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bfets
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2022
- Threads
- 14
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- 704
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- Western Australia
- Vehicle(s)
- MY24.5 Dark Horse, manual, Blue Ember, Recaros. XPEL UltimateFusion Fullbody PPF
I think people who flame people for suggesting Armor All was for people who don't care about their car, don't care about people or their car. 🫣
OP
OP
DFB5.0
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #169
Yesterday I lashed out and bought a new chainsaw. And not just any chainsaw, but the GT500 of chainsaws, the Stihl MS 500i. This is the first and only chainsaw on the market with fuel injection, which boost performance, improves throttle response and makes starting so much simpler. Oh............................and it looks and sounds badass!
Of course, I'm sure you expected what would happen next................................
On a machine that will spend its life covered in oil and fuel, a coating is probably not going to last very long. But……………………it makes me happy, so I’m going with it.
For something like this, you would probably use a high-temperature wheel coating. However, I didn’t have any leftover wheel coating for this task, and I wasn’t dipping into a fresh bottle either. I did have an open bottle of Gyeon Can Coat EVO, so here we go.............................
First step, a wipe down with Koch Chemie Panel Prep Spray. Any prep spray would work, but I had this left over from another project and I thought I would stay with the German theme. In tandem with TRC Rip-n-Rag towels, the entire power head was cleaned, followed by the freshly unboxed 20-inch bar.
From here, it was time for the coating. Can Coat EVO is a sprayable coating, but for this task I used it like a traditional ceramic coating by applying a small amount to a Gtechniq finger mitt, then applied to the saw in sections. From there, more TRC Rip-n-Rags were used to level the coating. Can Coat was applied to the pretty much everything, from the top plastics to the chain brake, the recoil cover and name badge, the wrap handle and clutch cover, the rear handle and throttle, the stop switch and the front case. I even applied it to bar and fluid caps. The muffler, dogs and bottom of the saw missed out. Four hours later, I went over it again with a layer of Gyeon Cure.
In the past, I've done something similar to other new equipment purchases. Does it make a difference to how the tool performs? Absolutely not. Will it last for forever? Highly unlikely. Does it make me feel better? You betcha!
Of course, I'm sure you expected what would happen next................................
On a machine that will spend its life covered in oil and fuel, a coating is probably not going to last very long. But……………………it makes me happy, so I’m going with it.
For something like this, you would probably use a high-temperature wheel coating. However, I didn’t have any leftover wheel coating for this task, and I wasn’t dipping into a fresh bottle either. I did have an open bottle of Gyeon Can Coat EVO, so here we go.............................
First step, a wipe down with Koch Chemie Panel Prep Spray. Any prep spray would work, but I had this left over from another project and I thought I would stay with the German theme. In tandem with TRC Rip-n-Rag towels, the entire power head was cleaned, followed by the freshly unboxed 20-inch bar.
From here, it was time for the coating. Can Coat EVO is a sprayable coating, but for this task I used it like a traditional ceramic coating by applying a small amount to a Gtechniq finger mitt, then applied to the saw in sections. From there, more TRC Rip-n-Rags were used to level the coating. Can Coat was applied to the pretty much everything, from the top plastics to the chain brake, the recoil cover and name badge, the wrap handle and clutch cover, the rear handle and throttle, the stop switch and the front case. I even applied it to bar and fluid caps. The muffler, dogs and bottom of the saw missed out. Four hours later, I went over it again with a layer of Gyeon Cure.
In the past, I've done something similar to other new equipment purchases. Does it make a difference to how the tool performs? Absolutely not. Will it last for forever? Highly unlikely. Does it make me feel better? You betcha!
OP
OP
DFB5.0
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #170
You know how certain words resonate more than others? This is different for everyone, but sometimes a word will carry more weight or meaning than the simple arrangement of letters would suggest. Words can invoke positive emotions such as passion and happiness, excitement and laughter, and on the flip side, negative emotions such as hatred and anger.
