Chasing RiDS on panels
 

What is the method most use to locate paint Rids and swirls on your rides? Most the videos I have seen merely show a halogen light reflecting at perhaps 90 degrees to the panel. I have attempted to use 300 and 500W halogen(s) pointing at the paint revealing the imperfections. I started with two 500W halogens on a tripod that it comes with then went back down to two 300W halogens thinking perhaps the light output was too high.

I have to really struggle with positioning of the lights and my line of sight to locate the rids and scratches on panels, I almost have to squint hard to find them but they are there! Now dont get me wrong my paint has rids and very light swirls on some areas.

I think the following makes sense..

Whilst the halogens are good for spotting swirls and stuff, they're not so good at picking up other defects. Metal Halide or maybe a sun gun may be whats required.

Thanks.

An led flashlight works well for me. But it all depends. If you are correcting the paint more then likely you want to have something on a tri pod. Also try darkening the room that way you can focus all the light in the area you want to inspect.

Depending on your eyes, ambient conditions, &c, you may be using too much light. The angle of the light/panel/eye seems to make the most difference to me.

But I'm not that picky about my paint. I just use a drop light and make a quick scan for major problems every now and then. :)

I can eventually by adjusting location of my head and light find the random light scratches but it is very difficult to find again once you eyes look elswhere of if you moved your head slightly.

I believe halogens are good for swirls, like the ones shown in most videos for paint correction. Finding random hairline fine scratches not so easy with halogens. I may have to investigate tungsten halide lighting as an option.

Would polarized light help any? Or some other "alternative light source"?

Thanks, I have tried flourecent overheads and handheld, LED lights including the dual beam one Meguires raves about to no avail.

Thus far the sun is the winner ( for obvious reasons ) followed by gas station lighting which can make a grown man weep.

Sun gun FTW. That is what the auto manufacturers use. It's amazing what you can see with one!

For those of you who fall for these "swirl finding light" gimmicks, know that I can see swirls using an incandescent light bulb...

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h...lightbulb1.jpg

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h..._lightbulb.jpg


Halogen lights...

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h...s_halogen1.jpg

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h...s_halogen2.jpg


Or direct sunlight...

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h..._sunlight1.jpg

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h..._sunlight2.jpg


I actually show and explain how to do that on one of my DVD's, which is where those captures came from. None of those options cost more than a few bucks. Those swirl finding lights are priced on crack. If I can make my camera show it, then YOUR EYES can see it. Don't fall for the hype. Get yourself educated!

Hi Junkman2008. Thanks for the response, in all honesty it is not so much the swirls that I find locating difficult. It is more the random light clear coat scratches that I find hard to locate.

I think and I could be wrong, that faint straight clear coat scratches catch the light reflections less than curves.

You are only wrong in thinking that swirls consist of curved lines. Swirls are STRAIGHT lines, made at every possible angle and so close together that they APPEAR to be curved. When you actually blow them up and inspect them, you will see that every scratch is actually a straight line. This totally kills people's theory when they say that moving in a circular manner creates swirls. The way you move had NOTHING to do with it. It's what you use and what is on the paint when you decide to touch it that creates swirls.

But hey, seeing is believing. Tell them to fine me a curved line... ;)

What they see...

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h...irl_burst1.jpg


What I see...

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h...irl_burst2.jpg

Yeah thanks for the education in swirl and multiple scratch directions, makes sense after reading the above.

I tried taking some pictures using a flash, I think one panel that I used Ultimate compound had some very fine micro marring afterwards. I believe this is visible with the ghosting of the reflections of the light on passanger side rear quarter panel. Most other panels look okayish.

Drivers side door with.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...922_130252.jpg

The marring on passanger rear quarter after using micro fiber cloth and hand to polish out some scratches which I for some reason put in whilst claying. Luckily I reviewed some of your video about doing 1.6 ft by 1.6ft at a time hence and checking else I would have probably ended up with instilling scratches on every panel! I actually checked after claying a much smaller area. Clay was fresh, perhaps holding the clay bar technique was wrong, maybe my nails did this.

After UC.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...922_125951.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...922_130009.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...922_130046.jpg

Same panel as the ones above.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...922_130431.jpg

Rest of the car seems okay.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...922_130234.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...922_130243.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...922_130337.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...922_130347.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...922_130144.jpg


And a distant shot which equates to zero as you you mention, since you see nothing :bowrofl:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...922_130614.jpg

Claying will cause some marring, especially if you clay like I do. Marring is easy to fix and ONLY requires a very light polish. So don't let marring faze you, it is the nature of the beast, especially when you get close to darn near perfect paint.

I think at the times my hold on the clay was incorrect, the scratches where similar to nails scratching clearcoat, a few vertical and a few horizontal marks. Oh well.. Everyday is a learning day here at the Junkman2008 school of fine body detailing :bowrofl:

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h...mileys/lol.gif :tup: