to boost my sealant. Finally got some sun today so I decided to wash the truck. It was extremely dirty and had black streaks all over from the...

I should add that I'm fine with the RIDS here and there. It's a daily driver and I know they happen it's not going to be perfect. I may try a clay bar and just a pure polish and see where that gets me. If I can avoid any abrasion that is all the better.

I usually wash every one to two weeks with a two bucket method, and a wool wash mitt. I'm not really seeing swirls just random scratches and yes it is under parking lot lights. I have a hard time finding the scratches at home but as soon as I go to a lit parking lot they will show.

Hello all, I have been thinking about my detailing routine on my personal vehicle. I use spray waxes weekly, a carnauba at least once per month sometimes twice, and a sealant once every two to months or so. This is throughout the year. I have been breaking out the DA once per year and doing a...

Anything with a single beam work much better. In my experience with the LED lights that have multiple LEDs in them it's hard to focus so you can see the swirls.

Looking for microfiber towels I can get in say 5-10 packs that are good quality and can be used on painted surfaces. My favorite is Meguiar's supreme shines but I can only find them in packs of 3.

Agreed I have an old set of headlights I plan to use but i would like to get a recommended speed.

I'm about to try my first hand with the 3M Trizact discs. I am going to fix a friends headlights. I have hand wet sanded and restored headlights before but I know the trizacts will yield better results if used correctly. I will be using the 3" discs on my DA with and 3" 3M backing plate. My...

How do you steam the a/c? Could you briefly describe the process?

I have a customer who has a truck that has a terrible vinegar smell from the a/c in the first few minutes of run time. It's understandably embarrassing for the customer because passengers get in his clean and detailed truck and are then blasted with this smell. One day I had them leave the truck...