Of course, marketing departments are acutely aware of this emotion and use it to their advantage when trying to sell us something. Ford Mustang for example, a word that implies wild freedom and power. Which leads me to a word Stihl have used for decades on certain machines…………………………..MAGNUM.
Ironically, the use of an emotive word is very un-German like. Just look at the Stihl model name structure, a series of numbers and letters that even those who sell them can’t always figure out. Actually, this is a very German thing to do, most evident with the cars they make. Apart from Volkswagen, everything is named using numbers and letters, even the emotive performance models. In theory, a BMW 320i on paper would appear to be more powerful than the M3, but it’s the opposite. Then look at the Italians and British, there is no mistaking the intent of a car called Aventador or Vanquish. So, for a German company to use a word like MAGNUM, that’s quite significant.
To me, the word MAGNUM is just super cool! It signifies POWER, brute strength, unquestionable toughness! Which then explains why Stihl use it. For decades now, Stihl have used the MAGNUM word to denote their most powerful models. From what I can tell, this is currently limited to the MS 661 and MS 881 chainsaws, and the BR 800 C-E and BR 800 X backpack blowers.
But DFB, Stihl don't fit the MAGNUM badge to the 500i? I’m not certain why Stihl doesn't use this name on the 500i, perhaps to give it an identity of its own? And for whatever reason, humans like to use a lower case i to denote something technically advanced. Now, I don’t normally condone putting a badge on something that didn’t originally leave the factory with. You know what I mean here, someone putting an M3 badge on a 318i, or putting a GT badge on a V6 Mustang. But……………….I just couldn’t help myself because, as far as I’m concerned, the 500i is more than qualified to carry the MAGNUM nameplate. So, here we are………………………..
STIHL OEM Magnum Sticker/Decal # 0000 967 1593 | Outbushman
Stihl Magnum Decal / Sticker | eBay Australia
Yes, I know, a pointless exercise, but it soothes my soul. I think they call it OE+ in the car world.
Of course, marketing departments are acutely aware of this emotion and use it to their advantage when trying to sell us something. Ford Mustang for example, a word that implies wild freedom and power. Which leads me to a word Stihl have used for decades on certain machines…………………………..MAGNUM.
Ironically, the use of an emotive word is very un-German like. Just look at the Stihl model name structure, a series of numbers and letters that even those who sell them can’t always figure out. Actually, this is a very German thing to do, most evident with the cars they make. Apart from Volkswagen, everything is named using numbers and letters, even the emotive performance models. In theory, a BMW 320i on paper would appear to be more powerful than the M3, but it’s the opposite. Then look at the Italians and British, there is no mistaking the intent of a car called Aventador or Vanquish. So, for a German company to use a word like MAGNUM, that’s quite significant.
To me, the word MAGNUM is just super cool! It signifies POWER, brute strength, unquestionable toughness! Which then explains why Stihl use it. For decades now, Stihl have used the MAGNUM word to denote their most powerful models. From what I can tell, this is currently limited to the MS 661 and MS 881 chainsaws, and the BR 800 C-E and BR 800 X backpack blowers.
But DFB, Stihl don't fit the MAGNUM badge to the 500i? I’m not certain why Stihl doesn't use this name on the 500i, perhaps to give it an identity of its own? And for whatever reason, humans like to use a lower case i to denote something technically advanced. Now, I don’t normally condone putting a badge on something that didn’t originally leave the factory with. You know what I mean here, someone putting an M3 badge on a 318i, or putting a GT badge on a V6 Mustang. But……………….I just couldn’t help myself because, as far as I’m concerned, the 500i is more than qualified to carry the MAGNUM nameplate. So, here we are………………………..
STIHL OEM Magnum Sticker/Decal # 0000 967 1593 | Outbushman
Stihl Magnum Decal / Sticker | eBay Australia
Yes, I know, a pointless exercise, but it soothes my soul. I think they call it OE+ in the car world.
