Detailing steps?
 

thinking about grabbing some stuff from the BLACKFIRE line up.. what would i need to correct light scratches from drying with a shammy, and then i want to do a glaze? if im correct to protect the paint.

http://www.autogeek.net/blackfire-kits.html

What products and in what steps do i do them and can i do it all by hand?

what im assuming is

wash
clay bar
compound
polish
glaze?
wax?

If anyone can point me in a good direction thatd be great.

you wont get the best results IMO bye doing it bye hand
you will spend alot more time doing it bye hand as well

also depending on the surface and age of paint, you can probably skip compounding all together, a light to medium polish will get the job done just fine,


basic steps i try to follow

Washing: rinse down the surface of the area first, trying to remove as much dirt/grime as you can, invest in a foam lance gun or a foam cannon, this is a pre-wash helping soften dirt/grime before attempting a hand wash,

IMO always use a two bucket methond, clean water in one bucket you use to rinse off the mit, the other filled with soap/water you use to touch the car, always do one panel at a time, try to rinse the mit as much as possable

claying: LUBE LUBE LUBE!! lol the more the better, dont use water, and dont use soap/water, use a quick detailers or a special lubrication desinated for clay baring

Compound, Depending on the age/ condition of the paint, this can most likely be skipped,
but i would reccomend using an oribtal machine of some kind, you will get the best results and cut down time as well

Polish: IMO again depending on age/condition of paint, a nice polish will get the job done, usually medium to light polished will be all you need

Sealants: protect the paintwork and finish, you can actually skip waxing all together if you use a good enough sealants, i personally really enjoy using Sonax Polimer Net Shield, spray on, wipe off, nice 4-5 months of protection

Wax: anything but spray waxes IMO work best, anything Carnauba will do a great job and give you a nice deap shine


i also really enjoy using Adam's and Sonax products if you want to check those out as well

im sure other people will chime in with other options as well :thumbsup:

thanks, im wondering if my harbor freight buffer is enough to use? im worried about burning my paint...Is that easy to do? haha.

if you keep the speed low and dont put a lot of pressure on it you should be fine. most modern day orbital buffers wont burn since they "orbit" and don't stay in the same spot. Most also stop spinning when to much force is applied

you can deff burn the paint if your not careful

look into some videos on Youtube,
i try to never put any pressure down on my machine, i just let the weight of the machine do its job, if it means i need to take several passes on one area, so be it,

i just cant see spending the Money on a DA, im no pro, so spending 400+ dollars just seems silly IMO


i actually had an old trunk from my old car i would teach myself on, used to scuff it up with keys, sand paper etc etc and take what i read about and what i watched from Youtube and practiced

also, not sure if your HF polisher is a palm polisher, but if it is, IMO they dont do crap, they dont spin enough to actually see results

Don't do it by hand, honestly the time and effort put into it just isn't economical at all to do a great job. Take the time and get a dual action polisher. Griot's Garage 6" can often be found on sale for less than $130.

It is near impossible to burn the paint with a polisher such as the Porter Cable 7424XP or Griot's Garage 6", if someone manages to I will congratulate anyone who does. The nature of the machine stopping rotation when excess pressure is applied reduces heat on the panel. This does not apply to a forced rotation polisher like the Flex 3401 or a rotary polisher which does not orbit and applies heat to the same area unless moved. Additionally multiple options exist under $150 for polishers in the entry level range. Pressure changes is dependent on paint condition and the exact machine to provide the best performance.

Ok, so is it worth it to buy these? It's $220 on Walmart, but I don't want to feel like I'm missing anything. 1600 PSI Pressure Washer, Foam Cannon Attachment, and a Megular DA System Power tool.

My steps would be to pre-rinse, soap up, wash down, dry with microfiber towels, apply wax by hand, and then buff. Am I missing anything or am I good?

Move the buffing/polishing before waxing. Get the paint cleaned up then protect it with wax. Is the DA power system the drill attachment? Unfortunately if it is you will soon find out that it doesn't have the power. Id recommend just going with a dedicated polisher like the Griots 6" or even the Harbor Freight one if you have to over it.


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My steps for detailing is as follows...

1) Wash with a 2 bucket method.
2) Dry with drying towels and using a leaf blower to blow water out of crevices. (Specifically in the mirrors, the front bumper, and wheels).
3) Run hand over the paint and it should feel smooth
3a) If smooth, skip this step, if not -- Use a clay bar with plenty of lube
3b) I use meguiars Ultimate Compound or Polish (depending on if needed at the time)
4) Apply Meguiar's Gold Class Carnauba Plus Wax
5) Dress tires with Meguiars Nxt Gen Tech Tire Shine
6) Buff off Wax after dressing tires to allow drying time
7) Quick Detailer on the windows
8) Apply headlight protectant

Done