303 Graphene

I mean I use it all the time too for all sorts of stuff, but I was talking more generally than just in detailing or other automotive purposes. In that regard, it can damage leather for one. And I'd never use it on plastics on the interior of the car since it doesn't play friendly with all plastics (but I know that some plastics it's perfectly fine on). I use this website when looking for compatibility between solvents and surfaces: Chemical Compatibility Database from Cole-Parmer

Otherwise I'm with you. Mineral spirits is one of my favorite solvents for a lot of things. It's the only thing I've found that can effortlessly remove the manufacturer's oil from bike chains and I use it to clear out grease when repacking bearings sometimes too.
 
conman1395 said:
I mean I use it all the time too for all sorts of stuff, but I was talking more generally than just in detailing or other automotive purposes. In that regard, it can damage leather for one. And I'd never use it on plastics on the interior of the car since it doesn't play friendly with all plastics (but I know that some plastics it's perfectly fine on). I use this website when looking for compatibility between solvents and surfaces: Chemical Compatibility Database from Cole-Parmer

Otherwise I'm with you. Mineral spirits is one of my favorite solvents for a lot of things. It's the only thing I've found that can effortlessly remove the manufacturer's oil from bike chains and I use it to clear out grease when repacking bearings sometimes too.
Click to expand...


Very nice chemical compatibility resource. Thanks.
 
****303 GRAPHENE UPDATE****

First- Big thank you again to Mike Phillips for sending me some great products to try.

Second- Little about myself, as a commercial airline jet technician, I would consider myself beyond the average do-it-yourselfer detailer but not a pro by any means.

Third- My Vehicle is a 2018 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport DBL Cab. Garage kept daily driver with roughly 32k. Right from dealer paint was almost perfect so no correction done, I used Gyeon Iron, I used Carpro ECH2O and a clay sponge, I used Gyeon Prep, I used Gyeon Can Coat (2 coats "all" hard exterior surfaces) followed by Gyeon Cure (2 coats) as Topper. I used Gyeon Cure (not diluted) every 4-6 months for maintenance and Carpro ECH2O weekly Ratio 1:15. I did this for 2 years then I switched out the cure with McKee's 37 10 minute paint sealant for maintenance for 1 year every 3- 4 months.

Fourth- Vehicle prep for 303 Graphene.
1. Washed with Sonax Soap
2. Did baggie test (Paint still in very good condition)
3. Clay sponge with ECH2O Ratio 1:15
4. Gyeon Prep

Fifth- 303 Application (In Garage)
1. Shook 303 bottle well continuously during application.
2. Sprayed on applicator. (I used 3 to 4, 1/4 to 1/2 pull spritz's on the pad for each section of a panel)
3. Applied to all painted, glass surfaces, headlights and tail lights (2 coats) 4 hours in between due to my schedule.
4. Used cross hatch pattern repeated 6 times on first coat and 4 times on second coat for each section
5. Roof 1st coat treated as four sections, 2nd coat as 2 sections
6. Hood 1st coat treated as four sections, 2nd coat as 2 sections
7. Body panels/Tail gate /Bumper 1st coat treated as two sections each, 2nd coat as 1 sections
8. Windshield 1st coat treated as 2 sections, 2nd coat as 2 sections
9. Side and Real Glass 1st coat treated each as 1 section, 2nd coat as 1 section
10. Did one panel at a time. Waited till product started to haze and buffed rotating towel frequently
11. After first coat did full wipe with fresh towel to grab any residual 303 I missed.
12. Repeated steps for 2nd coat.

