final wash down before BC/CC, what do you use?

[Ash]

The real test is to wash something with Fairy and rinse it off. If the rinse water sheets and doesn't bead up, you should be good to go. That's pretty much what Dawn does. If you check out the detailing sites, they warn against using dish detergent to wash your car because it strips off the wax and leaves the paint vulnerable. Pretty much exactly what we want to do to prep for painting.

I finally got a chance to test the Fairy liquid last weekend. It did indeed make the water sheet off. I wasn't quite sure if I was doing it right, I know I didn't use a good cloth to wash it with. It was clean but wasn't a good choice in material. Will try something different next time and will also spend more time at it.

If I may add something to this, it would be to do as Bob suggests, then dry it with clean paper towels and paint it. That is what will tell you how truly free of contamination the surface really is.

After I washed with the Fairy liquid, I let dry and then used a wax and grease remover with a new microfibre cloth. I followed that with a new tack cloth. I did get some obvious signs on the microfiber that I hadn't washed it well enough. It was aluminium I was preparing for painting.

Just to be sure, you say to not wax and grease after washing and drying with clean paper towel?

 

[Bob Hollinshead]

Watch them microfiber cloths-they may be treated with something and they aren't designed for use like this. Use disposable paper towels-regular household style towels on a roll with no print will work but the towels designed for this at your autobody supply store will be better-less loose fibers to deal with.

 

[kortensi]

All I know is since I started using Dawn, about 30 yrs ago,
I don't use wax and grease remover at all.

P.S. Never get bare fiberglass wet if possible.

Why not get fiber glass wet? After having it sit bare for over a year, I am really concerned about what may be on/in the body and was planning on washing it at least twice with dawn and something like a scotch bright pad. Then using the SPI Waterborne Wax and Grease remover with the blue shop towels before apply epoxy.

 

[shine]

i wash with dawn soap and water be it fiberglass or steel. there is no way to get the media from blasting out without washing . metal cars i bring in and blow dry . glass cars get the same but you need to let it set for a while to dry out. water or solvent will soak in some. i do all my glass work after blasting and washing so there is plenty of time for drying .

 

[jeremyb]

Same here. The fiberglass either sets out in the sun or I run it through a few bake cycles in the booth.

 

[crashtech]

I finally got a chance to test the Fairy liquid last weekend. It did indeed make the water sheet off. I wasn't quite sure if I was doing it right, I know I didn't use a good cloth to wash it with. It was clean but wasn't a good choice in material. Will try something different next time and will also spend more time at it.



After I washed with the Fairy liquid, I let dry and then used a wax and grease remover with a new microfibre cloth. I followed that with a new tack cloth. I did get some obvious signs on the microfiber that I hadn't washed it well enough. It was aluminium I was preparing for painting.

Just to be sure, you say to not wax and grease after washing and drying with clean paper towel?

Bare metal absolutely needs to be cleaned with SPI #700 before priming. My idea of a test would be to wet sand a primed panel, wash it with the Fairy soap, then rinse it and dry it with no other cleaners being used before painting, ideally with a high solids urethane. This will reveal if contamination is present. because primer can hold onto contaminants, and high solids urethanes are more sensitive to contaminants than, for instance, basecoat or lacquer of any kind.

 

[Ash]

Watch them microfiber cloths-they may be treated with something and they aren't designed for use like this. Use disposable paper towels-regular household style towels on a roll with no print will work but the towels designed for this at your autobody supply store will be better-less loose fibers to deal with.

Thanks, Bob. Will do. I used the microfibre as that is what I saw to do elsewhere. Thanks for correcting that one :encouragement:

Bare metal absolutely needs to be cleaned with SPI #700 before priming. My idea of a test would be to wet sand a primed panel, wash it with the Fairy soap, then rinse it and dry it with no other cleaners being used before painting, ideally with a high solids urethane. This will reveal if contamination is present. because primer can hold onto contaminants, and high solids urethanes are more sensitive to contaminants than, for instance, basecoat or lacquer of any kind.

