IPA dilutions and paint drying, some tips...

In the past few months I have began using different dilutions of IPA/Distilled water for my wipedowns when polishing.

I have found on soft clear cars, mainly non metallics that too much alcohol in the mixture can attack the paint and cause it to haze over, giving it a dry and gray look. After looking at the paint under different lights, halogen, LED etc. you will find the clarity and depth you were expecting to see after polishing is not really there.


Too much alcohol in the mixture can also cause light marring during a wipedown, your MF can get grabby and thus result in further marring the finish, after you just polished it of course! Using more distilled water as needed will help spread the mist evenly on paint and not get grabby as seen with straight or too much alcohol in some cases.

My solution, have at least 2 or 3 different dilutions of IPA/Water mixtures to suit different finishes.

I use 91% Isopropyl alcohol in all of the bottles mixed with distilled water

My 3 bottles go as follows:

Soft clear cars, primarily non metallic black - 40% Alc 60% water

Medium clear cars, both metallic and non metallic - 70% alc 30% water

Hard clear cars, ideally metallics - 80% alc 20% water

I personally WANT to use as much alcohol in the mixture as the paint will allow to ensure im not filling and that real correction is taking place BUT certain finishes really react negatively to too much alcohol. This can cause the need for further correction steps to fix! If your using a lighter mixture of alc. and water do multiple wipe-downs to check for filling

... another solution would be to use heavy alcohol mixtures during the cutting phase of correction to ensure your not filling and lesser mixtures during the finish stages as to leave a clean, non hazed finish behind.

I brought this up because tonight I got a call from Sean at Premier Detail who is in the process of correcting a non metallic black Infiniti G35. Sean and I have spoken before about all sorts of stuff and I really respect his work and his dedication to correction. I could tell he was really frustrated with G35, he called to bounce some ideas and everything he had done thus far is similar or the same as what I would have done for that car.

He explained the car was in terrible shape, lots of correction needed etc. and as per usual with black infiniti paint it was non finishing down 100% as he wanted.

We went over the steps used, pads etc. trying to find a solution. He said the car still had a hazy finish left even after Menzerna 85rd on a soft finishing pad, both with rotary and DA machines.

I thought for a second and remembered when I had a similar problem with an older black Porsche. I asked him how much alcohol he was using in his mixture and he said straight!

I told him to cut that at least 50% with distilled water as to not dry out the paint and re-finish a panel. He texted me later to tell me the altered mix of IPA and water helped solve his problem.

Sometimes the tiniest variables account for the biggest difference. Im very glad he called as not too long ago I was in the very same position.

:thumb:

 

Have you thought about mixing something like a little bit of Top Inspection or Final Inspection to give it some lubricity? I think they both work to remove oils. Thanks for the post.

 

I got a bottle of Top Inspection for free and I honestly didnt like the way it got grabby on some cars, I prefer the alc. and water plus its pennies compared to TI.

As for Megs Final Inspection I have that as well and like it, just curious to know what's exactly in it before i mix it in for wipedowns. I cant seem to find whats in it and no way of getting an MSDS sheet shorting of emailing Meguiars most likely.

Final Inspection leaves a nice finish on my car because I use it when drying so there may be a glossing agent in there... maybe silicone as well, Meguiars last touch is awesome but the silicone in it wont work for wipedowns, heck I cant even tape a car after its been clayed using last touch that stuff is schliiiick, tape wont stick!

 

Ah ok, just a thought. I have a bottle just haven't used it yet.

 

Save it, its good stuff. Helpful for a final wipedown after wax and I love it for a drying aid.

 

Interesting findings! I always used 91% cut 50/50. Sometimes it will require 2-3 wipedowns when I use it to remove a LSP, but it always felt safer than using it straight.

 

Removing LSP is something I leave for the wash process. Spray the car down with a diluted yet strong mix of APC or degreaser, then 2 bucket wash using a citrus based shampoo. After that most any LSP is pretty much gone and just for good measure I give 2 IPA wipedowns before polishing and by that point nothing is left.

If your using gentle shampoo designed not to strip LSP and rely solely on IPA wipedowns you will have a tough time getting a good LSP completely off the car in my experience.

 

I do virtually the same thing. Soak car with P21s TAW and wash with CWC at stripping dilution or higher. Then do 1-2 IPA wipedowns before polishing :thumb:

 

Thanks for taking the time to post your findings Dave ... you have solved one of my biggest detailing issues because I always have issues when I do IPA wipedowns on my own vehicle.

where you already experimenting with the different IPA ratios before last year's meet?

 

Light wipedown vs Full wipedown - Detailing World

Thought this was an interesting post over on the DW forum about wipedowns.

 

Yes I was, thats why I asked Emile how much freaking alcohol did he put in the bottle because it dried out the Sentra terribly after we finished it down... shocking enough that was soft, black, non metallic paint. Unfortunately we didnt have any more distilled water.

 

OH boy here we go again.

 

Thanks again bro!!

 

Nice article, Dave. May I ask why not just use Menzerna Top Inspection instead? I tried it and it work way BETTER the 50/50 alcohol/water mixture, I tried it on Jet black BMW.

 

I ended up using 60/40 water to alcohol and solved the issues I was having. Thanks again Dave. I ended up polishing that thing for 22 hours straight!

 

As I said earlier for me TI was very grabby on paint, others have said the same. While no doubt it works as a great cleaner after polishing at $20 per bottle its very expensive. I typically use 6-8oz of IPA mix during a full paint correction job and I have gallons of distilled water and big bottles of 91% IPA on hand at all times and its very inexpensive.

 

I see. Well, thanks for a great tip, Top Inspection is quite pricey, I will admit. I'll make myself 3 different bottles of IPA mix.

 

Where can you find 90% IPA? I see 70% all over the place.

 

I get 91% at the local CVS here.

 

Thanks. Mine seems to carry only 70% I will look at another one