So I recently bought just about every damn thing imaginable to detail the new ride.
I got the PC with pads and Menzeran stuff from properautocare and the complete Zaino kit

So, I went to my local linens & things and a bed, bath and beyond to find out that Cannon/Fieldcrest towels are no onger around.
Instead I purchased some made by 'Supima' (sp?) which I made sure were 100% cotton and threading, etc.
They weren't cheap at all and were about the same I remember paying for Cannon/Fieldcrest last year.

So here I go and detail the car and the damn towels are leaving tons of lint and bs all over

I did check out the Pak Shak microfiber towels from Zano's Shine Shoppe, but noticed 2 things...
Foremost it reads "All of the MICROPAK micro fiber products are manufactured to strict specifications such as compositions of 70% Polyester and 30% Polyamide (by-product of nylon)"
I thought we did NOT want polyester at al in towels???
Also, they do not come in white, I remember in a thread reading that it is best to stick with white as somce colored towels could leave a residue from the die/chemicals/ink

So what are all you guys using?


Also, honestly I was a bit disappointed after doing the ENTIRE PC/Menzerna and Zaino process. The car is an '02 WS6 Black with just 10XXX miles on it. The pait wasn't bad at all and seemed to have been kept well. I figured the process would just make it tons better, right?
Well, after doing everything over a few days in my garage and following write-ups and directions to the exact tee...I still have some spider webbing/swirl marks

 

I use microfiber towels (the blue ones) that Sam's here carries. Dunno the brand but it gives me good results. PM me if you'd like the brand.

 

Nice to see an old time member! As for the towels did you happen to give a them a good wash and dry before using them? That should help remove excess fiber and lint. I currently use all Meguiars Microfiber towels for my detail..not a single problem with them at all. I'm not familar with using a PC or Zaino products. As I only use Meguiars by hand. But it is my understanding that Zaino is not used to remove scratches or swirls.

 

I've also heard that it does take some pratice using a PC to acheive the results your looking for. Maybe a few more attempts...?

 

ZaneO, one of the board members here, sells Pak Shak towels, and they are far and away the best towels I've ever used. As long as you take good care of them (liquid detergent, no fabric softener, wash in hot, spin twice, dry low temp), they won't bleed or fray.

As for the PC stuff, it does take some practice, but if you've got spider-webbing that is below the clear coat surface, the only way to fix that is to get it re-painted. Surface swirls and light scratches can be removed with the PC, but it takes some work. Don't be afraid to go over an area more than once or twice to get the imperfections out, and don't be afraid to use higher speeds (I max out at 5, just because I don't feel like I have full control of the polisher on 6) and moderate pressure.


-Mike

 

cobrakillerta...Please check out our site for Microfiber Towels http://www.brilexsolutions.com/brmi.html ........ http://www.brilexsolutions.com/stfimi.html ....... http://www.brilexsolutions.com/poorboysworld1.html .... And for your Swirl Marks check out the Poorboy's line of swirl removers... http://www.brilexsolutions.com/powosuswre25.html . If you have any questions about our towels or swirl removers, Please feel free to contact us.

Thanks, John

 

Griots garage sells nice towels for drying the car.

 

Microfiber for me.... If it works on Black it will work on anything...

 

meguiars gold class microfiber towel for detailing, absorber for drying. Best 2 products ive used

 

I use Tropicare's blue microfiber towles and wash mitt.

 

use a blower.

 

I am no longer offering towels to LS1tech members out of respect to our new sponsor Brilex.

I would contact John - it seems like he has some quality offerings and great prices.

 

I like and own a bunch of pakshak towels, aswell as plenty from many other autodetailing sources.
I refuse to use walmart/sams/etc MF's as they are junk.

John@Brilex, nice to see someone on the site offers detailing supplies. I'll be getting some Poorboy's through you.

I just tried some EX-P (i believe, one of the sealants, though i forget the name/number) on my truck and it is amazing. I'm in love I think.
Write up coming soon.

 

I use a good leather drying cloth or an absorber to dry. I use the 3M microfiber cloths to detail.

 

haha, thanks!
I never realized how long I've been on here. I'm always on/around but don't post much at all.
I did wash and dry them before hand, still hasn't helped

I've always heard good things about his towels. I found his site and noticed where it said "All of the MICROPAK micro fiber products are manufactured to strict specifications such as compositions of 70% Polyester and 30% Polyamide (by-product of nylon)".
I remember reading in the PC FAQ that we didn;t want to use polyester at all and to look for 100% cotton as the polyester could scratch

I kept the PC at 3 1/2-4 and was also a tad scared of putting any pressure on it as it was my first time using it and doing this process. Before the season ends I'll do it again and be more ballsy with it. Also, sorry I typed spider-webbing, definitly didn't mean that. I don't have any spider-webbing at all, rather just some swirls marks/etc.

Anyone use the Brilex towels yet?

 

Work great on windows though!

 

Quality microfiber towels are usually 70/30 or 80/20. As long as you get them from a quality source, they are safe to use. I have used microfiber for more than 4 years now with great success.

The PC is a gentle tool. For real defect removal, you'll need to use speed 5-6 with moderate pressure and slow passes (sometimes several). GM clearcoat is harder than some, so you may have use a light cutting pad (orange) with Menzerna IP to make good progress. Never move on to the next step until you're completely satisfied.

 

If you're talking about the PC FAQ in the "Hall of Fame", I don't think I really went in-depth on towel composition, though I probably should have. I know Sal Zaino is a big fan of 100% cotton towels in his FAQ for Zaino products, and I'm not disagreeing with him, so much as I've never had a problem with any good quality microfiber towels, regardless of their composition.

Feel free to experiment with the PC on higher speeds. It took me a few passes to really get the feel of it and not be afraid of going past 4. Once I felt more comfortable with it and started getting a good technique, I upped the speed to 5 on heavy and light polishes, but keep the speed around 3 when applying a glaze, just because it's so thin and tends to splatter. Glad to hear it's "just" swirl marks. Some people tend to have unrealistic expectations about what the tool can fix.

I'm probably due for another set of buffing/polishing towels, and will be buying from Brilex, to support our sponsors. At the very least, I would recommend:
1-2 large waffle-weave drying towels
3-4 (or more, if your budget allows) buffing towels


-Mike

 

I use the DF concour. They're a little pricey, but they last and are the softest/best quality I've seen. I think they're Zaino approved as well (as least according to their site).
http://www.dftowel.com/

 

not for me. they dont absorb aswell and streak badly.