February 2016 - DetailingWiki, the free wiki for detailers

Introducing a Newbie to DA Polishing

The DA (Dual Action) polisher is considered by many to be the machine to use if you are new to machine polishing, though as discussed elsewhere, this is not always the case – rather, you should try wherever possible to try both styles of machine (DA and rotary) and see which suit your style the best as many will find the vibrations of DA polisher unsettling and this struggle with the control of the machine can actually make it more dangerous than the smoother rotary.

Detailing in Classic Literature and Art: Part 1

There are many instances in classic literature, art, and theatre, where ‘detailing’ as it has become known today was discussed, or demonstrated by some of history’s greatest minds. In this article, is listed an example from the famous, late 16th century English playwright, William Shakespeare, who discusses the merits and Glazes and Polishes (For such detailing products existed in his day, albeit not for automobiles.) in his infamous ‘To Be or Not To Be’ speech.

How to fix clogged detailing sprayers

Over time, certain detailing products clog spray heads. Typically this is due to either the thickeners in cleaners congealing and blocking the orifice, or sealant polymers curing inside the spray head assembly. Either way, a clogged spray bottle can render useless a perfectly good detailing product, and possibly prevent you from completing a detailing task. This is a guide on how to remedy this issue.

A guide into sealants

Paintwork protection comes in two generic types: sealants and Waxes. In saome cases there are products which combine the two of these. The paintwork on you car is there not only to look nice but to protect the underlying metal work as well. However, paintwork requires protection of its own as well.

Microfiber Care & Laundry

Microfiber Towels, mitts, sponges, and applicators are a crucial tool in a detailers arsenal for washing and drying a vehicle, removing smears from glass, dusting dashboards, cleaning trim, buffing sealants, waxes, or coatings, removing polishing residue, applying quick-detailing sprays, soaking excess detergent from cleaner-saturated textiles, and many more applications besides.

Removing swirls – basic

This is a more long term solution for dealing with swirl marks and involves removing a thin layer of the clearcoat where the swirl exists down to a flat layer where there are no swirls. This requires a cutting polish and a lot of heat to be generated to achieve this and is therefore best suited to a machine polisher, although results can be achieved to a more limited extent by hand with plenty of patience and strength and stamina.

Filling swirls – basic

One method of getting rid of swirl marks is to basically fill up the mark with a filler (a bit like anti-wrinkle cream!!) so that there’s no longer a hole and sharp edges to catch the light. This method I prefer for working by hand as it does not require massive effort to break a product down, and by hand this method achieves better results.

Cleaning arches – Basic

Cleaning up the wheel and arch at the start of a detail can make a big difference to the end result. Even as part of a general wash, ensuring the wheel arches are fully cleaned out is important to ensure that the car doesn’t have a clean bodywork but then muddy covered arches which stand out a mile away!

Wheel cleaning – Basic

Cleaning the wheels on a car or bike can make a big difference. The wheels come into contact with various types of grime and dirt that might prove to be very difficult to remove. A simple guide will give insight into cleaning the wheels with less risk of damage or swirls.

Machine polishing by Rotary – basic

One of the best ways to take your car’s paintwork to the next level is to use a machine polisher to remove the swirl marks and enhance the gloss by burnishing the finish. Polishing can be done by hand or by a dual action polisher. However, the rotary polisher represents the next step in machine polishing: a tool highly capable of fast correction but also capable of very high clarity, sharp and deep finishes.