Detailed knowledge for detailersArticles related to correction
Paint can be repaired in several different ways. Polishing is very popular one amongst detailers, but not the only one. Some forms of paint repair are: respray, spot-repair and filling in chips. The need for what form of repair often depends on the size of the damage and/or the location.
Detailing World is one of the biggest online community’s in the world of detailing. The forum is based vBulletin and holds many thousands of members. Many detailing manufacturers, webshops and distributors are found here.
The 3-bucket method is just like the 2-bucket method, a generally accepted safe way to wash a vehicle. The difference is that you use 3 buckets instead of 2. The third bucket can be used for more then 1 different reason.
Different jobs require a different speed setting on your polish machine. Although they can differ slightly per machine, the settings are fairly general per action. Knowing the right speed setting can make the difference between half results, and proper results.
An applicator pad is a small round tool that can be used to apply a liquid or paste product. It is often made of a foam-like material, but can also be made from microfibre or random fabric.
Although often overlooked, the sprayer is one of the more common used tools in the detailing arsenal. These distribute the liquid in the bottle to the surface you spray it on in a fine mist. Using a proper sprayhead can make a big difference.
Surface tension is the energy a liquid contains that prevents its surface to be deformed by an object with a higher surface tension/energy. The surface energy of water has as a side effect that it can form beads on surfaces with a very low surface energy or high repulsive force.
Surfactants are additives for certain products to lower the surface tension of a liquid. This helps the liquid to mix and combine with another substance, making it easier to combine a mixture of several (types of) substances. This acts as an emulsion, wetting-agent, detergent, foaming agent and/or dispersants. Surfactants combine hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties, which allows them to interact with both types.
Hydrophobic is the term used when a surface “pushes away water”. The word means as much as “fear/anxiety for water”. Although there is no actual fear or anxiety, it refers to the effect that looks as if it is pushing away the water. (there is no actual repulsive force involved)
The refractive index is a way of measuring how lights behaves through a certain medium. This number gives an indication of how light reacts and how light is reflected. Manufacturers use (among other things) this as an indication of how light is reflected by a protective product and how that will make the surface look.