User Experience-
1. The product does have an odor but not nearly as fowl as some suggest. Who knows maybe I’m just used to smelling some nasty stuff.
2. Product is concentrated and goes along way. (I probably only used an 1-1 ½ ounce total)
3. Super easy to apply (Used rectangular applicator Mike supplied and smaller one for tighter areas near unpainted plastics)
4. Requires much more effort to remove even applied lite. (I used supplied towels which were perfect to collect the residual product)
5. Product is very “grippy” if that’s a word on paint and found slightly less so on glass. Almost felt minimally easier to remove on the second coat as well. (Actually feel 303 is easier to remove from glass than other products I have used.)
6. After product completely removed and buffed slickness is negligible. Certainly, an area for improvement if that is even important.
7. This product makes up for poor slickness with it stunning visual pop.
8. I purposely did not apply to black plastics as the jury is still out on staining. (I always use Carpro PERL 1:1 for all porous unpainted plastics and tires)

My thoughts on 303 Graphene-
With what I have seen in videos, it seems this product is extremely durable when exposed to many common detailing chemicals. How these uncontrolled torture tests translate to “designed use” product performance is irrelevant honestly. Ultimately how it holds up to daily exposure to the elements remains to be seen long term but if applied correctly seems promising for this class of spray product.
303 application is a breeze and is right up there with the easiest products I have used. I cannot say the same for removal in this product class. Not hard but there will be some effort beyond light wiping to remove it. If 303 lives up to the 1 year + hype then the elbow grease is well worth it.
The visual impact this product leaves is stunning and mirror like. Maybe the best my vehicle has looked to date with the products I’ve used. As mentioned, and expected the surface slickness is minimal.

Not sure this would be a go to product for a mobile detailer from an efficiency perspective. Cost certainly is on point though. Even if claimed durability is accurate, “feel” is an average joe consumer perception of job well done and this product may not provide that association without customer education. If I was a mobile detailer, I would be looking at more detailer friendly options.

As DIY’er who wants a great looking vehicle and minimal time requirement to finished detail, if this product holds up to its 1+ year claim than I will continue to use it. If not, and requires application more frequently then I would probably look at similar in class products of actual 303 durability but with more user-friendly removal and improved slickness. While I cannot recommend the product for durability yet, overall, the product performed as I expected during application and removal and I am satisfied. I am very pleased with the visual results and would recommend others try it. I would give it a solid 8 out of 10 right now based on known performance.

I will provide photos shortly.
 
I’m going on 4 months with one coat of 303, still looks great, beads well, as good as anything else I’ve used. Looks very deep. I don’t think I’ll get a year out of it, I think that’s really reaching, but if I get 6 to 7 months, I’m very satisfied. I use a touchless car wash about twice a month.
 
bfenne said:
****303 GRAPHENE UPDATE****
Click to expand...


Wow!

What a very well-written and detailed review. Thank you for the time you put into not only detailing your truck but documenting the entire process.


For those reading this into the future - Like mentioned in the review - the product is grippy to wipe-off. I spoke with the head chemist for this product and he said this is the graphene GRIPPING the paint. In my head, this is a good thing for longevity and protection, but "yes" it does make it a tick more difficult to remove than say a product like Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant.

Also, the type of towel you use has a huge impact on how easy or how difficult this product is to remove. I sent with the 303 Graphene Nano Spray Coating, these towels I share in my article I'll include below.

In my opinion, the closed loop or "nap" style microfiber that sets these towels apart from other towels plus their heavy weight or as I like to call it, they are STOUT, makes removal a tick easier than most other towels I have access to and that's a LOT of towels.


Thank you again for such a detailed write-up on the process and your experience... that's the way you do it! :bowdown:



Here's my article on these towels...


Mike Like - The Rag Company FTW Premium Orange Microfiber Towel



The Rag Company FTW Premium Orange Microfiber Towel

FTW_Premium_Orange_Microfiber_Towels_001.JPG




This towel is stout but still soft. It has a closed fiber loop for a nap. This type of loop slices into the film on paint, be it compound, polish or wax. It slice into it and breaks it up making it easier to remove, safer to the paint and easier on you.


And... they are not even that expensive.


I'm not sure why the Rag Company markets these as "glass" towels, even though they do work great for cleaning glass. But what they are really good at is removing compounds, polishes and cleaner/waxes.


Because they are stout, I would not use or recommend them for super soft paints - but for about 85% of the rest of the cars on the road or anytime you're working on gelcoat boats - yeah... these are nice towels.


The Rag Company FTW Premium Orange Microfiber Towel



FWIW


:)
 
Mike Phillips said:
Wow!

What a very well-written and detailed review. Thank you for the time you put into not only detailing your truck but documenting the entire process.


