I am working on starting up my own little detail business on the side to get a bit of extra cash in my pocket. Anyway what i am looking for is where you guys buy your supplies from online or local. Just looking for a bit of information on good quality products to clean cars with.
Thanks in advance for any information.
I use Autogeek.net
Detailed Image is decent too. George/Greg are good dudes.
Most of my stuff is Menzerna.
Albany autobody.
if you dont know what your are looking for the people there know their shit and you can trust them.
Open sat till noon too. weekdays till 5P FTL for us full time 9-5’s far away from them.
We use a combo of companies and their 1200,1500 & 2000 regular paper type wet or dry (depends on which paper) disks and finish off with 2500 grit (1/4" soft foam backed $75 a box of 20 expensive shits) on another soft interface pad on the least aggressive DA we have to de-nibb fresh paint jobs. Then a host of 3M compounds; Perfect-It 3000 Xcut ($56 a qt) for higher end paint, or Perfect-it II ($26 a qt)for run of the mill paint jobs. They say those compounds will take out 1200 grit, but in reality you want to start that stuff with atleast 1500 prior to, on a white foamie mounted on one of the Dewalt DWP849’s we have. Then right to a black foamie with one of a few 3M Perfect-It 3000 Swirl Mark Removers depending on color and clear quality, they are like $30-60 a qt also.
Mixed in there are some Trizact stuff (papers and compounds) that make spot repairs for clear blending a little easier to finish, and some odd compunds we bought and tried for what ever reason. But for the most part, its White pad with PerfectIt II compound, and black pad with 3000 glaze/swirl remover. Fast, effective and efficient.
Shameless plug proving that shit works. Those were the next day after shooting clear. About 2 hours taking my time on the tank and fenders for that bike, and about an the same on the trunk too:
Have you even cut and buffed fresh paint work?
I looked into their products too, but know how to use and I am comfortable with the 3m stuff we have been using… so its not too much fun changing mid stream, especially on customers cars.
I have not.
I work with higher end cars usually, or cars that need major paint rejuvenation.(Scratches/Swirls that sort of thing).
I don’t pretend to be a paint guy. 
Wetsanding is something that I don’t typically mess with either as I’ve seen some really bad shit happen.
10-4 I hear ya. If you didnt shoot it you have no idea how much clear is on there. Believe me I had my share of “son of a bitch…” moments, when its back to the booth I go to fix my mistake. Just wasnt sure if you were a detailer back in another life at a body shop or something.
So you haven’t used anything as aggressive as their Powergloss stuff I assume then. Because that’s about where we would have to start at after clear.
Yea, i remove micron layers of clear with the cut I use, but that’s it. I don’t go to deep because you can really fuck stuff up.
for sure! Someone already did the really scary work we do after fresh paint for you! lol
Good infos in here i have experiance buffing fresh clear along with buffing old tired paint. oldest was like from 1988. My only issue is the product that i used were shit that was supplied by the former employers hence the reason asking for info on where you guys get all your shit from. I mainly used 3M products.
Edit: What do you guys use for buffers? i have a Makita that is variable speed but i am looking into a Power Cable 7424. The makita is nice it is just getting tired as it takes like 10 seconds to get up to the speed i am using for that job.
we have 2 dewalt 12amp 9" ones for paint we use all the time. One older Portacable unknown amperage guy. And a 9" variable speed Makita no idea what amperage one I made a shaft extension for that I mount up 3, 10"X1/2" buffing/polishing wheels on to do metal polishing with. That SOB is whooped, it fills up with black fur, string, fuzzies and polishing compound. Usually to the point it gets no air flow and gets too hot to even hold. then its time to shoot it out with air and go at it again… hasnt died yet!
The dewalt ones are tits. Plenty of power, very controllable trigger, multi speed dial in conjunction with the trigger of course. They have a new one with a soft start, so you set the speed on the dial and peg the trigger, it will automatically ramp its RPM’s up to the dial’s set limit. Nice feature I suppose, useful when you dont want to fling compound all over the car! lol
What about mini buffs? We have a mini 4" dia sander with hook and loop pads & paper disks, and a matching 4" dia polisher, air powered. They work awesome for bumpers, next to trim, odd corners, or places you fear the RPM on your big buffer’s outside edge just wants to chew its way to metal. I forget who makes them. One needs some help the trigger sticks when ever it wants to, other works like a champ though.
I use a 7424, all I ever need.
Ryan where you get your 7424? I am seeing them on line in kits for Anywhere from 180 to like 300 with all different kinds of pads and shit
i think i got it off Autogeek, it’s been a few years though.
i use a 7424 also. i get all my stuff from adamspolishes.com or detailersdomain.com. Adams is pretty good with porter cable kits they have alot of pads and polishes geared towards the pc7424. if you ever get a change go to youtube and search junkman2000 he puts up so really good vids with the pc and the proper way to do shit.
my brother is selling an almost new (used 2 or 3 times) Dewalt buffer.
PJB, as much as i like the dewalt buffers. im looking into a random orbital buffer.
i also use the 7424xp and love it , i use the xmt products by pinnacle .
Anyone know where i can get pads for my buffer , looking for the lake county pads . 5.5 ccs pads?
Autogeek.net has them.
sorry i meant a local place , didnt wanna wait .
watched some of the junkman2000 youtube videos on :rofl guy is nuts, but one hell of a detailer. Im looking into picking up a kit from autogeek in the next month or two.
