Deflowering my PC

[bamatt]

I am finally doing it today. Let the fun begin
More info to come later provided there is still a muscle in my body that I can stand to move...

[Jeremy1026]

Originally Posted by bamatt

I am finally doing it today. Let the fun begin
More info to come later provided there is still a muscle in my body that I can stand to move...

Yahoo!!! We want many many pics . Remember, be gentle, it can hurt the 1st time

[tigwantstoplay]

Originally Posted by Jeremy1026

Yahoo!!! We want many many pics . Remember, be gentle, it can hurt the 1st time

[kenchan]

i want to see picts too of bamatt at work and also the finished
product.

[SB]

It's now dark, Bamatt. Where are the pictures?

[BlimeyCabrio]

She's passed out on the concrete beside her MINI. It will look great come dawn, though.

[bamatt]

I'm tired & I don't think I smell all that pleasant either as the dog won't even sit by me. I hate doing all that work & not being able to admire the shiny results til tomorrow That's all you're getting out of me today. I'm going to sit down & have a beer(s).

Pics & thoughts will come tomorrow sneak peek... Meguiar's M80 & Klasse Sealant Glaze are both a b!tch to wipe off

[mbcoops]

You can use a spritz of water, QD or your breath to help get SG off. I've thought it was all off only to find a lot of it still on there days later. Great stuff, though.

I'm going for my second attempt with the PC tomorrow - first time scared me and I never went back. I left mini scratches on my black roof and I freaked out. I was using poorboy's polish and sonus pads. I got some LC pads and numerous polishes now, so we'll see how it goes.

mb

[CR&PW&JB]

Hey, bamatt ! The M80 and Klasse glaze better make your MINI shine like the North Star or we'll be chanting at you... "Prima, Prima, Prima...".

Enjoy the beers and sleep well (I'm sure you will) ! We'll be looking forward to pics of the hottest looking 'Vertible tomorrow !

And btw, I second this request:

i want to see picts of bamatt at work...

[mcdbrendan]

O I am excited for the results. I am all hyped up on Red Bull and its 1:21 in the AM. Not good.

[Sissy]

Darn. It is almost 1:30 am. Theresa, put down the beer(s), run outside and take flash pictures. We'll wait. Can't sleep. I've still not taken the PC out of it's box. Every time I think "today's the day to learn how to use the PC," there's not enough time to tape off every stinking piece of plastic trim. So, I'm becoming a Kenchan convert. Hydro Hydro Hydro.... Spent this morning (yesterday morning that is) washing/hydroing Flo. She's squeeky clean/shining like a new penny. Luv Hydro. Guess I've said that already.

[kenchan]

where did bamatt go? she's not still SLEEPING is she?!!

[Sissy]

Originally Posted by kenchan

where did bamatt go? she's not still SLEEPING is she?!!

Do you think she's had one or two too many brewskies? Or maybe she's so sore she can't get out to take pictures? Drat, I've been up all night waiting for her pictures.......

[mcdbrendan]

Originally Posted by Sissy

Do you think she's had one or two too many brewskies? Or maybe she's so sore she can't get out to take pictures? Drat, I've been up all night waiting for her pictures.......

I think we all have!

[Detailers Paradise]

Originally Posted by kenchan

where did bamatt go? she's not still SLEEPING is she?!!

Originally Posted by Yucca Patrol

anxiously awaiting photos. . . . .

Originally Posted by Sissy

Do you think she's had one or two too many brewskies? Or maybe she's so sore she can't get out to take pictures? Drat, I've been up all night waiting for her pictures.......

Sheesh, bamatt... these guys are impatient, aren't they?!

-Heather

[bamatt]

OK here I am I feel like I have been beaten with a sock full of rocks but I can still move my fingers to type...
Well... I'm not real happy

It very well may be poor form & user error on my part as this was my 1st attempt at using the PC but the PC + Mequiar's M80 Speed Glaze didn't remove my swirls. All it did was improve them slightly. Last October I turned my MINI into a little CR mirror by using 3 grades in aggressiveness of Sonus polishes & applying them by hand. To most non-OCD laymen on the street my MINI would look really good. But to us Detailing 101'ers & me, it only looks "OK" & definitely doesn't represent the 8 hours that was spent on it yesterday.

Swirls before: (sry but I didn't get a really good swirl-representing before shot)


Finish After the PC:




Compared to how my finish looked after I used the 3 Sonus polishes by hand in October:


The only good thing I can say about the experience is that my bonnet stripes are the original ones that came on the MINI & after 2 years they were permanently dingy & would never come clean. I threw caution to the wind & ran the PC with some M80 over them & they are perfectly white & brand new looking once again:


I don't know what to say I am not very happy with my results. Hopefully I can show Heather & OG my results at the dragon & get some suggestions. MBE I need to be taught how to properly use the PC. But in comparing using the PC with M80 to the Sonus polishes applied by hand the Sonus wins. I mean when I used the Sonus & saw the MINI finish the next morning I was jumping up & down & walking around the MINI in awe & amazement at how perfect it looked but this morning when I saw the MINI for the 1st time in the light, all I could think is I want my 8 hours back

[Detailers Paradise]

I'm sorry to hear that you didn't get great results! Don't worry though... although I can't get your 8 hours back, I'm sure we can help you out. You can remove those swirls- we just may have to tweak some things. So...

What pad did you use? How much time did you spend on each section? Did you use any other abrasive polish in your process?

-Heather

[BlimeyCabrio]

Sorry it didn't turn out the way you wanted. Definitely I think you can improve on your results - I've had good luck with the PC and M80 (and Swirl and Finish) on my minivan - haven't needed to polish out Blimey just yet.

