[Mudhalaipatti]

Originally Posted by procrj

Step by step detailing:
1. Dust with Jopasu duster

Dusting is ideal for daily cleaning, when you are short of time for a full wash and especially if the car doesn't warrant a full wash. i.e only light dust.
Skip this step if you intend to do a 2BM.
For daily cleaning, if you intend to use a duster, follow precations, and not induce any swirls unknowingly.

Originally Posted by procrj

2. Wash car + shampoo using the two bucket method

Hope you have necessary wash mitts and drying towels.

Originally Posted by procrj

3. Use Eraser + Lube to clay and prep the surface
3q1. Do I need to mask chrome & plastic parts like door handles, logos
3q2. Wait time before applying OCW

Eraser is needed only for the most stubborn and dissolved contaminants. For most practically purposes, claying would take care of the usual suspects, the surface contaminants. User eraser, only if you find dissolved immpurities or wish to do a wipedown.

Originally Posted by procrj

4. OCW spray and spread using the LC applicator pad. Wait for 30 min and apply a second coat (car panels + alloys)

It's a spray wax and so you might be better off with a MF cloth, than a applicator pad. However nothing wrong in using it. It's just that we use the AP to get the desired 'touch' with paste waxes.

Originally Posted by procrj

5. Buff using Sonax MF cloth

Good enough.

Originally Posted by procrj

Future: Planning to pick up the FK1000P sometime next month and apply the same after OCW

A sealant works best on bare paint. It may not bond well, if a layer of wax is already present. Generally wax is your LSP. You may add a wax layer on top of your sealant and not a sealant over a wax.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by Mudhalaipatti

Hope you have necessary wash mitts and drying towels.

Yep. have them ready

Eraser is needed only for the most stubborn and dissolved contaminants. For most practically purposes, claying would take care of the usual suspects, the surface contaminants. User eraser, only if you find dissolved immpurities or wish to do a wipedown.

Car has never been treated/detailed in the last 4 years. Doing this for the 1st time and hence planning to use Eraser. Or is it better to Clay> IPA> Wax

It's a spray wax and so you might be better off with a MF cloth, than a applicator pad. However nothing wrong in using it. It's just that we use the AP to get the desired 'touch' with paste waxes.

Thanks. Will use the MF cloth.

A sealant works best on bare paint. It may not bond well, if a layer of wax is already present. Generally wax is your LSP. You may add a wax layer on top of your sealant and not a sealant over a wax.

Got that wrong. Will wait for the wax to wear off and then use FK1000P and top it with OCW

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by procrj

I thought the Eraser was an easier way to clean & prep the surface and is considered as a replacement to clay

Not really

As advertised, "CarPro Eraser is an IPA and more! Eraser is an intense cleaner designed to dissolve oil particles and remove polish residue to prepare the paintwork for Cquartz. Eraser attracts polish residue and dust better and cleans better than an ordinary IPA. Eraser makes it possible for everyone to get the perfect Cquartz finish."

So Eraser is used after polishing to remove polishing oils and residue from the paint for better LSP bonding.

[Mudhalaipatti]

Clay -> IPA -> Wax would be the best way.
Claying first removed the surface contaminants, that are hard and would mar the surface.
IPA would then removed those dissolved contaminants.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by Mudhalaipatti

Clay -> IPA -> Wax would be the best way.
Claying first removed the surface contaminants, that are hard and would mar the surface.
IPA would then removed those dissolved contaminants.

More questions
1. What kind of lube do we need to use with clay. Can we use ONR?
2. Do we need to mix IPA with water and wipe? Wipe using an MF towel?

[Mudhalaipatti]

ONR is such a gem of a product. Yes it can be used as a clay lube as well. Approximately 20 ml in 1 lt of water should just be fine. Btw what clay are you planning to use. BH needs just plain (RO preferably) water.
IPA is such a potent thing, use it with discretion. When you mean IPA is it eraser that you wish to use or is it clinical IPA ?
If its clinical IPA then add around 700 ml of water to 100 ml of IPA.
If it's eraser, follow the instructions on the bottle. Not used it as a proper IPA.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by Mudhalaipatti

ONR is such a gem of a product. Yes it can be used as a clay lube as well. Approximately 20 ml in 1 lt of water should just be fine. Btw what clay are you planning to use. BH needs just plain (RO preferably) water.

Eco care has Opti Clay and costs around 1.2K for 4oz. Is that ok or is that on the expensive side?

IPA is such a potent thing, use it with discretion. When you mean IPA is it eraser that you wish to use or is it clinical IPA ?
If its clinical IPA then add around 700 ml of water to 100 ml of IPA.
If it's eraser, follow the instructions on the bottle. Not used it as a proper IPA.

Not sure if I should use Clinical IPA or Eraser. On a budget right now and if Clinical IPA costs a lot lesser than Eraser, will go for the same.