OP
OP
DFB5.0
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #171
In the past few weeks, I've been fueling my OCD tendencies with other interests......................and enjoying every single second of it. In addition to the actual subject matter, I'm trying to push myself to make more videos. Quite often, the process of getting the camera out makes to film a particular subject has me over thinking what I'm trying to do. When in reality, its just a matter of turning the camera on and going with it. But, I'm pushing through, mainly so I become more confident with the camera rolling nest to me, but also with editing.
But, I'm happy with how I'm progressing. I just need to cross the barrier of being seen and heard. As a shy person, that may never happen. With my lates videos, I'm very pleased with how they turned out. Although, I'm not sure the neighbours agree with that.
With that said, I thought it was about time for more detailing content. Today, it was the Mustang's turn.
To start, the wheels were pre-treaded with NV Purge while I filled the buckets. With the Purge rinsed off, I went back in with Brake Buster for the tyres and foamed Carpro Reset for the wheels. From here, I applied some Hydr02 to top up the coating, then Atom Mac on the rotors.
For the wash, once again the transcendent Reset, teamed with the Carpro DabDab.
Following the final rinse, I again grabbed Hydr02 and applied it to the upper and lower grills as these weren't ceramic coated. From there, Amplify was the drying aid, Opti-Coat Clean & Protect for the glass, OG TD on the tyres. Moving to the interior, I gave it a wipe down with Griots Interior Cleaner, then applied a fresh layer of ColourLock Leather Shield to the seats, steering wheel, gear selector, handbrake and door panels.
Freshly cleaned and ready to swap places with old blue..................
But, I'm happy with how I'm progressing. I just need to cross the barrier of being seen and heard. As a shy person, that may never happen. With my lates videos, I'm very pleased with how they turned out. Although, I'm not sure the neighbours agree with that.
With that said, I thought it was about time for more detailing content. Today, it was the Mustang's turn.
To start, the wheels were pre-treaded with NV Purge while I filled the buckets. With the Purge rinsed off, I went back in with Brake Buster for the tyres and foamed Carpro Reset for the wheels. From here, I applied some Hydr02 to top up the coating, then Atom Mac on the rotors.
For the wash, once again the transcendent Reset, teamed with the Carpro DabDab.
Following the final rinse, I again grabbed Hydr02 and applied it to the upper and lower grills as these weren't ceramic coated. From there, Amplify was the drying aid, Opti-Coat Clean & Protect for the glass, OG TD on the tyres. Moving to the interior, I gave it a wipe down with Griots Interior Cleaner, then applied a fresh layer of ColourLock Leather Shield to the seats, steering wheel, gear selector, handbrake and door panels.
Freshly cleaned and ready to swap places with old blue..................
OP
OP
DFB5.0
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #172
Some bike detailing today.
This bike has been in storage for a while, so it was extremely dusty and had a fair bit of oil and grease build up on the crank, gear cassette, derailleur and chain. So, I started by spraying those areas with Bilt Hamber Sufex HD mixed at 1:1, which is quite a strong rate. I then foamed with Touch-less.
Touch-less doing its thing, breaking down contamination, then pulling it from the surface and onto the ground.
After a rinse, I followed with Hydr02 and dried it off with the EGO. As a finishing touch, a little Bead Maker on a towel.
Then, I replaced the lubrication the wash removed, this time trying something new to me, WD-40 Gel Lube (Spray & Stay No Drip) -
Spray Gel Lubricant for Tools | WD-40 Spray Gel Lube | WD-40
Gel Lubricant - WD-40 Australia
Effectively, a touch free wash that delivered the result I was looking for.
This bike has been in storage for a while, so it was extremely dusty and had a fair bit of oil and grease build up on the crank, gear cassette, derailleur and chain. So, I started by spraying those areas with Bilt Hamber Sufex HD mixed at 1:1, which is quite a strong rate. I then foamed with Touch-less.
Touch-less doing its thing, breaking down contamination, then pulling it from the surface and onto the ground.
After a rinse, I followed with Hydr02 and dried it off with the EGO. As a finishing touch, a little Bead Maker on a towel.
