Hello,

I want to do some serious detailing this winter. Is it possible to get good results using Prima Swirl without a PC or Orbital?

If so, what is the best item for application with the Swirl?

I see this .. http://new.minimania.com/web/Item/NMA7126/InvDetail.cfm

Are there any threads about applying Prima products w/o a PC?



If one of you fellows selling products could assist I will gladly buy the products from you.

Also, after applying the Swirl, should I put on the Amigo or what product?

Thanks for any help. I have a PW/B and there are quite a few swirls in the black roof. The pw is great shape.

 

Perhaps I am pronouncing it incorrectly?

 

serious detail w/o a pc... I remember when i had my first beer should be ok though, will take a lot more work and you will not get even workmanship unless you can pace yourself somehow.

 

ok ok So if I get the new PC do i need to get an orbital thing also? i have a drill that is nice.. is it useful at ALL or no?? thanks for the reply !

 

PC (Portercable) is an orbital polisher. I have been able to do more than enough with just a pc. Certain things should be left to the pros like rotaries.

 

Thanks for your replies. I really appreciate it. I'll try to get the new PC and see how I can do with that and the Prima products.

 

It might be hard to see from these pictures, but the owner of this black Mercedes SLK decided that he could polish his paint with a drill using a kit, and this is what he ended up with before calling it quits. Good thing because he did a lot of damage, many parts that are not correctable. It's not just the buffer trails, but the scratches, and gouges, and thinned paint...





Prima Swirl CAN be used without a polisher. I've used it by hand to remove stains off paint and to polish up chrome. I've also used it by hand to improve (notice I didn't say fix or eliminate) finger nail scratches under door handles.

But to use Swirl to get the results you see below requires a machine polisher unless the paint was very soft, and that's not the case with MINI paint.



In the old days before clear coats, single stage paint jobs (no clearcoat) were much softer and great improvement could be done by hand using abrasive rubbing compounds. That's why today, you can polish out single stage jobs with a PC to a level that one would normally expect to require the more powerful rotary buffer (a professional tool).

I carry the 7424XP polisher that's preconfigured with the proper Prima backing plate and polishing pad to get started. It also comes with my exclusive mods invented by me...the PC Guard and One Grip and housing bolts.

http://showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=115&bc=no

I also made a 2.5 hour DVD on polishing out a car from cleaning it to taping it to polishing and waxing covering an entire 12 hour day. My then partner worked for Meguiar's and I was therefore a Meguiar's supporter as well. Today he works for Autogeek.

http://showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=218&bc=no

I also carry a 3.5" backing plate for the PC
http://showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=215&bc=no

and associated pads in 4.5" size in either the Prima orange or Prima white densities.
http://showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=62&bc=no
http://showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=189&bc=no

It's essential to use the pads recommended by the manufacturer with the system you choose.

Richard

 

Since I have never used the Prima products I can't say how they would work by hand.
But there are plenty of polishes that can get great results by hand.
It will take much longer to do by hand though.
Invest in a PC or even a Flex DA if you want outstanding results.

 

To properly answer this question, you need to realize that the Prima line has both machine applied and hand applied products.

Prima Swirl, Finish, and Cut are polishes that utilize diminishing abrasives. They work by physically removing defects in the paint. The better you can work those abrasives, the finer the polish gets, the better the results. It's very difficult to break these polishes down by hand to get the results you would expect from a PC or other machine polishing device.

There are hand applied products, and Swirl can be used this way as well, but they are really no different from the machine polishes. They are usually only mildly effective and require a ton of elbow grease to work properly.

Also in the Prima line are products like Amigo, Banana Gloss, Hydro, and Epic to a certain degree that can greatly improve the finish with minimal effort.

Amigo has fillers that masks minor scratches and swirls in the paint while added gloss and richness. This can be used by hand or machine. It needs to be sealed with a wax (Epic, Banana Gloss, or Hydro)

Banana Gloss is a hand applied flash curing carnauba wax that has filling capability and lasts about a month.

Hydro is a hand applied spray wax that's used during the drying stages of washing your car and lasts 1 to 2 months.

Epic is a polymer sealent that lasts 4 to 6 months and can be applied by hand or machine. When Epic is used with an aggressive polishing pad on the PC, Epic has both polishing and waxing properties effectively turning it into a one step polish/wax.

Here is how Hydro and Amigo used by hand can remove a machine instilled hologram.
http://www.showcardetailing.com/foru...read.php?t=743

Before

After


Here's a video I made on using Prima Nero plastic dressing


In this video I'm buffing with Amigo with a PC, but applying Banana Gloss by hand on my MINI


Using a PC, buffing the A-pillars is a breeze



I know you are just trying to be helpful, but the title of this thread is asking about using Prima without a PC.....

 

Awesome thanks! I have watched all of your videos and have read/viewed nearly all the paint corrections on your website/forum. Very helpful and inspiring! I will save up a bit and buy the PC from you with the "mods" when I can. My A pillars and front hood need it badly.

I have a dime size area in the black roof where I can tell the clear coat is gone somehow. Any suggestions on repair for that area?

Very helpful Richard, Thanks again!

I also noticed on the MINIs you detail that you don't usually tape off the front bumper. Do you use the PC on that as well or do you do that section by hand?

I'll practice up on the wife's SUV

You are up pretty early out west

 

You're welcome! I would normally provide answers a bit quicker, but I'm overseas at the moment..been traveling since just before Thanksgiving, but I'm returning at the end of the week, so once again, my replies might get sporadic as I'm a day ahead over here.

Can you take a picture of that spot on the roof? What makes you think the clear coat is gone? If the clear coat were truly missing, the spot would resemble this, which I highly doubt.


I'm guessing that the spot is probably hazy/fuzzy looking? Maybe even white looking? Possibly from a bird poo etching? Bird poo when not removed actually leaves holes in the paint that can be marginally improved through buffing. I use a 10x magnifying loupe to confirm my suspicions when inspecting paint.

Show me a picture and I can provide better answers.

Richard

 

Octane guy's posts keep me from doing work

Love reading your write ups im probably going to take the prima jump on my next refill.

Write more write more.

 

Haha thanks! As soon as I get back, I've got a bunch of cars scheduled..more writeups on the way. Still working on my writeup from the 3 day super detail in Florida...
I tape the front bumper to avoid staining any trim, or getting polish in the cracks. Now that I have PreWow, I tape a lot less and don't bother taping the plastic for fear of staining.

For most of the MINI, the PC is a great tool. There are very few spots where the PC won't work. Primarily the most difficult spots are the same on most cars i.e. Under the door handles.

Get my DVD, you'll be polishing like a pro in minutes. When my customers come to my shop, I include free training so they will polish with confidence. For those that cannot make it, the DVD is a good substitute.

As for being early...I'm actually 16 hours ahead of you...it's 11PM for me.