Soap for a Gilmore Foam Gun

[Rsurfer]

What soap foams the best in a Gilmore Foam Gun? Or is there a secret formula?

 

[Evan.J]

I have used CG snowfoam, maxi sudsII, xtreme body wash and wax, and meguiars shampoo plus all with good results. I add my water to the container and leave a little bit or room for soap. I then add my soap and turn upside down to mix. For th gun it's the same I just screw the lid on and swirl around.

The foam won't be thick like it is with a cannon though

 

[Rsurfer]

I have used CG snowfoam, maxi sudsII, xtreme body wash and wax, and meguiars shampoo plus all with good results. I add my water to the container and leave a little bit or room for soap. I then add my soap and turn upside down to mix. For th gun it's the same I just screw the lid on and swirl around.

The foam won't be thick like it is with a cannon though

Yeah, didn't expect it to be like a foam cannon, but wanted just a little more foam. I also add water and leave about an inch or so for the soap, which should be about 2 ozs. Some say to fill the whole reservoir with soap and the mixing will be done automatically by the gun...dunno. Anyone tried that?

 

[ryandamartini]

Yeah, didn't expect it to be like a foam cannon, but wanted just a little more foam. I also add water and leave about an inch or so for the soap, which should be about 2 ozs. Some say to fill the whole reservoir with soap and the mixing will be done automatically by the gun...dunno. Anyone tried that?

I inadvertently did this today with my greenworks pressure washer. The foam attachment that comes with it is low pressure. Having a moment of uh being distracted, I put Megs Wash n Wax in and it foamed better than when it was mixed with water. If I remember, I will try it next weekend when I wash the car and get a video. (1/8 of bottle foamed a Civic)

I cannot confirm this would be a long term success though..

 

[Evan.J]

I say give it a shot with just soap and see what happens no doubt it will be a lot of foam.

 

[PA DETAILER]

I use mine this way.....

1. Fill with water FIRST.
2. Then about 2oz of soap.
3. SHAKE

Any decent soap is fine. Some are better then others. I have used the following with great results...

Megs hyperwash (Best value and great soap)
CG Maxi suds II
DP Xtreem soap (Made for the foam gun)

 

[ryandamartini]

I use mine this way.....

1. Fill with water FIRST.
2. Then about 2oz of soap.
3. SHAKE

Any decent soap is fine. Some are better then others. I have used the following with great results...

Megs hyperwash (Best value and great soap)
CG Maxi suds II
DP Xtreem soap (Made for the foam gun)

Can't beat Meg's HW. 1 oz per 5 gallons. If cost per wash is a thing for you, cannot go wrong there.

 

[silverfox]

I've never added water to a foam gun. Just soap and let the gun do the proper mixing at the proper ratio.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

I have used CG snowfoam, maxi sudsII, xtreme body wash and wax, and meguiars shampoo plus all with good results. I add my water to the container and leave a little bit or room for soap. I then add my soap and turn upside down to mix. For th gun it's the same I just screw the lid on and swirl around.

1. Fill with water FIRST.
2. Then about 2oz of soap.
3. SHAKE

This is great advice...except. It depends what size gun you have (32 vs. 64 oz), what shampoo you're using, and which of the 5 settings the gun is on. Sure, you can just wing it, but maybe your results will be like the OP, not what you expect.

I have written long and hard about this in the past, so I'm not going to do it again here (I'll look for a link), but I like to be a bit more scientific. The gun is a variable ratiometric device, your shampoo mix adds another dimension to that.

Yes, if you use a thin soap, you can use it neat in the gun, that will extend the time between having to fill the gun, but most soaps are too thick and won't draw up the tube without being diluted.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/84283-foam-gun-mixing-ratio-question.html

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-university/82876-gilmore-cg-foam-gun-3.html

 

[silverfox]

DG 902 works perfectly without adding any water to the canister. I've never had a plugging problem with it.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

DG 902 works perfectly without adding any water to the canister. I've never had a plugging problem with it.

Really? I've probably been using a foam gun for 10 years, so it's been a long time, but I remember thick soaps like that not drawing properly up the tube, it's not plugging per se, it's just if the soap is too thick the venturi effect isn't strong enough to pull enough product and you don't get the foam you want. I dilute thick soaps 3:1 water:soap.

 

[silverfox]

I know...its s shocking concept. I let the tool do the proportioning as was intended. It also saves tons of wasted product. There's a ton of how to mix proper proportions. The tool was designed to do that without adding water. In fact it was never intended for car washing with thick soaps. DG 902'works. Why, maybe because its special, but it works without adding water. Can't be much easier. Add dial to A..done. In fact it works much better than when I was messing around with mathematics and measuring.

