Field notes

What we have measured, and what it taught us.

Occasional notes on coating chemistry, soiling economics and keeping a finish alive in Highveld conditions. Written by the people holding the polisher.

Raking sunlight across a black bonnet showing the haze and swirl marks left by years of automated washing

Detailing5 min

Your swirl marks came from the wash, not the road

Owners assume paint wears out. It does not — it gets scratched, almost always by the thing that was supposed to be cleaning it.

26 Aug 2026

Solar4 min

What soiling actually costs a Highveld array

We monitored four commercial installations across a full dry season. The losses were larger than the owners expected, and almost none of them showed up as an alarm.

14 Jul 2026

Ceramic3 min

Why your coating failed early

In nine years we have inspected a lot of underperforming coatings. Almost none of them failed because of the product.

28 May 2026

Aviation3 min

The case against hosing down an aeroplane

Water is the cheapest cleaning agent available and the most expensive thing you can leave inside an airframe.

02 Mar 2026

A corrected black rear quarter returning a sharp, unbroken reflection

Method3 min

Reading a gloss meter without fooling yourself

A number is only useful if it was taken at the same point, at the same angle, on a surface in the same state. Most published readings fail at least one of those tests.

19 Jan 2026