Detailing Truck With Christmas Money; Need Advice

[Drunken Hamster]

You can go from one step to the next--depending on your energy level. After I install a sealant I usually let the truck sit overnight to give the sealant a chance to "bond" onto the paint. I put the wax on the next day. I think if you take a beer break between steps you will be OK with the exception of the sealant as explained above. With most sealants and waxes the least amount of product you use to better results you will get.
Jay

I see. So just try to spread as little out as evenly as I can? Will I be able to see a physical, visible difference?

Also, lol, I'm 20. Energy levels are high, and once I get into a project, I GET INTO IT. I usually don't even stop to eat or drink and save bathroom breaks for the last second. Lol. When I built my RC plane, it took 13 hours. I only had breakfast that day, and not nearly enough water.

But going like that isn't healthy, so I think I will take a drink break between steps. The washing will be the hardest because I'll have to immediately dry right after or else get water spots and streaks :/

Claying will be easy. One panel at a time. The rewash after, just as tedious as the first wash. Speaking of which, do I towel it off after the second wash to get the clay bar residue off? Or do I not do that due to the risk of towel fibers rubbing off? Should I wash all of my towels regardless of their current use{only used about half of them}?

Hopefully, the buffing and polishing aren't too hard. Again, I'll go a panel at a time with both processes. Difficult spots will include the hood and the roof, but the rest shouldn't be an issue. What do I do if some gets on the plastics, glass, lights, or chrome?

Glaze seems pretty straightforward. Apply, rub in, make sure there's enough for the whole truck. One panel at a time.

Sealant and wax, one panel at a time. And I'll let it sit overnight like you suggested, as long as it's okay to still drive it one other place before it sits while it has just the sealant on it.

 

[MaizeNBlue]

And down the rabbit hole he goes.... enjoy!

 

[ramportin1]

You can take painters tape and tape off all your black trim pieces, i would actually recommend doing this. i do it with mine because im a bit ****, but there are products you do NOT want on your trims so taping em off in the beginning will only help. i personally would not recommend driving and then waxing, your bound to grab dust/dirt, bug guts, road grime etc while driving and you dont wanna wax over that. i try to imagine things like fresh sealants and even wax as wet paint curing, you dont want a single contaminate getting in it while its curing. I may be a little over cautious with that, but to me its WAY better safe with as much work as a full detail can be, then sorry.

 

[Pull Ya]

^^^^^ This is great advise!!!!
Jay

 

[demort71]

Good luck buffing it out. IF you have zero experience buffing vehicles, you could screw up your paint job and burn through the paint, especially on corners. I would pay someone to do it unless you are experienced with this aspect of auto detailing. It's a lot of work to do it right. I detailed used cars in the 1970s and just for myself in later years.

I have clay barred some of my own vehicles. It's tedious if there is a lot of crap in your paint. I did it to remove fly ash that had settled into the paint when I worked at a foundry. That pulled the fly ash out with some effort. Otherwise you could skip the clay bar and wet sand the imperfections out.

Wet sanding will take care of light scratches and pull out crap embedded in the clear coat. You start with a rougher grit like 1200 or 1500 and then work your way up to 2000 and 2500. Actually one pass with 1500 grit sandpaper is good enough for a daily driver.

The buffer isn't that important, as long as it spins fast enough to do the job. A buffer from Harbor Freight is fine or one you pick up for $50 new or $25 used. They come with a hard rubber backing pad which you would use for wool pads or a lighter backing pad that has the little catches on it for the other style of removable pad that you wash to clean out. The latter pads are messier than the wool pads I think.

Then you start machine buffing, using a wool pad. Use a rough grit buffing agent first, like rubbing compound. 3M makes it in a squirt bottle, in a semi-liquid form. Then follow it up with 3M Finesse to get the finest scratches out. Then wax it with whatever turns you on. You could also use other polishes and glazes to finish it even more. In that case you would use the other style of backing pad and polishing pad to apply the glaze. You can also use rubbing compound and Finesse with the other style pad.

Sealer? Sure whatever turns you on. That is to seal the clear coat. I wouldn't think you would have to wax it with the sealer, as that is supposed to protect your clear coat and paint. Guess it won't hurt it to wax the sealer. LOL

Of course you (original poster) already ordered all the equipment and supplies, so you are committed to trying it yourself. But for someone down the road who reads this post, who is contemplating this type of detailing, well they can consider my advice.

Hope you don't screw up your paint job. Repaints are very expensive and touch ups and blending isn't easy or free either. Good luck!

 

[Pull Ya]

Use the information you have received in the first 24 posts and you will be just fine. Always use the LEAST abrasive product first for any paint correction. If your using the Porter Cable you don't have to worry about "burning" through your paint. Do not try to color sand your paint. This takes a lot of experience and if you do it wrong you could sand through your paint down to the primer.
Jay