How to create a high gloss finish

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

How to create a high gloss finish


To create a high gloss finish whether you're working on a Toyota Prius, a Ford Focus or a Dodge Ram Pickup, it all starts with a smooth surface.

So the first step is to remove any contaminants that are bonded to the paint using either detailing clay or a product like the Nanoskin Autoscrub Towel.


Above surface bonded contaminants will often times be invisible to your eyes but you can feel them with your sense of touch. Lightly feel the surface of your car's horizontal surfaces using your clean hand. A second way to inspect your car's paint is by using the Baggie Test, that's where you feel the paint using a clean sandwich baggie over your hand.

If you feel any type of bumps on the paint this means you need to remove these contaminants before polishing and waxing.

A lot of times your car's paint will look shiny but you can increase the shine and the gloss by claying. Here's an example....

To most people that look at this show car, it looks like it has a show car finish and there's simply no way there could be anything wrong with the paint. But take a look at the contaminants I removed after claying only the hood scoop and a small portion of the driver's side of the hood.

Even the paint on show cars needs to be clayed.... if the a paint on a show car needs to be clayed... how about your car?

Mechanical Decontamination
Here's the paint on this car after machine decontaminating using the Flex 3401 with a Medium Grade Nanoskin Autoscrub pad. Before any polishing or waxing we've already increased the gloss by removing the contaminants. You can do this same thing for your car.

This paint is now decontaminated and ready for machine polishing which will amp up the gloss and shine even more...

On Autogeek.net

Flex XC 3401 VRG Dual Action Orbital Polisher

Nanoskin Autoscrub Medium Grade Pad – 6 inch

Nanoskin Autoscrub Fine Grade Pad – 6 inch

Detailer's Universal Clay Lubricant





Here's the after shots for this project...

And here's the original write-up for when I detailed this car.

How to use the Flex 3401 for Show Car Detailing


I also used this car for the cover photo of my FLEX how-to book.

On Autogeek.net

How to use the Flex XC 3401 VRG Dual Action Polisher
For both Production Detailing & Show Car Detailing



:dblthumb2:

 

[Moldavite]

Thanks for sharing

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Thanks for sharing

No problemo...

I've seen this 1941 Chrysler at numerous shows and most people walking by looking at it think it looks pretty good even though it's obvious from the gunk coming off on the clay there's a little room for improvement.

I only used the clay on the hood scoop and a small portion of the driver's side of the hood... that's a lot of dirty contaminants coming off such a small area.

I used the Nanoskin Autoscrub Pad on the rest of the car with the Flex 3401 which in my opinion obliterates all the above surface contaminants due to the power. This made the paint incredibly smooth and thus incredibly glossy and perfectly prepared the paint for machine polishing.

 

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Mike, I can't believe the amount of contamination pulled from the scoop alone! Dang!

 

[Dr Oldz]

I have used clay for years and it still amazes me how much junk it can pull off of automotive finishes.

I consider claying(or a similar sort of decontamination process) to be a CRITICAL step in detailing.

 

[Justin at Final Inspection]

Really looking forward to see the outcome of this one Mike! Any hints on what polishes you will be using?

 

[mills3]

I will not wax or polish a vehicle without claying it. Yes it may take a little while, but it's something I always do to ensure that there are not bonded surface contaminants.

Looks good Mike!

 

[Tato]

Awesome thread, thanks for stressing enough how important preparation and leaving a smooth surface is.

I'm getting some good results and feedback from my customers following your guidelines and working accordingly to your book, keep them coming, please!

Kind Regards.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

We had this car here for a special project and over the time it's been here and pretty much everyone that walks out to our studio says something like, wow! what a cool car and the paint is so shiny!

And these types of comments were before I polished it.

If I'm around, I would have everyone feel the paint with their hand and then do the baggie test and the shock in their eyes is priceless.

Before I worked on this car I chemically stripped it 3 times,

• First time with Prep All
• Second time with a strong solution of Meguiar's APC
• Third time with Glass Cleaner (I'm out of IPA and glass cleaner is about 10% alcohol)

And when I wiped it down with all of these solvents I wiped her pretty hard. So anything LOOSE was wiped off, and probably some of the contaminants were chemically loosened and wiped off but the paint still felt like #40 grit sandpaper.


Just machine applied the wax.... in a few minutes I'll go out and wipe it off...

 

[Desertnate]

I'm always amazed at how much you gain from doing something as simple as the clay bar step.

I've done several light colored cars that had a noticeable change when I was done.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

If you're still applying waxes and sealants by hand... get a Griot's 3" Mini Polisher and call it your Wax Machine.

I can't even remember the last time I applied a wax or sealant by hand, the only time I work by hand now is applying coatings and if I could machine apply a coating I would.


