The Fast Way To Polish Your Car Paintwork Like The Pros

By Mario Goldstein

There are terms like convex, concave and waffle. These are terms used in the business of polishing and buffing in the auto repair shop. To most people, polishing and buffing the car is something that they do on the weekend, but in the professional world, this function takes on a much different meaning because there are so many factors to consider in creating ?the perfect finish?, and they require a great deal of training, more than you?d think.

The polishing shop technician has a very important job. For instance, in order to get a good finish that really shines, it is necessary to deceive the eye. This is why a good technician will never use a concentric polisher, because they move in perfect circles. An eccentric polisher is one that moves off center. It has two functions, one is to distribute the compound evenly, by pushing it into the center ? this allows the compound even distribution, and it also prevents splattering of the compound and two, it confuses the eye so that the eye doesn?t see any light reflected in the lines left by a conventional concentric polisher.

As far as the tools used to get that perfect finish, there is some disagreement among technicians as to what to use, the standard wool or the newer foam buffing pads. Most quality paint manufacturers have good tips on the right way to buff and polish, and you can find them on the net.

The technicians who prefer wool say that it gives the best finish, whereas the technicians who prefer the foam pads claim that they like them because they don?t leave bits behind after they go. Although foam pads are new, they are evolving like anything that is new. A recent test was done with technicians who preferred wool, and several of those technicians said they preferred the newer foam to their old wool pads. Sometimes, a technician can be attached to their way of doing things and they will say that they like their way but they have never tried anything new in years.

They will say things like the pads they tried won?t remove wet or dry sand scratches from the panel, and they had to go back to wool to finish the job, but, as I mentioned earlier, old ways die-hard. So they don?t like to try new products, like the newer pads that are specially designed to be more like the wool pads, but without the drawbacks.

The three main types of newer foam polish pads are convex, concave and waffle and these types of pads are designed to create a compound pocket that guides the compound toward the center of the pad and not to the outside so it won?t splatter. Each of the convex, concave, or waffle pads have their own highly specialized function, but the main goal in all of this is the brilliant finish achieved by the illusion that the eye sees - 21392

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How To Restore Your Car Paint - Finishing Bodywork

By Mario Goldstein

If you are performing, auto body finishing your work area has to be almost sterile unless of course you enjoy having to strip, sand, repaint and buff repeatedly on the same car because something got into the paint or finish or you left some residue and went onto the next step. If there is anything present that could ruin your finishing work then it probably will.

One of the most valuable assets you can have is a quality wax and grease remover. Most often the to the job at home guy ends up with an inferior finish if all due to not removing the residue of anything from the car like old wax and dirt build up or airborne debris.

There are solvents that can be used but you are taking a chance when you use these. Many novice auto body finishers are devastated when the mistakes made before the primer application start to appear. The key to being successful is to know the right materials for the job. Then it?s knowing how to use them. Finally when and where should they used.

What You will Need -There are lots of products that will remove grease and wax but you need to remove silicone. -You will need about 3 gallons - Solvent and lint free rags actually cheesecloth or tough quality paper towels are the best -detail scrubbing brush to get at hard to get spots where there may be silicone

Do Not Use -regular lacquer thinner (can create havoc with paint systems) -enamel reduced (same reason) -cheap rags (Note: if you really have to use lacquer thinner work quick and don?t let it soak into the prime coat too much or too long)

Degreasing Times: It certainly is not a one-time operation. At least not when you consider that if you were to even leave one print smudge on the car it will likely show up as discoloration in the finish. It is imperative that you remove any and all of grease, wax and silicone? -prior to touchups -prior to the bare metal conversion coating -prior to filling and glazing -prior to primers -prior to basecoat -prior to finishing coats

The Right Spots to Degrease: The areas that you are going to be working on such as the body and panel.

Do not miss around all these areas? Trim, weather stripping, cowel louver, panel joints and air intakes Inside the head and taillight apertures, only necessary if you have removed the trim or bezels. Also around the door areas, inside of hood and the lid of the trunk and the wheels

Be absolutely sure that you remove all the cleaner and then wipe with a clean rag. If in doubt do it again.

