First rotary detail of 2010
05-03-2010, 08:09 AM
#1
First rotary detail of 2010 After working the past 6 Friday nights in a row and almost every Saturday I was able to crawl out of bed on Sunday morning and use the rotary for first time this year. This car is a 2009 and it hasn’t ever been detailed. It sat at the dealer, we took the car home and it never got any type of polish or protection. Even through the winter it was never protected.
I didn’t have to use anything special. I just used a tiny 2 inch medium cut pad and a 4 inch light cut pad. I only used one product to remove the swirls; Meguiars Swirl Remover X. That’s it…. You don’t need a lot of different bottles of crap with a rotary; if you get the hang of the machine you’ll get some amazing results.
The car has a clear film bra and I even had the ***** to polish that, I think it really helped. In the pictures it’s hard to even notice the clear film on the entire bumper, partial fenders and partial hood. Not to toot my own horn but this car was pretty beat, I only used one pad and one product and it came out damn good. I guess the practice with the rotary is finally starting to pay off.
Usually people skip the lower section of the doors, tight spaces and rocker panels. The 2 inch pad makes those areas easier to detail then large flat areas. Something about a really polished lower half of a door or rocker panel. Not many people spend the time on them and when they shine I think it really brings out the coolness.
Anyhow, the fiancé is physced, she’s driving my car in the rain and she wants to show the car guys in work how many swirls were removed tomorrow. She points out swirls to me now, she details with me and she runs through the door jambs and lug nut holes with little brushes. She has a really good eye for the little details.
She really likes her car, takes awesome car of it, lets me go off in my own world to detail it, helps me out, brags about it and appreciates the work. She won’t smoke, eat or drink in the car; she doesn’t even like other people in her car.
I didn’t have to use anything special. I just used a tiny 2 inch medium cut pad and a 4 inch light cut pad. I only used one product to remove the swirls; Meguiars Swirl Remover X. That’s it…. You don’t need a lot of different bottles of crap with a rotary; if you get the hang of the machine you’ll get some amazing results.
The car has a clear film bra and I even had the ***** to polish that, I think it really helped. In the pictures it’s hard to even notice the clear film on the entire bumper, partial fenders and partial hood. Not to toot my own horn but this car was pretty beat, I only used one pad and one product and it came out damn good. I guess the practice with the rotary is finally starting to pay off.
Usually people skip the lower section of the doors, tight spaces and rocker panels. The 2 inch pad makes those areas easier to detail then large flat areas. Something about a really polished lower half of a door or rocker panel. Not many people spend the time on them and when they shine I think it really brings out the coolness.
Anyhow, the fiancé is physced, she’s driving my car in the rain and she wants to show the car guys in work how many swirls were removed tomorrow. She points out swirls to me now, she details with me and she runs through the door jambs and lug nut holes with little brushes. She has a really good eye for the little details.
She really likes her car, takes awesome car of it, lets me go off in my own world to detail it, helps me out, brags about it and appreciates the work. She won’t smoke, eat or drink in the car; she doesn’t even like other people in her car.
05-03-2010, 08:12 AM
#3
I know people usally post a list of their process so here goes:
Wash
Meguiars swirl remover X (with DeWalt rotary 849, lowest speed possible as well)
2 inch pad
4 inch pad
It was only 1 pass of the rotary as well. I got done kind of quick so I decided to put some sealent on the rims.
Wash
Meguiars swirl remover X (with DeWalt rotary 849, lowest speed possible as well)
2 inch pad
4 inch pad
It was only 1 pass of the rotary as well. I got done kind of quick so I decided to put some sealent on the rims.
05-03-2010, 08:13 AM
#4
Looks very slick.
Glad it came out like you expected. I cannot wait to get my 1st Rotary.
I went over the T/A this past weekend. Washed, Dry, NXT 2.0 all around and got around to dressing the rims and tires.
The car has swirls and thats probably the most annoying. Its not bad but in direct Sun you will notice.
Glad it came out like you expected. I cannot wait to get my 1st Rotary.
I went over the T/A this past weekend. Washed, Dry, NXT 2.0 all around and got around to dressing the rims and tires.
The car has swirls and thats probably the most annoying. Its not bad but in direct Sun you will notice.
05-03-2010, 08:15 AM
#5
I know people usally post a list of their process so here goes:
Wash
Meguiars swirl remover X (with DeWalt rotary 849, lowest speed possible as well)
2 inch pad
4 inch pad
It was only 1 pass of the rotary as well. I got done kind of quick so I decided to put some sealent on the rims.
Wash
Meguiars swirl remover X (with DeWalt rotary 849, lowest speed possible as well)
2 inch pad
4 inch pad
It was only 1 pass of the rotary as well. I got done kind of quick so I decided to put some sealent on the rims.
05-03-2010, 08:18 AM
#6
It's nice when the car is already mint and all you need is a wash/seal, she'll get that next week and my car will get a serious detail (clay bar and possibly a compound).