[bamatt]

Originally Posted by Detailers Paradise

IWhat pad did you use? How much time did you spend on each section? Did you use any other abrasive polish in your process?

-Heather

I used the Mequiar's 8006 pad. I couldn't tell you how long I spent on each section as it was a long day & it's kinda a blur at this point . You know the color CR is kinda like black in that it shows imperfections more readily but it also looks twice as amazing when it is perfect. Ahhh well. Even though my swirls really weren't that bad to start with, I feel like I needed more agressivenes & frankly the MINI bonnet isn't the easiest to learn on with all the curves going on

[CR&PW&JB]

bamatt, I'm sure you'll get tons of compliments on your shiny and gorgeous MINI, even if **you** know there are still some swirls remaining.

Maybe it's time to move over to the Prima line of products and go at it with some Prima Swirl (did a great job on my CR MINI). I don't think you need something as agressive as the Cut product, just Swirl and the white pad will probably do the trick.

Hope your weary bones and muscles get to feeling better soon !!

[Detailers Paradise]

Originally Posted by bamatt

I used the Mequiar's 8006 pad.
Even though my swirls really weren't that bad to start with, I feel like I needed more agressivenes & frankly the MINI bonnet isn't the easiest to learn on with all the curves going on

I honestly think that the Meguiar's 8006 pad probably wasn't aggressive enough for the job. It may be that the M80 wasn't aggressive enough either (I'll let OG answer that one). I know that when paired with polishes like the Sonus polishes and the Prima polishes, the 8006 pad is more of a finishing or light polishing pad as opposed to a light cutting or swirl removing pad.

Keep in mind that M80 has filler/concealers in it. So, I think that it may have appeared that the swirls were diminished or gone after you were done polishing. Then, when you used the Klasse AIO, which has some very powerful paint cleansers in it, you essentially cleaned the fillers out- revealing the reality of the swirls. AIO will always remove fillers.

Tip: Whenever I use a product that has fillers in it but I am not at the finishing stages (in other words, I'm abrading out swirls still), I spritz each section with a small amount of rubbing alcohol and wipe it down. The rubbing alcohol removes the fillers so I can see what's really going on. Fillers can be really great at the final stages when you're tired of messing with that final 2% of perfection, but I don't like them when I'm doing true abrading. They "trick" you into thinking you've abraded enough when often you haven't.

Also, I think OctaneGuy often uses M80 after he's used the rotary to remove the majority of the swirls, right OG? I don't think it's powerful enough to do hardcore swirl removal. OG will correct me if I'm wrong... OG??

My advice?
If you still have your Sonus polishes, use them with the Lake Country pads. (if you don't, then I'd try to talk you into the Prima polishes) I would suggest getting an orange pad and a white pad. You'll probably only need the white pad, but you may find the orange one handy too.

On your curvy areas, you might want to consider the 4" pads in addition to the standard 6.5" pads. For most, you add these after you've learned on the 6.5" pads but at the same time they are very helpful on the MINIs curvy spots.

I'm sure you're not feeling up to another long day, but I don't think your swirls are that far out of reach! I think you just need to tweak a few things.

-Heather

[Detailers Paradise]

Here's another tip for anyone out there just learning OR if you're about to use the PC on a different car than usual...

Start out by working on just a 2'x'2 (or thereabouts) section. Ideally, choose a nice flat, horizontal section.
Get this section perfect before moving on to the rest of the car!
(up until the point at which you would normally wax).

You'll find that focusing on just a small area and figuring out what combination of polishes, pads, timing, speed, pressure, etc. works best on your paint is the best way to polish. That way, after you've found the perfect combo, THEN you go on to the rest of the car.
It's much more efficient and less frustrating doing it this way.

In fact, even with all of our PC experience, this is exactly what Nick and I both do when we start polishing a car. You never know what exactly will work until you "get to know" the paint. A 2'x2' section will help you get to know it.

-Heather

[Sissy]

Heather,
Thanks for the suggestion. I think this is a big reason for my procrastination. A small section wouldn't be so challenging, and I was debating on where to start. The horizontal or vertical. I think I'll need to get a stool so I can reach the center of the roof, however. I'll be applying Epic with the white pad that came with my PC as you suggested to me on the phone some weeks ago. Flo doesn't have any scratches nor swirls since I've been very careful with her washes. Now if I could talk my son into coming over for a tape party.
Sharon

[Detailers Paradise]

Originally Posted by Sissy

Heather,
Thanks for the suggestion. I think this is a big reason for my procrastination. A small section wouldn't be so challenging, and I was debating on where to start. The horizontal or vertical. I think I'll need to get a stool so I can reach the center of the roof, however. I'll be applying Epic with the white pad that came with my PC as you suggested to me on the phone some weeks ago. Flo doesn't have any scratches nor swirls since I've been very careful with her washes. Now if I could talk my son into coming over for a tape party.
Sharon

And if you're only applying Epic then that's easy as pie anyway!

With applying Epic you really don't need to do all the trial and error on just a small section. Just dribble a little Epic (after shaking it very well) on your pad (2 strings of "spaghetti" in a circle around the pad), place the pad on the paint and move it around just a sec so it doesn't splatter when you turn it on, then turn on the machine and go! You'll have to add just a wee small bit of Epic after each major panel. After you've applied it all over the paint, then wait 45 minutes or so. Then wipe it all off with a MF cloth. Done!

Honestly, there's you'll find right away that you don't need to focus on just a small section to just apply Epic. Plus, you don't want to wipe off Epic right away anyway. Get it all over the paint and wait 45 minutes before doing so.

So get your son over and get to it! I promise it'll be easy as pie.

-Heather

[Sissy]

Hee hee..... time for me to recall past due debts. Thanks, Heather. I think I can do this.