There was a whole lot of polishing work performed after using the Nanoskin pads on this paint. Frank aka FrankS actually gave me a hand with the compounding and polishing yesterday and after that we machine waxed the roof and called it a day.

I came in this morning and machine waxed the entire car, including waxing the roof a second time.

I used Pinnacle Black Label Synergy for my LSP and applied it using a Rupes 4" White Foam Finishing pad on the Griot's 3" Mini Polisher on speed setting 3-4.

Time to wipe off the wax....

 

[TurboToys]

mike, do you ever get a hazy residue of wax when taking it off? i use BF midnight sun when i get itchy to put a wax instead of a sealant, and i use two towels, one to take the wax off, and another to pick up the remaining oils. but it seems like it never really gets all of it and it takes a whole lot of wiping to get it removed.

i've used something like megs final inspection to help remove the residues, but im afraid using it shortly after a wipe on wipe off wax that it will just remove most of the wax i put on, how do you combat this?

 

[FrankS]

If you're still applying waxes and sealants by hand... get a Griot's 3" Mini Polisher and call it your Wax Machine.

I can't even remember the last time I applied a wax or sealant by hand, the only time I work by hand now is applying coatings and if I could machine apply a coating I would.

...

I used Pinnacle Black Label Synergy for my LSP and applied it using a Rupes 4" White Foam Finishing pad on the Griot's 3" Mini Polisher on speed setting 3-4.

:iagree:

The Griot's 3" Mini Polisher with the Rupes 4" White Foam pad is a great combination for applying wax. The pad is small enough to get into some of the tight spaces and not too small where it would take you longer to apply the wax, such as with a 3" pad. I also like the way the pad is beveled to give you an extra safety cushion so that the backing plate doesn't strike the paint. Definitely faster and easier than waxing by hand :xyxthumbs:.

They just need to make the jars of wax a little bigger so that you can stick the pad inside the jar to coat the pad with wax.

 

[Kamakaz1961]

Excellent Thread! Thank you for your insight!

 

[Justin at Final Inspection]

Mike- Great write up! That Griots 3in is great. I use mine all the time, especially with Synergy. I scored my GG 3in at Cars and Coffee tent sale. I use it with the 4in CCS pads.

I highly suggest people pick one up.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Here's one after shot...

I moved the car into full sun after chemically stripping the paint and captured high resolution before shots of the swirls.

As soon as I get time I'll go through all the pictures and then post a complete thread showing before and after, including the "Sun Shots" showing the final results in full sun.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

mike, do you ever get a hazy residue of wax when taking it off?

Sometimes but it's because I miss a spot....

I talk about this in my how-to book, what I recommend is after wiping the wax or sealant or even a coating off the paint to do two things,

1. Move the car into different lighting or move the car into a different angle in the same lighting.

2. Get a set of fresh eyes to help inspect the paint. Often times after I've spent an entire day looking at the car I'm buffing out it all becomes a big blur... a fresh set of eyes, like a wife, girlfriend, neighbor or your kids can be really helpful at helping you to find any spots you missed so you can wipe the wax off. Kids because they tend to be shorter look at the car from a lower angle and also have great eyesight.


I also tend to let most of my waxes and sealants completely dry before removing even if they're a wipe-on, wipe-off wax.

i use BF midnight sun when i get itchy to put a wax instead of a sealant, and i use two towels, one to take the wax off, and another to pick up the remaining oils. but it seems like it never really gets all of it and it takes a whole lot of wiping to get it removed.

After making your first pass around the car do something else, like clean-up, get a drink, put dressing on the tires, etc. This will give any recently disturbed wax a little flash time to dry. Then re-wipe the entire car using fresh towels and good lighting.

I've used something like megs final inspection to help remove the residues, but Im afraid using it shortly after a wipe on wipe off wax that it will just remove most of the wax i put on, how do you combat this?

I NEVER introduce a liquid to a fresh coat of wax. That's working backwards.

Slow down... get down... as in sit down on your butt so you can look across from the panel you're wiping and look up to the higher portions of the car. I did this when I wiped the wax off the sides and back of this Chrysler this morning.

Doing this kind of work isn't alway glorious....

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

mike, do you ever get a hazy residue of wax when taking it off?

i use BF midnight sun when i get itchy to put a wax instead of a sealant, and i use two towels, one to take the wax off, and another to pick up the remaining oils. but it seems like it never really gets all of it and it takes a whole lot of wiping to get it removed.

how do you combat this?

Sometimes you just need to let some time by so any invisible (to the human eye), trace oils/residues can evaporate or fully dry making them easier to wipe off.


Then there's this,


The Final Wipe – Tips for creating a streak-free, show car finish