[Mudhalaipatti]

I use a clay that costs around Rs.500 and does the job quite well. I leave it to you on your buying decision though.

Clinical IPA costs around Rs.70.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by blackasta

As advertised, "CarPro Eraser is an IPA and more! Eraser is an intense cleaner designed to dissolve oil particles and remove polish residue to prepare the paintwork for Cquartz. Eraser attracts polish residue and dust better and cleans better than an ordinary IPA. Eraser makes it possible for everyone to get the perfect Cquartz finish.".

Blackasta - you got me really confused! What I am talking about is the Optimum Opti Eraser and not the Car pro Eraser http://www.keystoneenterprises.in/op...pti_eraser.php

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by procrj

Blackasta - you got me really confused! What I am talking about is the Optimum Opti Eraser and not the Car pro Eraser http://www.keystoneenterprises.in/op...pti_eraser.php

Sorry for the confusion.
yes - indeed optimum eraser is a clay alternative. You can also look into nanoskin products. I use the autoscrub DA pads (), and other members have used their speedy prep towels/sponges.

[thoma]

Originally Posted by procrj

Eco care has Opti Clay and costs around 1.2K for 4oz. Is that ok or is that on the expensive side?

You meant 1.2k for the foam clay? The Elastrofoam clay foam was quoted some 1.65k.

I am also blank on the lube to be used. Could water/shampoo suffice?

[procrj]

Originally Posted by thoma

You meant 1.2k for the foam clay? The Elastrofoam clay foam was quoted some 1.65k

1.2K was for normal clay. It is a set of 2 clay bars of 4 oz.
Picked up the Optimum Opti Eraser for 1.3 + 14% VAT from Eco car care. Nithin from Eco care did say that you can wash and use as long as the clay layer is visible. Nice reusable package should help keep the clay clean during storage.

I am also blank on the lube to be used. Could water/shampoo suffice?

Picked up a bottle of ONR which I plan to use as a lube.
Busy day tomorrow fix the hand rest and then wax the car. Feel like a kid waiting for summer holidays!

[thoma]

Originally Posted by procrj

Picked up the Optimum Opti Eraser for 1.3 + 14% VAT from Eco car care.

The Opti Eraser has 2 sides of clay layer while the Elastrofoam has only one?

Anyone know which one is a better product and if soapy solution works for both?

[Pedaltothefloor]

Originally Posted by thoma

The Opti Eraser has 2 sides of clay layer while the Elastrofoam has only one?

Anyone know which one is a better product and if soapy solution works for both?

It is best to use a Quick Detailer to provide enough lubrication so that the clay can glide over the paint. Any brand is fine - QD strength ONR, UWW or Meg's Quick detailer. A few clay bars work well with water, including all the three Bilt Hamber Clay Bars. You don't need anything but water with these.

The jury is still out on which of the two clays is better. The Clay Bar has been around for years and is tried and tested. You can also view the contaminants bond to it as you work your way around. You keep kneading it and when it is full of contaminants, it is time to dump it. Also, if you drop it by mistake and it gets moderately dirty, you will need to trash it. On the other hand, the Clay Block/Clay Cloth/Clay Mitt/Nanoskin Pads are all relatively new and are being tested by professional detailers worldwide and most seem happy with the results. The advantages include the fact that it is washable & reusable even if you drop it. Compared to a clay bar that can do 2-3 full size cars, these blocks can usually do about 20 cars. With the Nanoskin pads, they take claying from manual to machine mode. However, you can't see any bonded contaminants on the surface so there are cynics who don't trust these yet. The way I see it, I have seen the clay block perform equally well, if not better than the clay bar; based on the contaminants that were removed from the paint. Since I clay at least 2-3 cars a month, it is more economical for me to use the clay block. How about trying both and figuring out what you like better? There really isn't any such thing as "Best" in detailing supplies.

Hope this helped a little.

Originally Posted by procrj

Car has never been treated/detailed in the last 4 years. Doing this for the 1st time and hence planning to use Eraser. Or is it better to Clay> IPA> Wax

Wash>Clay>Polish>IPA>Sealant>Wax is the simple order of things. Why do you need IPA if you aren't going to polish the paint? IPA is used to remove polishing residue/fillers so that sealants can bond better.

[SunnyBoi]

Got couple of cans of wax from a Japanese company, Soft99 Fusso Coat Light and Dark.

Protection from Meguiars M21 and UPP was still going strong after 4 months. Washed the car with extra strong concentration of Meguiars Hyper Wash to remove the sealants.

Applied Soft99 Fusso Light on the car and here are the results:





Fairing and Mudguard was treated with Soft99 Fusso Dark:



All in all, great product, although it smells badly of chemicals similar to FK1000P and Mansion Wax. After wiping, the wax simply disappears after 10 minutes, just have to buff off any remaining wax ( very little if you applied thin)