For those reading this into the future - Like mentioned in the review - the product is grippy to wipe-off. I spoke with the head chemist for this product and he said this is the graphene GRIPPING the paint. In my head, this is a good thing for longevity and protection, but "yes" it does make it a tick more difficult to remove than say a product like Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant.

Also, the type of towel you use has a huge impact on how easy or how difficult this product is to remove. I sent with the 303 Graphene Nano Spray Coating, these towels I share in my article I'll include below.

In my opinion, the closed loop or "nap" style microfiber that sets these towels apart from other towels plus their heavy weight or as I like to call it, they are STOUT, makes removal a tick easier than most other towels I have access to and that's a LOT of towels.


Thank you again for such a detailed write-up on the process and your experience... that's the way you do it! :bowdown:



Here's my article on these towels...


Mike Like - The Rag Company FTW Premium Orange Microfiber Towel



The Rag Company FTW Premium Orange Microfiber Towel

FTW_Premium_Orange_Microfiber_Towels_001.JPG




This towel is stout but still soft. It has a closed fiber loop for a nap. This type of loop slices into the film on paint, be it compound, polish or wax. It slice into it and breaks it up making it easier to remove, safer to the paint and easier on you.


And... they are not even that expensive.


I'm not sure why the Rag Company markets these as "glass" towels, even though they do work great for cleaning glass. But what they are really good at is removing compounds, polishes and cleaner/waxes.


Because they are stout, I would not use or recommend them for super soft paints - but for about 85% of the rest of the cars on the road or anytime you're working on gelcoat boats - yeah... these are nice towels.


The Rag Company FTW Premium Orange Microfiber Towel



FWIW


:)
Click to expand...

Thank you Mike!!
 
Sorry for the photo drop delay. First good day here. These are phone camera shots so certainly not professional.
 
Curious, What would be a good topper for 303 graphene? I'm looking for a dry surface application spray WOWO product. 303 does not seem to offer synergistic option.

Thanks for your suggestion that pair well with 303 graphene.
 
Carpro elixr…I just topped the graphene with this last week, I wrote about it in the Mike Phillips review app… With pics…
 
I recently applied Hybrid Solutions Graphene paste wax over the 303 Graphene to a 1999 Ford F-150 Flare-side (rare truck)!!
It actually made the paint pop, the guy’s son said “the truck has never looked that good!!
Try it out!!


Sent from my iPhone using AGOnline
 
***UPDATE***

Some time has passed and I wanted to share some 303 Graphene behavior I precieve to be.

1. I did not drive the truck and let the product cure for a few days after application.
2. Weather perceived or actual it felt like the slickness got a little better.
3. I had the vehicle outside and it rained. I did notice some light water spotting. Note: I did not use a topper. Not sure what to expect in this area as maybe it is similar to a ceramic coating. ????
4. We have had lots of pollen and I thought I would give the truck a wipe down. I decided to use McKees 37 Trademark Extender Wax liberally as a QD then buff. I cant say weather gloss changed a whole lot as 303 was already impressive in this area. I will say slickness improved though. This also removed any water spots there were.
5. I struggled with what to use as a topper and then by need and default I went with something I had on hand. I must say McKees 37 Trademark Extender Wax is a nice and friendly product. Not sure if it counts as a topper but it is what i used for now.

So, it rained hard today, of course right after I used the Trademark Extender Wax and the water behavior was very good with 303 as a standalone protection BUT after topping with the spray wax it is insane tight pin heads. I have attached a couple photos. 1 horizontal and 1 vertical panel.

Thoughts???
 
bfenne said:
***UPDATE***

Some time has passed and I wanted to share some 303 Graphene behavior I precieve to be.

1. I did not drive the truck and let the product cure for a few days after application.
2. Weather perceived or actual it felt like the slickness got a little better.
3. I had the vehicle outside and it rained. I did notice some light water spotting. Note: I did not use a topper. Not sure what to expect in this area as maybe it is similar to a ceramic coating. ????
4. We have had lots of pollen and I thought I would give the truck a wipe down. I decided to use McKees 37 Trademark Extender Wax liberally as a QD then buff. I cant say weather gloss changed a whole lot as 303 was already impressive in this area. I will say slickness improved though. This also removed any water spots there were.
5. I struggled with what to use as a topper and then by need and default I went with something I had on hand. I must say McKees 37 Trademark Extender Wax is a nice and friendly product. Not sure if it counts as a topper but it is what i used for now.