 

[Rsurfer]

I know...its s shocking concept. I let the tool do the proportioning as was intended. It also saves tons of wasted product. There's a ton of how to mix proper proportions. The tool was designed to do that without adding water. In fact it was never intended for car washing with thick soaps. DG 902'works. Why, maybe because its special, but it works without adding water. Can't be much easier. Add dial to A..done. In fact it works much better than when I was messing around with mathematics and measuring.

Will CG Mr. Pink, CG Honeydew, or DP Extreme Foam work as well as DG902. Don't need more soap.Feed back please

 

[Setec Astronomy]

I know...its s shocking concept. I let the tool do the proportioning as was intended. The tool was designed to do that without adding water.

I thought I answered this before, but t's not a shocking concept, at least to me. I believe the tool was designed for spraying down the walls of the meat department at your supermarket, with APC or disinfectant, which is a lot thinner than most car soaps.

I'm probably the poster child for using tools as intended, but IIRC mine didn't work properly with thick soaps unless I diluted them.

Will CG Mr. Pink, CG Honeydew, or DP Extreme Foam work as well as DG902.

I would bet your disappointment has to do with how much soap you are dispensing, I'm presuming all those soaps spec out at 1oz/gal, try this. Put 8oz in the foam gun cup and add 24oz of water (that will work for the 64oz cup also, or do 16/48). Set the gun at the middle (4oz/gal) setting (if you have the brass one you may want to play around with it a little, there are 6 holes but only five settings, the extra hole is for the detent mechanism. Push the bar all the way to the left, and maybe back about a 1/16", that's the most "foamy" setting. I recommend pushing to the right two detents to get the middle 4oz/gal hole to start.) Then you can move it two holes left for more foam, two holes right for less.

Soft or DI water in your hose will make a big difference to foam also. Once you know you are able to make foam the way you would like (or at least as well as this gun is capable of) you can experiment using the soap neat in the cup as silverfox suggests.

 

[Rsurfer]

I thought I answered this before, but t's not a shocking concept, at least to me. I believe the tool was designed for spraying down the walls of the meat department at your supermarket, with APC or disinfectant, which is a lot thinner than most car soaps.

I'm probably the poster child for using tools as intended, but IIRC mine didn't work properly with thick soaps unless I diluted them.



I would bet your disappointment has to do with how much soap you are dispensing, I'm presuming all those soaps spec out at 1oz/gal, try this. Put 8oz in the foam gun cup and add 24oz of water (that will work for the 64oz cup also, or do 16/48). Set the gun at the middle (4oz/gal) setting (if you have the brass one you may want to play around with it a little, there are 6 holes but only five settings, the extra hole is for the detent mechanism. Push the bar all the way to the left, and maybe back about a 1/16", that's the most "foamy" setting. I recommend pushing to the right two detents to get the middle 4oz/gal hole to start.) Then you can move it two holes left for more foam, two holes right for less.

Soft or DI water in your hose will make a big difference to foam also. Once you know you are able to make foam the way you would like (or at least as well as this gun is capable of) you can experiment using the soap neat in the cup as silverfox suggests.

Thanks for the tip, but I have the newer Gilmore with the dial rather than the slide bar.

It's not that I'm disappointed with the amount of foam, but more would be nice. It's like chasing LSP, the more shine the better. LOL!:dblthumb2:

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Thanks for the tip, but I have the newer Gilmore with the dial rather than the slide bar.

It's the same thing, your dial has 5 settings, A/B/C/D/E that correspond to the same dilutions as the brass gun. There is some planning/math involved in this, I'm sorry (even if you use the shampoo neat in the cup, there are still 5 settings). Do you use random amounts of soap in your bucket when you do a conventional wash (or a rinseless) with no regard to the amount of water or soap? If you do, fine, but then don't be surprised by random results.

Also, as I said using soft or DI water through the gun provides way better foam.

 

[KBsToy]

I have used CG snowfoam, maxi sudsII, xtreme body wash and wax, and meguiars shampoo plus all with good results. I add my water to the container and leave a little bit or room for soap. I then add my soap and turn upside down to mix. For th gun it's the same I just screw the lid on and swirl around.

The foam won't be thick like it is with a cannon though

:iagree: IMHO

 

[Rsurfer]

[QUOTE=Setec Astronomy;1234936 Do you use random amounts of soap in your bucket when you do a conventional wash (or a rinseless) with no regard to the amount of water or soap? If you do, fine, but then don't be surprised by random results.




I just eye ball it..no wonder I'm getting random results.