Then, I replaced the lubrication the wash removed, this time trying something new to me, WD-40 Gel Lube (Spray & Stay No Drip) -
Spray Gel Lubricant for Tools | WD-40 Spray Gel Lube | WD-40
Gel Lubricant - WD-40 Australia
Effectively, a touch free wash that delivered the result I was looking for.
OP
OP
DFB5.0
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #174
These were taken after the Ranger sat outside overnight in the rain. Forgetting that mental trauma for second, it at least left a pretty display of bead porn to admire.
The base coating is Gyeon Pure EVO, topped with God knows what at this point.
Actually, I washed it on Tuesday with P&S Inspiration Radiance and Bead Maker as the drying aid. These two are a very nice combo, to the point where the salesman at the timber yard thought I had a new Ute. No, it's 9-years-old and well cared for.
The base coating is Gyeon Pure EVO, topped with God knows what at this point.
Actually, I washed it on Tuesday with P&S Inspiration Radiance and Bead Maker as the drying aid. These two are a very nice combo, to the point where the salesman at the timber yard thought I had a new Ute. No, it's 9-years-old and well cared for.
bfets
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2022
- Threads
- 14
- Messages
- 704
- Reaction score
- 1,044
- Location
- Western Australia
- Vehicle(s)
- MY24.5 Dark Horse, manual, Blue Ember, Recaros. XPEL UltimateFusion Fullbody PPF
They should absolutely get rights to the image before they use it. Poor form.Researching a post just now, I came across Carpro using my image of Reload 2.0 on their US Amazon store.
I demand compensation!
OP
OP
DFB5.0
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #178
The Wildtrak was in the box seat this morning. It's been cold, wet and miserable of late, so I had some work ahead of me, inside and out.
Starting out, I foamed everything bar the horizontal panels with Bilt Hamber Touch-less, wheels and wheel arches included. With the roof and hood not covered in road film, I see no reason to douse those areas with an aggressive pre-cleaner if it's not needed. Normally, I would foam the pre-cleaner after doing the wheels, but with the cold conditions, I didn't have to worry about water drying on the paint while attending to the wheels.
Using Touch-less on the wheels and wheel arches is such a genius move as it significantly reduces the amount of grime you have to plough through with your brushes, which is always higher in wet winter conditions. With that all rinsed away, I went in with foamed Brake Buster, then foamed and contact washed the rest of the vehicle with Carpro Reset.
For today, I decided to give Hydr02 Foam another shot. Mixed at the recommended 9:1 dilution, this soap doesn't produce shaving cream foam. In which case, why call it Hydr02 "Foam"? In this instance, I just foamed it on, left it for 60 seconds and rinsed it off, no contact with a wash mitt. I think using it this way is probably better than trying to actually clean with it. Overall, I was very impressed with the uptick in slickness to the paint and the boost in hydrophobics. I'm trying to keep the CanCoat EVO alive for as long as possible.
After a blow down, which I'm finding the EGO batteries really dislike the cold conditions, I went in with Megs HCD. Considering I used Hydr02 Foam, this was probably overboard, but again, I'm doing my best to keep the coating at peak performance.
From there, exterior glass was attended to using the excellent Stoners Ceramic Glass Cleaner, switching to the regular Stoners for the interior glass and info screens. ADS Pilot for the interior cleaning, P&S Swift was used to dress the rubber mats after also being cleaned with Touch-less. The final steps being a light wipe down of the wheels using Bead Maker, and the tyres dressed with Carpro Perl.
It's easy to become desensitized to paint slickness when you are always spraying on something to make gains in that department. But after using Hydr02 Foam and Megs HCD, I have to say the slickness was extremely high. So perhaps I'll start using the Hydr02 Foam more now?
Starting out, I foamed everything bar the horizontal panels with Bilt Hamber Touch-less, wheels and wheel arches included. With the roof and hood not covered in road film, I see no reason to douse those areas with an aggressive pre-cleaner if it's not needed. Normally, I would foam the pre-cleaner after doing the wheels, but with the cold conditions, I didn't have to worry about water drying on the paint while attending to the wheels.
