Hello from PGH PA

lokichaos

lokichaos

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Hey guys!

Real name is Eveyln and I'm from Pittsburgh PA. :dblthumb2:
I found this site while stumbling around the internet trying to find some decent auto detailing tips. It is great to find a place where there are a multitude of opinions people have and they are respectful about it. I understand the basics of detailing and have purchased some items from AGO, namely the PC 7424 :), but am still unsure on how to use it exactly. Being only a teenager I don't want to screw up the paint job on the family toyota from inexperience and have my mom hound me for it. Just a quick question when using the PC for 3M rubbing compound, should I have it on 4 or higher? Is there a difference between detailing a motorcycle and a car? Thanks guys!:buffing:
 
Welcome to AGO! On the PC you will want to use speed 5 or 6 for compounding. And really, a DA is a very safe learning machine. So don't worry to much about messing anything up. Juts remember to tape off all your trim.
 
Welcome aboard! During the week I'm about 2 hours south of you. Which 3M rubbing compound are you speaking of because one of them is like rocks in a bottle and even with a DA I wouldn't go crazy with it. The best advice I can give you is something Mike Phillips says a lot, do a test spot before doing a whole car. Pick an area that isn't in plain sight and have at it.
 
rwright said:
Welcome aboard! During the week I'm about 2 hours south of you. Which 3M rubbing compound are you speaking of because one of them is like rocks in a bottle and even with a DA I wouldn't go crazy with it. The best advice I can give you is something Mike Phillips says a lot, do a test spot before doing a whole car. Pick an area that isn't in plain sight and have at it.
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I'm not sure, its like a liquidy paste thats tan in color. I got it at a local autozone. I have used it before but only with applicator pads. I just got the PC7424 a week ago, haven't really had a chance to use it yet because of rainy weather.
 
Welcome to Autogeek Online! :welcome:


lokichaos said:
Just a quick question when using the PC for 3M rubbing compound, should I have it on 4 or higher?
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3M only recommends their compounds for use with rotary buffers, if you try to use it with a tool that oscillates chance are very good you'll remove the defects in the paint but you'll leave behind micro-marring and then you'll have to buy second product to remove the micro-marring. This means you'll waste your time by using the wrong product for the job plus you'll remove paint twice in the process.

You will be a lot better off getting a product that is designed and formulated to be used with a DA Polisher.




lokichaos said:
Is there a difference between detailing a motorcycle and a car? Thanks guys!
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Motorcycles have a lot less paint and more metal brightwork. Tighter, harder to detail areas that make it just a little trickier but easily doable.


:)
 
lokichaos said:
I'm not sure, its like a liquidy paste thats tan in color. I got it at a local autozone. I have used it before but only with applicator pads. I just got the PC7424 a week ago, haven't really had a chance to use it yet because of rainy weather.
Click to expand...
Hi Eveyln and welcome to the site. The 3M stuff you mention is something I tried on one of my first details ever. I was using a Cyclo DA polisher with orange pads and it very quickly abraded right through both the clear and the black paint on the car that I was trying to learn on. I would recommend sticking that 3M stuff in the farthest back corner of a closet somewhere and start out with Meguiar's Ultimate Polish or Ultimate Compound as you begin your learning curve. The 3M rubbing compound may come in handy as you gain more experience but in your initial learning curve it will likely only cause you big problems.

I try to avoid using any compound that is tan in color as it is usually way too aggressive for normal detailing projects. Almost all of the rocks in a bottle compounds that are way too aggressive for just swirl removals are tan in color.

That's the nice thing about this forum, not many here are so egotistical and prideful that they won't fill you in on some of the mistakes that they have made in the past, so you can actually learn from the mistakes of others instead of making the costly mistakes yourself and learning the hard way. I know what you mean about the disrespect that you might find on some discussion forums. Some are downright rude and arrogant and I wouldn't let someone like that advise me on how to brush my dog let alone take detailing advice from them, if they would give it in the first place. It was nonsense like that, that had brought me to this site in the first place. I am so glad that I have found a home here at AGO. It is truly the best auto detailing discussion forum for beginners and enthusiasts on the entire world wide web.

I found the articles written by Mike Phillips a most useful tool in my initial learning curve. It will take about a year of dedicated reading to read them all but if you do you'll gain a great deal of knowledge and have an easier time in your initial learning curve. Reading alone won't make you a great detailer but being armed with lots of book smarts on the subject will help tremendously when you begin to put the polisher to the paint to gain real world experience.

I think it's cool to see women getting into detailing. Stick around and you'll do well, I am sure of it.
 
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
You will be a lot better off getting a product that is designed and formulated to be used with a DA Polisher.
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Any tips on a product that I could use instead of the 3M? I had initially bought it because of recs that it worked really well. Would Megs Ult Compound be a better bet? I'm looking for something thats good and relatively reasonable in price. Thanks again for the advice!
 
tuscarora dave said:
Hi Eveyln and welcome to the site. The 3M stuff you mention is something I tried on one of my first details ever. I was using a Cyclo DA polisher with orange pads and it very quickly abraded right through both the clear and the black paint on the car that I was trying to learn on. I would recommend sticking that 3M stuff in the farthest back corner of a closet somewhere and start out with Meguiar's Ultimate Polish or Ultimate Compound as you begin your learning curve.
Click to expand...
I had initially been stuck between choosing to buy the Megs Ult Compound or 3M. The site I was at before had lots of recs for the 3M.

tuscarora dave said:
I try to avoid using any compound that is tan in color as it is usually way too aggressive for normal detailing projects. Almost all of the rocks in a bottle compounds that are way too aggressive for just swirl removals are tan in color.
Click to expand...

Although I do plan on using a compound for mostly just swirl removals, there is one thing that has been nagging me. When we first got our car we had parked it outside on the sidewalk, almost everyone in the neighborhood does, and it got keyed on the hood. Some one keyed a large L across the whole hood of the car and needless to say it has been nagging me a bit since I started driving it. I don't think its gonna come out even if I use a buffer :(. Hoping to at least be able to 'hide' it a bit.

Ya its kind of funny though when your a teenage girl, just learning about detailing, and you know more about car paint than some guys. lol
 
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