Highline II meter ?

As far as I know ... no. The difference is that the HLII is compact, usless less batteries, and it has a bigger lcd display. I bought it because I don't like buying batteries and I can carry it around in my pocket. The HL1 is not huge by any means though ... so it's all up to you!

 

This Delfesko only offers measurement of clear on non-ferrous (other than metal) surfaces. Has me wondering how people that are using any of the other models determine
how much clear they are working with... as these meter FULL coating thickness (Clear,Paint,Primer)

[Edit] One obvious way is to find a place where it has been painted but not a lot of clear applied (under hood, inside of door - edge, inside trunk?) and then subtract that from
whatever reading you get but I don't think that gives very good accuracy? The measuring I have done has pretty big variation depending on where it is taken. (rounded edge on roof
less than roof, hood seems to have more than everywhere else, vertical panels less than horizontal ones).[/Edit]

 

I wonder as well /\/\ as I'm thinking of picking up at HL II

 

I just received the Highline 2. How should the 2 metal shims be used to check accuracy ? They are not labeled. One metal shim appears to be 0 microns on both sides. The other shim gives me readings of 30-32 microns and the other side 42-47 microns.

I got readings of 112-120 microns on a 2006 Acura TL that has gone through 3 compound and polish detail jobs the past 3 years. Does anyone here know what the original readings would be if the car just rolled off the dealer's lot ?

I got 88-95 microns on a 2006 Acura TSX that has NEVER been compounded or polished....does this mean very thin paint and one should careful when compounding with a heavy cutting product/foam pad ?

 

Congrats on your new Highline - I think I have the same one; uses 1 AAA battery right ?

I got the 2 round test shims, one was uncoated, and the other had a white painted coat that had been used alot for testing as it was pretty marred up. I also got a few plastic shims that are labeled what thickness they are. These plastic ones are what I use to check calibration. Think the metal ones are there for making sure the unit doesnt give you a false reading when measuring uncoated metal, etc..

Mine came calibrated as far as the accuracy of the meter is, and I have never had it mess me up..

Cant say for sure what the original readings of that TL were, but it should be ok to correct it with the reading you have. Do you need to do a full meguiars 105-type heavy duty correction, or just take out the usual spider webbing, car washing, etc., stuff? What machine are you going to be doing this with ? Random Orbital or Rotary ?

In my experiences with 2004-on Acura paintwork, it doesnt really need a heavy compounding unless it really thrashed. I found that using something with a long-as-you-want-it worktime like Optima Hyper Polish works great and really brings out the metallic in the TL/RL/MDX/RDX paints with a Rotary.

On the TSX - what color ? Random Orbital or Rotary? Condition and color of the paint? Are all your measurements of top panels or an average of both top and vertical side panels? I dont think its very thin yet - but is getting there sometime, hopefully not because of your careful work.

Maybe since the TSX is not on the higher end as much as the TL and RL, they put less paint on it?

Just as a point of reference, I just detailed a Sapphire Metallic Black 2011 BMW 750il, and the highline II readings were just around 120 microns on average. Thinking manufacturer is cutting back on the amount of paint to help cover costs...

In contrast, I just finished a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee in a beautiful dark blue silver metallic and it read consistently 160-170 microns throughout...These guys havent gotten the cut back paint memo yet?

DanF

 

Thanks Dan for the thorough replies.

Yes, it's the Highline 2 that runs on a single AAA battery. I am not the person doing the correction/polishing. I live in NYC and have no garage. The detailer uses a Makita if I recall correctly.

NYC cars using street parking are always dealing with pollution and bird bombs...thus my annual trip to a detailer for a compound and polish. I have access to a hose for hand washing outdoors using the 2 bucket method and I have to clay the horizontal panels every 2 months or so when temps are above 60 degrees.

My interest in the Highline 2 is to make sure I have enough clearcoat left on the Acura TL as I have read some comments where people state a couple microns would be removed using the M105 and M205 combo...more if the foam pad is aggressive. It's comforting to know your experiences are no more than 1 micron.

The 2006 TSX is made in Japan and the 2006 TL is made in Ohio. The TSX belongs to a family member and is Carbon Grey color. It has ultra low mileage and is garaged. I was surprised with the low readings for a car that never had any compounding or polishing done. The low readings were consistent across the TSX's horizontal and vertical panels.

 

xyz10 - thanks for the reply - totally understand the situation and vehicles.

How about using a less aggressive compound step to help slow down the removal of the paint ? Does your vehicle require that much correction each year to get the results you require? Ask your Detailer if he has anything in his inventory that is less aggressive and can give you the results you require.

The 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee I mentioned above was really dirty, and swirled and scratched for 7 years. It had a huge amount of brown residue and overspray that came off on the Claybar. I used Menzerna PO83 Super Intensive Polish with a Lake Country Cyan HydroTech Pad on my Makita 9227C Rotary. Took 2 passes, no finishing polish needed, and only had a few deep scratches that were toned down, and the clarity returned so the silver and blue metallic particles looked great. The Client was thrilled. I never once thought I would need to bring out an aggressive polish as Meguiars 105 or 101 to do this medium hard paint.

