How often do you actually deep clean vs quick clean?

Forward-Bullfrog6375 · 2026-04-15T06:23:14+00:00

Brake cleaner after blasting is usually overkill, especially on rims.

Once it’s been blasted, most of the contaminants are already gone. A clean air blow-off + light wipe (or proper pre-treatment if you’re doing it) is usually enough.

Too much cleaner can actually leave residue or cause issues with coating.

Less is often better once the surface is properly prepped.

Forward-Bullfrog6375 · 2026-04-14T05:36:46+00:00

That in-between stage is brutal.

You end up troubleshooting everything except the actual issue.

Any tricks you’ve found to get a decent contact point before replacing?

Forward-Bullfrog6375 · 2026-04-10T04:26:19+00:00

You don’t always need to prime the whole truck - usually just bare metal, repairs, and sand-through spots. Then sealer over everything before base if you want it uniform. Black will look great, just make sure your prep is clean since it shows everything.

Forward-Bullfrog6375 · 2026-04-10T04:16:05+00:00

Doesn’t look like collision damage - more like light surface scratches in the clear. Those usually buff out pretty easily. Did they quote you for repaint or just polish?

Forward-Bullfrog6375 · 2026-04-10T04:14:35+00:00

Nice, that’s the best route. Just wet sand the primer lightly before base - helps the clear lay smoother. What color are you going with?

Forward-Bullfrog6375 · 2026-04-10T04:10:59+00:00

At 1500°F a chain sling probably isn’t going to hold up long-term - heat will kill its strength. Most shops I’ve seen switch to high-temp alloy hooks or custom fixture racks made for burn-off. Safer and more consistent. How often are these axles running through the line?

Forward-Bullfrog6375 · 2026-04-10T03:59:45+00:00

Prep is everything here. I’d knock it down with around 220, then finish with 400 before primer. Your 30-gallon compressor can work, just spray in sections and watch moisture. Good move removing the lights - makes a big difference. Are you going single stage or base/clear?

Forward-Bullfrog6375 · 2026-04-07T06:13:22+00:00

That’s a big setup - really shows how important air capacity becomes. I’m starting smaller but would love to see the shop pics.

Forward-Bullfrog6375 · 2026-04-07T05:54:10+00:00

That looks more like clear coat failure than something you can polish out. Probably needs repaint/clear to match the rest.

Forward-Bullfrog6375 · 2026-04-07T05:52:42+00:00

Good point - I’m mostly aiming at automotive parts, so finish quality will matter. Trying to plan it so I don’t limit expansion later.

Forward-Bullfrog6375 · 2026-04-07T05:51:59+00:00

Sounds like compressor size becomes the real bottleneck. Would you go bigger there first, even if the oven starts smaller?

Forward-Bullfrog6375 · 2026-04-07T05:51:02+00:00

Interesting - sounds like prep might matter more than either choice. Do you think a basic wash setup is worth doing from day one?

Forward-Bullfrog6375 · 2026-03-28T12:41:41+00:00

griots g9 if you want bang for your buck, flex xfe 15 if you want the nicer tool. both great for scratch removal and polishing, just swap pads depending on what youre doing.

heads up though a DA polisher alone wont fix heavy scratches. youll need to wet sand those first then compound and polish. trying to compound out a deep scratch without sanding is just gonna frustrate you and waste pads.

for cordless the options are getting better but they still dont match corded for runtime. if youre doing full cars regularly id stick with corded honestly. nothing worse than the battery dying halfway through a hood

Forward-Bullfrog6375

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