Test Spot - The story behind the story...
I was actually researching for the first time I used the term
LSP and
RIDS on the Autopia.org forum and ran across the story about why and how I came to coin the term Test Spot.
Here's the link to the thread, dated 03-04-04 with the story...
Swirls on Black Paint Quote:
Originally Posted by schrader  hey guys... here's my story... rock hit the hood, made some damage... took it to the dealer for a repair and now I'm stuck with a bad case of swirls...
i am a rookie a detailing.. and my car is a daily driver... i know i am not going to get perfection on a black daily driver... but i can get close right??
i don't have a plan... so i would appreciate if you guys can provide me with one... the only thing i know is that i am planing on doing it my self and that i will probably get a porter cable...
please guys help me with a plan...and product list ( rookie here so easy on the abbreviations) .
here are the pics.. enjoy!!! |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Phillips Hi schrader,
From the picture, they look fairly light. How hard they are to remove will depend upon,
Paint hardness
Swirl depth
After you decide you plan of attack, do a "Test Spot" .
Apply your products, using your application materials and choice of application procedure, (rotary, PC, hand), to one small area. Work all the way from beginning to your final wax, or last step product. Then inspect in both indoor lighting and outdoor lighting.
If the results look good... then repeat the process to the entire car. If you are not seeing the results you're looking for, then stop and re-evaluate your plan of attack.
If you cannot make one small area look good with your choice of products and procedures, then you will not be able to make the entire car look good.
(Anyone want to here a horror story about a guy, his hand, a tatty rag, some old fashioned compound and a single stage white finish?)
Hope this helps...
Mike |
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigLeegr Mike: Sure! Let's hear it. I'm usually interested in stories with morals at the end! The car made it, didn't it? Please say it didn't die! |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Phillips I pretty much summed it up, above, but here's the skinny,
I met this man through the Usenet Newsgroups on rec.autos.misc
He wanted to know how to get the scratches out of his finish. So, I responded back and asked him about the scratches. That's when he told me that he tried to polish out his car starting with a hand applied rubbing compound. (Dupont's I think).
He applied the rubbing compound to the entire car and then wiped it off to reveal a compete, scratched up mess. I forget the car but he told me he was seeing white paint on his rag.
He did not have a rotary buffer, or the skill to use one. I pretty much told him he would have to take it to a professional. I also told him he was probably out of luck because those scratches were going to be difficult, if not impossible to completely buff out because of the hardness of most single-stage white paints.
The lesson he learned was to do a test spot in one small area first to see if he can make it look good before applying to the entire car.
He simply let his excitement get a head of him. It taught me that not everyone I communicate with over the Internet has good hand skills. It's important when helping people work on their car's paint, and you don't know their skill level, or their specific paint problem, to be cautious. Start out with having them test their products of choice in a small area first, and sometimes in an inconspicuous area first.
Mike
p.s.
Never heard from the guy again...
|
This post includes the story from where the term Test Spot came from... dated dated 03-04-04
The time I actually used the term wasn't in my reply in this thread, it was back in either 1993 or 1994 when I was typing on Usenet Newsgroups, way before vBulletin was created.
That's the story behind the term
Test Spot
Here's the good news... the below video goes over in detail how to do a Test Spot using a DA style polisher. While in the video I show how using a Porter Cable 7424XP, the exact same principals would apply for working by Hand, or any tool, including rotary buffers, the Meguiar's G110v2, the Griot's Garage ROP and even the Cyclo.
How to Remove Swirls with the Porter Cable 7424XP 
You can also see how to do a test spot using a Flex 3401 in this video taken from this thread,
1957 Chevrolet Belair Extreme Makeover - Flex 3401 & Wolfgang Smackdown!
The
big picture idea is to test out the products, pads and process you're
thinking of using over the entire car to just one small section and make sure you can make one small section look
GREAT and if you can then you'll have proven your system and this will give you the confidence to duplicate the process over the rest of the car.
If you process worked to one small section, then it will likely work over the rest of the car and the results will be a show car sine
the first time.
If you run into any problems with your test spot, then simply come back to the forum you're reading this on and share what you're seeing in your test spot and the members here will be happy to help you
tweak your technique until we help you dial-in a proven approach and
see you through to success in your garage! 
Linear Mode