The clear paint film is worth every penny. I'll never own another car without it. Stops the rock chips, life time warranty, a month of dead summer bugs come off with a mitt and some soapy water, you barely see the seam....it's a life saver. The clear film knocks about 1.5 hours off my detail time. I hate detailing the front end of cars nevermind cars that are beat. It seems like you get nowhere.
I like to polish cars once a month, even if it's with something like a cleaner with barely any bite. Something about the feeling of polished clear and the way it looks or at least makes me think it looks. I like the squeaky sound when I run my fingers across the paint and how the car can be driven 90 miles a day and look better then new. I like to detail anyhow, it's like sitting in front of the TV for me. Kind of relaxing and some people offer lots and lots of cash...that doesnt hurt the cause :-)
The clear paint film is worth every penny. I'll never own another car without it. Stops the rock chips, life time warranty, a month of dead summer bugs come off with a mitt and some soapy water, you barely see the seam....it's a life saver. The clear film knocks about 1.5 hours off my detail time. I hate detailing the front end of cars nevermind cars that are beat. It seems like you get nowhere.
I like to polish cars once a month, even if it's with something like a cleaner with barely any bite. Something about the feeling of polished clear and the way it looks or at least makes me think it looks. I like the squeaky sound when I run my fingers across the paint and how the car can be driven 90 miles a day and look better then new. I like to detail anyhow, it's like sitting in front of the TV for me. Kind of relaxing and some people offer lots and lots of cash...that doesnt hurt the cause :-)
05-03-2010, 08:33 AM
#7
Car looks awesome. You do good work Joe. I'll tell you what using the PC with swirl X and an orange pad on speed 5 it would take a long time to get a decent cut. Those rotaries are not joke, glad you know what your doing. Great job. I've been thinking about that clear film...
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How do you polish a layer of clear film?
05-03-2010, 09:07 AM
#9
It was too easy! It never is so that one time every other year I'm going to savor it!
The clear paint film? I just used the rotary at 1,000 rpm, a finishing pad and the polish. I have been told to use a plastic polish but I'm worried it'll be too abrasive. You dont want to put pressure on the polisher and you dont want to detail near the edge. It's kind the same thing as paint really but the edges are where you'll have trouble in a hurry. The clear films go on with alot of lateral sctatch marks from the installer using a plastic blade to get the air pockets out. You can have a swirl free car and f*cked up paint film. It's correctable but you need to be easy on it. It really isnt hard, as much common sense applies as when you first picked up the rotary.
I want to give it a few days in the sun and look at different angles, if I like the results that much and feel it helped as much as it seemed then I'll try the softest 2 inch pad I can get and plastic polish. There are parts of the film that I refuse to detail, the little mirror patches, the 2 inch wide peice on the bottom opening of the front bumper and things like that. Not worth the risk.
I have a scratch in my front left bumper in the film, it would of otherwise been in the paint. I'm going to see if I can polish it out.....up the ante right?!
The clear paint film? I just used the rotary at 1,000 rpm, a finishing pad and the polish. I have been told to use a plastic polish but I'm worried it'll be too abrasive. You dont want to put pressure on the polisher and you dont want to detail near the edge. It's kind the same thing as paint really but the edges are where you'll have trouble in a hurry. The clear films go on with alot of lateral sctatch marks from the installer using a plastic blade to get the air pockets out. You can have a swirl free car and f*cked up paint film. It's correctable but you need to be easy on it. It really isnt hard, as much common sense applies as when you first picked up the rotary.
I want to give it a few days in the sun and look at different angles, if I like the results that much and feel it helped as much as it seemed then I'll try the softest 2 inch pad I can get and plastic polish. There are parts of the film that I refuse to detail, the little mirror patches, the 2 inch wide peice on the bottom opening of the front bumper and things like that. Not worth the risk.
I have a scratch in my front left bumper in the film, it would of otherwise been in the paint. I'm going to see if I can polish it out.....up the ante right?!
05-03-2010, 09:10 AM
#10
Car looks awesome. You do good work Joe. I'll tell you what using the PC with swirl X and an orange pad on speed 5 it would take a long time to get a decent cut. Those rotaries are not joke, glad you know what your doing. Great job. I've been thinking about that clear film...
I sold my PC for a Cyclo...then I kept the Cyclo and got a rotary. The Cyclo never gets used anymore but if you want a random orbital with bite I feel the Cyclo is the only way to go. I use the rotary for everything from headlights, paint and now to the clear paint film.
You should sell your PC as a package with all of the toys, get a rotary package and start saving yourself hours. Your 8 hour detail would of been 3.
05-03-2010, 09:19 AM
#11
I sold my PC for a Cyclo...then I kept the Cyclo and got a rotary. The Cyclo never gets used anymore but if you want a random orbital with bite I feel the Cyclo is the only way to go. I use the rotary for everything from headlights, paint and now to the clear paint film.
You should sell your PC as a package with all of the toys, get a rotary package and start saving yourself hours. Your 8 hour detail would of been 3.
You should sell your PC as a package with all of the toys, get a rotary package and start saving yourself hours. Your 8 hour detail would of been 3.
Plus you are way less prone to f'up. Those multistep process's still take time and I just feel safer with the porter cable.
