Daygo S2k

Hey everyone,


I'm a beginner....
Was thinking of picking up some detailing equipment. A Rotary Orbital, some polishing/cutting pads, some polishes, etc.

Does anyone know a good place to pickup these things up either online for cheap or around SD, that arent too heavy on the wallet?

I want brand quality, but do not need the top of the line ones for good brands.

My budget will probably be under 200.

I'm going to be starting from the ground up, and need to know what I need to get started.

List so far:

***Orbital tool (no idea on whcih brand to get)

***Pads to go onto orbital (are there specific ones you need for diff/ applications, wax, polishes, etc?)

***Polishes (not sure specifically which ones to get, but I will need to cut into the clear coat slightly, then buff it off, then apply the wax....)

***Good carunuba wax, I've got a bottle of meguiars at home already, not sure how many layers I can do.

***Clay bar (I've used magic in the past, blue one from autozone/kragen and works well)

Microfiber towels (found some at walmart for cheap, prob. not the best quality)

*Car wash soap to strip the current stuff off the car (again not sure which brand to get or where...might end up using dish washing soap haha* Have read great reviews on citrus+gloss stuff...not sure where to get for cheap either.


Sorry this is long, but if you have time, then please help.

So far this is what I understand, or the order or process of detailing the exterior.

1. Wash off car with soap stripping all the wax and stuff on it.

2. Clay the whole car, one panel at a time.

2a. Tape off edges of car crevices

3. Use orbital to cut into clear coat with polish (not sure what kind)

4. take off the polishing with another type of polish (again not sure which to get)

5. Wipe down with alcohol to get rid of oils that can hide defects

6. Apply wax, let sit for about 1hr, and dewax, reapply if needed for extra layers.

Any information/advice, suggestions appreciated

Thanks!!

wanabe

welcome to the w&w!!

some random thoughts :
1. we have a sponsor who will give you a discount on purchases- and he also can give you advice. detailersdomain.com and phil is the owner. s2ki is our general code, but depending on what you are buying there could be other discounts. check with him on this.

2. after washing and drying, the next step is inspection- you want to make sure that you need to clay or polish before doing so. both have very minor risks (micro removal of clear, etc). inspection for clay is by feel and for polish is visual.

spend some time with our "how-to" thread (top of our board)- especially the videos on polishing. everything you need to know is there- we know that much of it can be confusing until you do it, which is why we are here... to help out with questions.

menzerna polishes are prob the most popular here, and phil sells those too. you need some good quality micro-fiber cloths for removing the polish.

if you will be claying and polishing, forget doing anything extra to remove old wax (i just use good car shampoo for the wash). the clay and polish will remove anything that is on the paint.

i dont tape, but most guys do- i am just careful around areas that you might tape (i am saying that you do not have to tape). i also rarely use alcohol. not doing these things will save you some money for other more important uses. you do not want to cheap out on products, so where you can cut out things that are not required you should, imo (when cost is important).

as for wax, it depends on what you are using as to cure time. one of my favs, p21s, is a "wipe on / wipe off"- no cure time - type wax. lusso oro is another one that i use and i do let it cure a bit. you can only wax 2 layers (more will not add anything). once you get this all down we will help you find a synthetic to use before you wax. i do several layers of synthetic (it will layer well- i have had over 20 coats on my car before... not from one time, but from several times adding them) and then top with one layer of wax.

if i had one over all advice, it would be "keep it simple"- especially in the beginning. you want this to be an enjoyable experience... so somewhere you are missing one of my fav steps =
open beer; drink beer !!!

detailersdomain

hit me up we have the new porter cable 7424xp coming in tomorrow.

I can put a nice package for you.

Daygo S2k

Pm'd...

thanks for the reply guys....

So far, I've used my friends orbital, which has 3 speeds if not more...

and some of his polishes and waxes, which turned out really nice.

I will post the stuff he uses later, if I can contact him...

thanks again, and happy detailing....

detailersdomain

here is the kit

http://www.detailersdomain.com/index.asp?P...PROD&ProdID=359

pretty much everything you need.

we can do a 10% off discount. I know this is more than you want to spend but we can work backwards from here.

slanguage

welcome to the wackos. Phil will hook you up with the right stuff. Cant wait to see pics.

Nice sig btw. voltron rules.

Daygo S2k

Okay this is to my "LIMITED" understanding of detailing:

1. Wash car (strip off old wax etc.)

2. Clay car of contaminants

3. This is where I'm unsure of doing...using a orbital what application to use....do I use a compound or a polish, and what is the difference and usuage of each???

4. clean off and wax...layer wax

So, mainly confused w/ the orbital usuage...

Please advise TIA!!!!

detailersdomain

3 should be polishing it can be 1-3 steps depending on what your paint needs.

4. wax the car.

08YellowCR

Phil has some great stuff but from him. And its all good prices u cant beat it. Now go to the stickys on here for some great info like this is a great read and a must for every one
http://thedetailinghandbook.com/default.aspx
Hope that helps u