Water Blades
 

Are any of you successful with the silicone micro water baldes? Sounds like an accident (scratch) waiting to happen. Thanks!

Yup,

I actually own one, but because it was left at the UDOIT Car Wash I often go to. It was brand new. I keep it in my Car Wash Bucket and use it to squeegee the windshield and side windows and it works great! But, I would NEVER, NEVER, use it on the Paintwork... I didn't Graduate from College for nothin' :)

Happy Motoring!...Jim'99

I have one (bought new) and use it on the whole car. No scratching so far in 3+ years. I always wash car completely before using. Minimal residual drying required with a towel afterwards. Works great.

I don't know what mine was made of, but I used to use a small one about 6".
I used it a lot on one of my 928's and it never scratched and cut down on the drying time a lot.

Richard

I use it too on the whole car.

It's actually harder to scratch it with the blade than a towel/cloth. There is less surface for airborn dirt to collect on and any collected dust on the blade rolls off with the water instead of staying in the fabric.

Forgot to mention a point of my technique - with every pass of the water blade, the next thing I do is pass my free hand along the blade (the side wiped against the car) before I make the next pass. Just a little more insurance against scratching by removing any debris picked up plus residual water drops that might fall on the car where it was just dried.

Another use it on the glass but not the paint here. Don't know if my worry about scratching the paint is warranted or not but I don't use it on the body.

Cuz I've never seen an infomercial that didn't make me want to reach for the phone, I picked up a Waterblade from Autozone yesterday.

I used it on the whole car, with no ill-effects. It seemed to work well in fact- on some parts better than others- but like the seller says, it did about 90% of the drying, followed up by an artificial chamois. Paint looked much better than it does after towel-drying.

Using one does require a leap of faith however, in the sense that the squeegee sound it occasionally makes is...unpleasant.

Ok, I'm going to go give myself a Flowbee hair-cut now.

love mine
 

Been using one since they came out, California Water Blade

its good and bad.

It works great if your car is CLEAN after a wash.

Bad if the car didn't come completely clean after the wash. Sometimes you can't tell right away. I used it one time, after one pass the blade was dirty. I cleaned it off and washed/clayed the car again. But how many people would do that?

If the water blade is not imaculate after doing the whole car, its trouble. Like any other detailing task you want to avoid friction and rubbing on dry surfaces with dry towels and applicators. Everything should be at least damp.

IMHO the best method for drying the car is the one that swirls the paint the least.
Most professionals I know (on their own cars) spray a quick detailer like Meguiar's or Mother's on the car when its wet (lubrication) and dry with a waffle weave towel (not microfiber). I gerally use the big bottle of quick detailer that the Clay Bar people force you to buy.

"Been using one since they came out, California Water Blade"

Yep, that's the one...from the makers of that other controversial detailing product, the "California Duster".

I used it one time, after one pass the blade was dirty. I cleaned it off and washed/clayed the car again. But how many people would do that?

No one...seriously, you might be the only person on the whole planet who would do that...

Most professionals I know (on their own cars) spray a quick detailer like Meguiar's or Mother's on the car when its wet (lubrication) and dry with a waffle weave towel (not microfiber).

I've only clayed the Boxster once (before Rejex'ing) but now that the car is Rejex'ed I use quick detailer after drying. Not sure why, but I've found Meguiar's to be like ten thousand times (rough estimate) better than Mother's, and well worth the few extra pennies.

Before drying I spray meguiars Quick detailer all over before the chammy down.

KRZ

you maybe right. Unfortuantely the other guy might continue doing the rest of the car with the water blade not realizing that's he's marring his paint by pressing debris across the paint surface.

Most swirls/scratches come from rubbing on dirty paint. Either with a dirty towel, wax applicator or a dirty wash mitt. Don't do that.
The irony is that the guy who never washes his new car has better preserved paint than the frequent washer who is washing/drying incorrectly.

I've been using the california jelly blade for several months now without any problem...until yesterday. Must have been a bit of dirt/grit and it made a very shallow (but noticeable to me) scratch. &^%*$%$! :mad:

So be very careful with those things. I'm debating whether to use it again at all, or simply being more careful. Wiping it off with your free hand after each pass to ensure there's nothing on the blade (as suggested earlier) is a good idea.

So anyway... My question would be regarding Meguiar's ScratchX product: Is there another (better) product out there I should consider to get rid of a minor scratch?

Thanks --

2003 Midnight Blue (986)

This sure is an old post! :)

I never purchased a water blade.

I use the leaf blower method. Works great.

U must be the most anoying neighbor on your block lol

I think i might pic me up a water blade, I get my boxster back from the paintshop hopefully thursday so i would hate to have my first wash down end with scratch marks after drying.

I always wait till after 8:00 AM on a weekend.

I use a water blade on my 12 y.o. DD, but never on the Boxster, Jag or any of our 'nice' cars.