Using Touch-less on the wheels and wheel arches is such a genius move as it significantly reduces the amount of grime you have to plough through with your brushes, which is always higher in wet winter conditions. With that all rinsed away, I went in with foamed Brake Buster, then foamed and contact washed the rest of the vehicle with Carpro Reset.
For today, I decided to give Hydr02 Foam another shot. Mixed at the recommended 9:1 dilution, this soap doesn't produce shaving cream foam. In which case, why call it Hydr02 "Foam"? In this instance, I just foamed it on, left it for 60 seconds and rinsed it off, no contact with a wash mitt. I think using it this way is probably better than trying to actually clean with it. Overall, I was very impressed with the uptick in slickness to the paint and the boost in hydrophobics. I'm trying to keep the CanCoat EVO alive for as long as possible.
After a blow down, which I'm finding the EGO batteries really dislike the cold conditions, I went in with Megs HCD. Considering I used Hydr02 Foam, this was probably overboard, but again, I'm doing my best to keep the coating at peak performance.
From there, exterior glass was attended to using the excellent Stoners Ceramic Glass Cleaner, switching to the regular Stoners for the interior glass and info screens. ADS Pilot for the interior cleaning, P&S Swift was used to dress the rubber mats after also being cleaned with Touch-less. The final steps being a light wipe down of the wheels using Bead Maker, and the tyres dressed with Carpro Perl.
It's easy to become desensitized to paint slickness when you are always spraying on something to make gains in that department. But after using Hydr02 Foam and Megs HCD, I have to say the slickness was extremely high. So perhaps I'll start using the Hydr02 Foam more now?
OP
OP
DFB5.0
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #179
More Touch-less action today.....................
First up, the weekly wash of the Ranger. I've been parking this car outside over the last week as I'm currently house sitting for a gardening client. With no undercover parking, I probably wasted my time washing it, but I don't care.
As per yesterday, I used Touch-less to pre-clean the wheels, wheel arches, tray sides and lower body panels prior to contact.
Bilt Hamber Touch-Less Eco-Friendly Snow Foam for Exceptional Vehicle Cleaning – Obsessed Garage
Bilt Hamber Touch-Less Pre-Wash | CARZILLA
Bilt Hamber Touch-Less V2 Snow Foam Pre Wash - Detailing Shed
From there, I cleaned the wheels and body using Shine Supply Shift. Drying aid of choice today was KCx Quick & Shine, Glass via KCx Speed Glass, the tray wiped down with OPT Car Wax and the interior with Carpro InnerQD. After wiping the wheels with Amplify, the tyres were dressed using Carpro Perl.
With the house sit only a few blocks away, I rode my bike and collected the owners Subaru Forrester. I plan on giving this a full DFB-spec detail within the next week so that the owners come back to a clean car. For now though, I decided to plough through months of neglect with a quick foam and rinse, again with Touch-less.
For v1 Touch-less, I had to run it un-diluted in the foam cannon as my pressure washer flows so much that it was not achieving optimal panel impact ratios. With v2, I can run that down to 85ml for a 0.5% PIR, or right up to 340ml for a 2% PIR. I actually split the difference between 1.5 and 2% by mixing 300ml into 700ml of water. Because I don't use all of that on a single vehicle, I'm mixing Touch-less with demineralized water to improve stability.
After allowing the Touch-less to do its thing, I then thoroughly rinsed working bottom up. I know that sounds back to front, but trust me, it works better that way as you keep the soap working for longer and improve the touch-free cleaning effect. With the vehicle parked outdoors 24/7, there was a lot of dirt and debris to be flushed from the roof rails, door belt lines and tail gate crevices.
And that's where I left it, I didn't even attempt to blow dry the car as the water behavior was flat as a tack. I will say though, the Touch-less removed 95% of the visible dirt, road film and bugs spread across the paint, roof rails, wheels and trim. If nothing else, it gives me a head start on the detail next week.
First up, the weekly wash of the Ranger. I've been parking this car outside over the last week as I'm currently house sitting for a gardening client. With no undercover parking, I probably wasted my time washing it, but I don't care.