So, it rained hard today, of course right after I used the Trademark Extender Wax and the water behavior was very good with 303 as a standalone protection BUT after topping with the spray wax it is insane tight pin heads. I have attached a couple photos. 1 horizontal and 1 vertical panel.

Thoughts???
Click to expand...
Photos ???
 
Trying to get the photos uploaded. Sorry.
 
bfenne said:
Trying to get the photos uploaded. Sorry.
Click to expand...


Here's your photos,

Graphne_Water_Beading_03.JPG


Graphne_Water_Beading_02.JPG


Of these two photos,

One image is 1271 x 960 pixels

The other image is 4000 x 3000 pixels


The large image is TOO big for the gallery to upload. If Autogeek let everyone upload gigantic image files a server somewhere in the world would fill up.

I resized the width to 1000 pixels wide and let the height float. That is I let the software adjust only the width and the height will auto adjust WITHOUT DISTORTING.

Here's an article that shows the software I use every day to resize all the hundreds of photos I upload each week.

How to resize your photos with Easy Thumbnails - Free software



And here's your gallery where I uploaded your resized images to.

bfenne Gallery - AutogeekOnline Gallery


And.... water beading with 303 Graphene looks GREAT!


:cheers:












:)
 
I never care what the bead actually looks like, but I certainly care for how long the bead lasts… This is the metric I use to judge a product. Also depth of gloss using a ruler is a big indicator for me , again tied with time… Can I see many inches after six months?, if so, it’s a great product.

This is just my opinion, others may feel totally different and really dissect the actual bead appearance…Nothing wrong with that.
 
glen e said:
I never care what the bead actually looks like, but I certainly care for how long the bead lasts… This is the metric I use to judge a product. Also depth of gloss using a ruler is a big indicator for me , again tied with time… Can I see many inches after six months?, if so, it’s a great product.

This is just my opinion, others may feel totally different and really dissect the actual bead appearance…Nothing wrong with that.
Click to expand...

I like tight, tall and round beads or I'll re-do it with something else.:D
 
Mike Phillips said:
Here's your photos,

Graphne_Water_Beading_03.JPG


Graphne_Water_Beading_02.JPG


Of these two photos,

One image is 1271 x 960 pixels

The other image is 4000 x 3000 pixels


The large image is TOO big for the gallery to upload. If Autogeek let everyone upload gigantic image files a server somewhere in the world would fill up.

I resized the width to 1000 pixels wide and let the height float. That is I let the software adjust only the width and the height will auto adjust WITHOUT DISTORTING.

Here's an article that shows the software I use every day to resize all the hundreds of photos I upload each week.

How to resize your photos with Easy Thumbnails - Free software



And here's your gallery where I uploaded your resized images to.

bfenne Gallery - AutogeekOnline Gallery


And.... water beading with 303 Graphene looks GREAT!


:cheers:












:)
Click to expand...

Thanks Mike! I appreciate it. Yeah I do not do much photo uploading. I also look at that software.

Just to be clear the water beading with 303 as a standalone was very good. When I used the McKees 37 Trademark Extender Spray Wax on top it was amplified. Also these were not created from a hose nozzle setting but rather good ole mother nature.
 
bfenne said:
Thanks Mike! I appreciate it. Yeah I do not do much photo uploading. I also look at that software.
Click to expand...

No problemo... photos be hard now days... :)



bfenne said:
Just to be clear the water beading with 303 as a standalone was very good. When I used the McKees 37 Trademark Extender Spray Wax on top it was amplified.

Also these were not created from a hose nozzle setting but rather good ole mother nature.
Click to expand...

Monitor your finish. I think one of the features for the 303 Graphene Nano Spray Coating is reduced water spotting.

Not sure if you'll get that benefit with the McKee's 37 product on it?


:cheers:
 
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