Another option to explore is to have your Detailer apply correctly, Optimum Opticoat over your freshly corrected paint, so that future corrections are going to be done on that product and not your paint..

I believe there are a few Detailers on this Forum that are in your area - perhaps one will chime in soon?

Good luck with this ! We have had a couple of Acura's in the past - 2004 MDX and 2005 RL - loved them both, and of course, they had flawless paintwork.

Dan F

 

What is a easy to use "1-step polish" (for light cutting/maintenance) that finishes well on Acura's dark colored soft paint ? Would Menzerna Super Finish (SF4000/P106FA), Uber Blue pad, and Porter Cable be good for a newbie ? Since I have the Highline 2 now, I am thinking I should polish myself IF I can do polishing step in 1 hour since I would have to it outdoors.

Is 1 hour reasonable ? Just looking to reduce marring/minor defects and gloss up the paint. Would Meguiars Paint Reconditioning Cream be a better choice for me since it's used by quick high volume detailing shops ? Problem is that it's not sold in small sizes.

Thanks for the replies !

 

xyz10 --

I once used Optimum Hyper Polish on an Acura MDX and it really cleared the finish and made the metallic particles look like you could touch them. I use a Rotary for all my work so cannot speak to how well Optimum Hyper Polish works with a Porter Cable - perhaps someone else can answer that ???

Have used Menzerna SuperFinish PO106FA many times with a Rotary on lightly swirled scratched paint and had great success. Because it has such a very mild cutting ability, it would have to take longer to do this using a Random Orbital with a foam pad I guess, but perhaps with the microfiber pads, it might be faster...

No, 1 hour is not reasonable to correct even lightly a vehicle to my particular standard. Not knowing how your vehicle looks without pictures makes this a lot more of a guessing game..

I have Meguiars D151 Reconditioning Creme, and have used it successfully on fast jobs that dont require more detailed correction and it works great (again, with a Rotary), but I have found that the gloss it leaves while it is great, can be improved upon in my eyes, so I dont use it except for vehicles where cleaning up the paint quickly and happy for whatever it looks like afterwards jobs.

If you have a machine and pads now, how about you just go try a spot to learn how to use the machine, or if possible, practice on a used panel or something ?

Dan F

 

I know it was said that you can't accurately estimate how much you take off during a polish, but would it be possible for people with these meters to post the type of correction along with the readings before and after? I think it would be very useful information for people using the same products on similar vehicles.

 

Perhaps we should all create a thread with machine, pad and product combos and how many microns the paint read just as some guidelines for some of us.

Do you think a PTG is a mandatory tool to have? Im considering one after i get a pressure washer.

 

i would say it's mandatory if you're planning to do heavy and lots of correction.

 

Can these be found used or best to purchase them new?

 

I would say that while they are not mandatory, they (depending on the model) will give the user more accurate information on how much total material is under that very spot, or at the highest end (Defelsko) can tell the user exactly how much paint is on that spot.

I have the Highline II meter right now, bought it new, google it and find the guy in colorado that sells them pretty cheap, and you can have a good indicator of how much material is there under the meter.
You will be able to tell if the total material thickness is very low or high or what which is always better than guessing.

For high end cars, Ferrari, etc., I think its absolutely necessary period. You dont ever want to blow through the paint on one of those..

I would try to buy a new one, unless the used one can be calibrated and it is still accurate. They are not much compared to the $2,500 Defelsko pro meter which I hope to be able to justify someday...
Good luck with your research !
Dan F

 

I would be careful of using door jamb or other hidden area for your baseline number. As Dan mentioned, the door jamb on his jeep has substantially fewer microns of thickness than the outside area. Doubt he has been wet sanding the orange peel out of the jamb...but I've seen his shop and it is a fun place to work, maybe he got carried away. Joking aside, I doubt his situation is unique, wouldn't surprise me at all if it is common for manufacturer's to use less material in the hidden, lower-wear areas.

 

Also, check out KDS Detailing's threads on DW...he uses a laser pointer setup so that the microns removed can be measured in the exact same location pre- and post-correction. If you want to measure micron removal right, I think this is an important component.

 

Hey Shane !!!!

I know I owe you a call - sorry - have been slammed with work for June and July, since the sun actually started coming out again.
I will call you soon as I can get a chance to not come in to the house after midnight...

And yes, I would not ever think of wetsanding the door jambs of most any car, unless it was absolutely necessary. Mine are not sanded, but polished lightly whenever I get to actually wash the Jeep and it is not raining for a week or three, etc...

I fully believe that car manufacturers especially since they are probably all using robotics, have much control over exactly how much paint goes in the places that will never see get exposed to real world conditions of driving and getting hit with stuff, etc..

Take care, Shane !

Dan F

 

Theres a looooot less paint on door jambs and a lot less clear than on exterior panels. Some models, especially japanese, dont even have clearcoat, they just add an hardener to the base coat( wich are almost all waterbased).

 

So would the highline 1 still be a good PTG to get over the Highline 2?

I found a used 1 time unit locally for $150 so i'm wondering if i should grab it

 

I have an extra Highline II, lightly used, perfect condition if you're interested.