Reasons for Degreasing -To know you are going to get the best results - its yours and the business reputation at stake -the cost of the materials such as primer surfacer, primer, metallic, clear coats -labor of yours and what you pay in wages - 21392

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Now you can spray paint your car in 2 hours easily with Spray Paint Secrets. These car spray paint techniques are previously only revealed in expensive workshop course.

Advanced Car Spray Painting Methods and Bodywork Repair

By Mario Goldstein

Anyone who owns a collision shop can tell you that the most costly item to the shop is the comeback repair. Re-do?s can be the difference between being successful and losing, and they reflect poorly on the quality standards, not to mention the inconvenience to the customer.

All it takes is one dissatisfied customer and that can translate into bad word of mouth, which means bad reputation. Collision shop managers have to be very alert when it comes to quality assurance so that they have happy customers and as few negative comebacks as possible. Negative comebacks happen when there are such things as shoddy repair work, poor paint finish, (dull topcoat), grind marks showing, paint cracks or runs or paint over spray on any part of the car, but the worst problem of all is the mismatching of color.

Technicians and management usually share the responsibility, and, in some shops, the liability, so that it?s a combination of the actual repair work and maintaining proper quality assurance levels. When a mistake happens, it is also a proper analysis of what went wrong, rather than who went wrong, and taking the appropriate steps to keep the problem from re-occurring.

The Characteristics of A Painter Paint technicians can be a tricky type of personality, if they aren?t treated right, the works suffers, and that is why some shops are now making them share the responsibilities for their work.

Technicians, on the other hand, are the wind beneath the wings, so that it?s a partnership between technicians and paint technicians, so that there is no one more important than the other. It is also true that while the painter is worth their weight in gold, they can?t work their magic if there isn?t a good quality of prep work.

Improper paint preparation is a disaster if it isn?t done properly, and if the paint technician isn?t as good as required, they won?t spot the problem until it?s too late. The proper quality standards must be put in place and properly adhered to, or those costly mistakes and comebacks will look like money disappearing out the door.

Anyone who owns a collision shop that has a good reputation knows that while the paint preparation and the topcoat are the end result, it is also the surface preparation that has equal importance. Like when you paint a house, the prep work, sanding, filling, and proper masking all have to be done properly; in fact, many paint companies suggest collision shops must stress proper training with attention to strict guidelines.

The time and attention to quality work that is invested in the beginning will result in less money driving out the door in costly comebacks later. If a shop is to be competitive, it must stress quality. "It is a poor worker who blames his tools", is the old adage, so if collision shop owners keep hearing those types of excuses, then they should really need to do some proper damage control before it?s too late - 21392

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Learn the easiest way to learn car spray paint with free videos and lessons. SprayPaintSecrets will give you the step by step guide you need to learn how to spray paint or do bodywork repair on your car.

How Safe Are Motor Scooters?

By Mike Scott

Since motor scooters took the world by storm, there has been a lot said about them. Various publications have written about them and TV shows have also featured them extensively. In a world where gas prices are constantly climbing, scooters have become the new way of commuting without breaking the bank. In some world cities such as Jakarta Indonesia, Calcutta India and Shanghai China, motor scooters are literally as numerous as motor vehicles. In the US, the scooters have also risen in popularity and have been used extensively as commute and recreational vehicles. But how safe are motor scooters?

Motor scooters are one of the most convenient ways of traveling ever invented. As we mentioned, it is common knowledge that the world is in an economic crisis. One of the factors that have accelerator the economic woes of many families is the price of gasoline. This has continued to rise even when we have been assured that there is no problem of gasoline supply. Motor scooters have become extremely popular in many places because of their fuel efficiency. This has resulted in massive sales especially in emerging and developing nations. Developed nations also have seen an increase in motor scooter sales in the past few years. This means that on our roads today, we are more likely to see more motor scooters than ever before.