As per yesterday, I used Touch-less to pre-clean the wheels, wheel arches, tray sides and lower body panels prior to contact.
Bilt Hamber Touch-Less Eco-Friendly Snow Foam for Exceptional Vehicle Cleaning – Obsessed Garage
Bilt Hamber Touch-Less Pre-Wash | CARZILLA
Bilt Hamber Touch-Less V2 Snow Foam Pre Wash - Detailing Shed
From there, I cleaned the wheels and body using Shine Supply Shift. Drying aid of choice today was KCx Quick & Shine, Glass via KCx Speed Glass, the tray wiped down with OPT Car Wax and the interior with Carpro InnerQD. After wiping the wheels with Amplify, the tyres were dressed using Carpro Perl.
With the house sit only a few blocks away, I rode my bike and collected the owners Subaru Forrester. I plan on giving this a full DFB-spec detail within the next week so that the owners come back to a clean car. For now though, I decided to plough through months of neglect with a quick foam and rinse, again with Touch-less.
For v1 Touch-less, I had to run it un-diluted in the foam cannon as my pressure washer flows so much that it was not achieving optimal panel impact ratios. With v2, I can run that down to 85ml for a 0.5% PIR, or right up to 340ml for a 2% PIR. I actually split the difference between 1.5 and 2% by mixing 300ml into 700ml of water. Because I don't use all of that on a single vehicle, I'm mixing Touch-less with demineralized water to improve stability.
After allowing the Touch-less to do its thing, I then thoroughly rinsed working bottom up. I know that sounds back to front, but trust me, it works better that way as you keep the soap working for longer and improve the touch-free cleaning effect. With the vehicle parked outdoors 24/7, there was a lot of dirt and debris to be flushed from the roof rails, door belt lines and tail gate crevices.
And that's where I left it, I didn't even attempt to blow dry the car as the water behavior was flat as a tack. I will say though, the Touch-less removed 95% of the visible dirt, road film and bugs spread across the paint, roof rails, wheels and trim. If nothing else, it gives me a head start on the detail next week.
OP
OP
DFB5.0
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #180
I thought I'd make a start on the Subaru today by knocking out the interior, allowing me to do the exterior closer to the owners return. What I thought would take me an hour ended up being a 3.5-hour marathon. 
I'll do a full write up once I've done the exterior, so for now I'll let some images paint the picture..........................
That cargo mat is useless, the "carpet" underneath was covered in dog hair, surely the bane of any detailer's existence. Addressing the dog hair probably took an hour alone, and even after throwing everything I had at it, I'm not 100% happy with the outcome. The term "carpet" is relative, the front door mat that I wipe my muddy boots on is plusher than this stuff. I've found Subaru to make some of the worst carpet in the industry, second only to Hyundai and Kia.
As for the rest, pretty much everything needed the scrub ninja treatment, including the leather. The glass needed to be cleaned twice, first with a sledgehammer to plough through the greasy film, the second pass to refine it. I had planned to knock out the door jambs too, but I'd burnt so much time on the vacuuming that I decided to leave that as part of the exterior detail next week.
Also, why do people keep so much useless crap in their cars?
I'll do a full write up once I've done the exterior, so for now I'll let some images paint the picture..........................
That cargo mat is useless, the "carpet" underneath was covered in dog hair, surely the bane of any detailer's existence. Addressing the dog hair probably took an hour alone, and even after throwing everything I had at it, I'm not 100% happy with the outcome. The term "carpet" is relative, the front door mat that I wipe my muddy boots on is plusher than this stuff. I've found Subaru to make some of the worst carpet in the industry, second only to Hyundai and Kia.
As for the rest, pretty much everything needed the scrub ninja treatment, including the leather. The glass needed to be cleaned twice, first with a sledgehammer to plough through the greasy film, the second pass to refine it. I had planned to knock out the door jambs too, but I'd burnt so much time on the vacuuming that I decided to leave that as part of the exterior detail next week.
Also, why do people keep so much useless crap in their cars?
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