Will be sure to do this, Crash. What I'm working on at the moment isn't a car component but it wont be long until I do so will be sure to do this first. Thanks

 

[Ash]

Did a second round wash with the Fairy detergent and had a go with some plain paper towel I picked up at the supermarket. I noticed straight away that it was leaving a lot of fibres behind so I stopped. Obviously not a good paper for the job. Anyway, the plus side was though the paper was clean, it was just wet from moisture. I spent a more time scrubbing it this time and I used a scouring pad to do it with.

 

[flynams]

Did a second round wash with the Fairy detergent and had a go with some plain paper towel I picked up at the supermarket. I noticed straight away that it was leaving a lot of fibres behind so I stopped. Obviously not a good paper for the job. Anyway, the plus side was though the paper was clean, it was just wet from moisture. I spent a more time scrubbing it this time and I used a scouring pad to do it with.

Try using air to blow while you wipe...

 

[Ash]

Try using air to blow while you wipe...

Great, I'll do that next time but I'll get a different paper towel in the meantime.

Am loving this, I'm learning a lot. Thanks guys!

 

[crashtech]

Paint stores sell prep wipes that are "virtually lint free." I happen to use a product made by MDI. They or something like them are what should be used for doing the real thing. I do keep plain paper towels around for less critical tasks like cleaning out on the shop floor, but some are fairly "linty" and it may take some experimenting to find one that is suitable. I know I had to switch away from Bounty towels a few years back because they started advertising them as being "more absorbent" or some such nonsense, but all I noticed was a drastic increase in lint. I use Kirkland towels now, which are a cheap generic sort found in the large warehouse store, Costco.

 

[Ash]

I've had a look through ebay but can't find anything. There is one paint store about an hours drive from me, the next time I'm down there I'll drop in and ask.

We don't have a lot of choice here in town. For anything really. There are a couple of different brands at the supermarket, will just have to try each one. I don't know if we have anything similar to your Costco's here in Austrailia. They were a real eye opener when we visited the US.

 

[crashtech]

Certainly there is an auto body supply warehouse there that would ship to you? I don't know if I am any good at Googling Australian places, but I did see this:

http://www.ace-australia.com.au/index.html

Can't say if they ship or not, but they do have an e-catalog. I don't know how things work down under, but here in the States some places require a business license or reseller's permit to be able to buy, especially if you want "jobber pricing."

 

[shine]

go to the grocery store and buy the cheapest plain jane towels they have. no scent , no dyes . dont worry about the lint. that is what tack rags are for .

 

[Ash]

Certainly there is an auto body supply warehouse there that would ship to you? I don't know if I am any good at Googling Australian places, but I did see this:

http://www.ace-australia.com.au/index.html

Can't say if they ship or not, but they do have an e-catalog. I don't know how things work down under, but here in the States some places require a business license or reseller's permit to be able to buy, especially if you want "jobber pricing."

Cheers, Crash. I'll keep searching and find something. It's no rush and if not, it may end up just easier and cheaper to get something from the US which is quite often the case with most things automotive.

And yes, it can be similar here too, you may need to be a registered business to be able to buy from some places.

go to the grocery store and buy the cheapest plain jane towels they have. no scent , no dyes . dont worry about the lint. that is what tack rags are for .

Thanks for tip, Shine :encouragement:

 

[crashtech]

go to the grocery store and buy the cheapest plain jane towels they have. no scent , no dyes . dont worry about the lint. that is what tack rags are for .

There is some sense to this if the job is going to be extensively sanded and buffed. Much of what we do does out with a "gun finish," or a light nib and polish. We did see a difference in the amount of foreign material in the paint when we switched to spunlace prep wipes in the booth. Somehow lint from the towels were getting into nooks and sometimes popping out into the clear, even though we were pretty diligent about blowing and tacking. Not much and not often, but it doesn't take much to make a job look bad. It's turned out to be well worth it to use a couple bucks worth of prep wipes per job. I do recommend them for areas where sanding and buffing is not practical or desired.

But lint from a paper towel turns virtually transparent when soaked in clear, so buffing takes it away pretty well.