The influx of motor scooters on our roads in large numbers is not without its ramifications. The scooters compete for space with motor cars, motorcycles, bicycles, trucks, buses, trains and even pedestrians. In the event of a collision between a scooter and a car, the rider of the scooter is bound to sustain serious injuries. It is therefore recommended that one never ride a motor scooter without proper protective clothing. One mandatory pierce of equipment was the helmet. Without a helmet, a collision, even a minor one, can be fatal for the motor scooter rider.

One of the reasons why people especially the younger ones prefer scooters is because of the ability to weave through traffic. While this can minimize the chances of being caught in a traffic jam, it is nonetheless dangerous. Trying to jostle for space in busy city streets can be dangerous.

Scooters are relatively safe because they are slightly slower than regular motorcycles. They are also less maneuverable than high-speed motorcycles. This makes scooters safer because there is a wide range of movements that they simply cannot undertake. Because they are slower, they are also easy to control.

All in all, scooters are relatively safe but it is recommended that you compliment that safety by wearing protective gear. This is a good helmet, leather gloves and knee pads and good shoes. Heavy windbreakers are also recommended if you are riding in windy terrain. Many scooter manufacturers perform crash tests on their units and different makes and models have different crash test ratings. It is recommended that you analyze this before you commit to buying. - 21392

About the Author:

Author is writer and regular contributor to Motor Scooter Guide, a website with resources and information to help you find the right Yamaha Scooter.

Used Car Buying Tips - Six Of Them Make All The Difference!

By Eric Thor

Purchasing a used automobile is less stressful with these six purchasing points. All aspects of buying a used automobile are covered. Be armed to the teeth with information BEFORE you wander into a used car showroom.

ARTICLE: During their lifespan, almost every adult, in this country, is going to buy or sell a used car. Learning how to avoid all the used car landmines can be a very valuable skill set to have. Almost every problem, you can imagine when buying a used car, can be turned into a positive outcome for you; if you do your homework. A lot of good sense will make this journey less frightful and even pleasant.

1) Budget. Set up a realistic budget and stick to it. Don't be allured to spend more - try to spend less than your budget. Move that money into a bank account where you can quickly convert it into cash since most individual used car sales are done in cash. This is a chicken-and-egg problem since you may have to do research first but come up with an amount that you must NOT exceed.

2) Do your homework. There are lots of sites, on the Internet, to promptly and easily get information and prices of used cars. Public libraries have free computer terminals to the Internet and many subscriptions that they pay for - use them. Find out the Blue Book price or use a Car Cloud to quickly find makes, models, and years of used cars that fit into your budget. Arm yourself before you go shopping.

3) Shop Smart. You are begging for trouble if you walk into a used automobile dealership without doing any kind of research or budget. You know the salesrep is going to ask "What's it going to take for you to buy today" and its downhill from there. The models and years that your budge allows is what you must bring with you. If the car, whether a individual sale or thru a dealership, does not have a CarFax or AutoCheck report run you MUST run one yourself.

4) Read the CarFax/AutoCheck for the automobile. You must NOT buy a used automobile without reading one of these reports - there are way too many scams going on with the title, the odometer, and the repair history for you to just "wing it". A thorough car inspection is next after the automobile passes the CarFax/AutoCheck report - hood to trunk.

5) Inspect the car. You must do a 100+ point inspection of the car whether the car is at a dealership or a private sale. The interior, engine, trunk, and undercarriage are all inspected. A flashlight and magnet must be brought; you will need them. Repaired body parts will have the magnet not sticking. Hard to view inspection points are illuminated with the flashlight. A test drive is our next point in this review, assuming the car has passed so far.

6) Test drive the car. Listen to how the car starts and idles. Inspect the A/C, radio, power windows and locks, wipers, rear window defogger and all lights. Take the automobile for a test drive down the highway and around the block if the car has passed all your tests. Observe any vibrations, weird noises, and smells.

The last step in this process, assuming the previous six items passed, is an car mechanic. Expect to pay the mechanic $100+ to hook up computers and run all his diagnostic tests. Make an offer to buy the car if the mechanic gives the thumbs up. - 21392

About the Author:

Eric Thor,the author,can be found at Cheap Used Car and has dozens more used car buying tips. Drop by and get a much more detailed used car buying tips guide.