10 things I learned my first time detailing.

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Romans5.8

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1) My back hurts.

2) My Chemical Guys Hex-Logic pads have twice as much product in their little cracks, crevices, and thirsty foam than was applied to my car.

3) A 3" backing plate on a big Griot's Garage polisher really isn't that much more convenient than with the 5.5 or 6.5 pads. I really need a small 3" polisher!

4) Meguiars M26 is underrated. It's easy to work with and looks beautiful

5) Ditto for Detailers Pro products. Their sealant was uber easy to apply and everything else of theirs I've used (waterless wash, etc.) has been great.

6) You missed a spot. I don't care if it's taping, polishing, cleaning, claying, decontaminating, sealing, waxing, buffing off residue or coating. But you missed a spot.

7) There are more crevices, cracks, and divets that need taping on a Ford Focus than should be humanly possible.

8) Thin is IN with sealants and waxes! Machine applying sealant and wax has spoiled me royally.

9) The Griots Garage 6" DA Polisher is a fine machine. Has great power and feels good in your hand. Earplugs are cheaper than a Flex!

10) "Why did it take them THAT long to do THAT?" is a question I will never again ask myself when reading 'show n shine' threads.
 
Very true, and funny.

Thank you for that.

Kind Regards.
 
#10. Most people don't realize the staggering amount of time this stuff takes.
 
Haha great post! As a newbie hobby detailer myself, #6 and #10 x1000. :grouphug:
 
Chicago Tommy said:
#10. Most people don't realize the staggering amount of time this stuff takes.
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Yep. Watching videos and reading I had an idea that it would take a while but when I see guys talking about spending 20+ hours polishing a car I kept thinking what took so long! I didn't spend that much time but I totally understand why big corrections, etc. would take that long.
 
3) A 3" backing plate on a big Griot's Garage polisher really isn't that much more convenient than with the 5.5 or 6.5 pads. I really need a small 3" polisher!

Don't get the GG3 though, way underpowered.

4) Meguiars M26 is underrated. It's easy to work with and looks beautiful

Really a hidden gem, it always left a nice wet look on my mom's black car.

6) You missed a spot. I don't care if it's taping, polishing, cleaning, claying, decontaminating, sealing, waxing, buffing off residue or coating. But you missed a spot.

Very true, no body is perfect so this is bound to happen. Always double check.

7) There are more crevices, cracks, and divets that need taping on a Ford Focus than should be humanly possible.

I found tape to not stick to half of the black plastic and rubber seals on my focus.

9) The Griots Garage 6" DA Polisher is a fine machine. Has great power and feels good in your hand. Earplugs are cheaper than a Flex!

It really is, for the price and lifetime warranty how can it be beat.

10) "Why did it take them THAT long to do THAT?" is a question I will never again ask myself when reading 'show n shine' threads.

I think many people equate detailing to just a quick wash and wax. Many don't understand the work and detail that really goes into the work.
 
goldendodo19 said:
I think many people equate detailing to just a quick wash and wax. Many don't understand the work and detail that really goes into the work.
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'Detailing' is a weird term. I hear a lot of things that don't sound like detailing being called detailing and other things that are definitely detailing not being called such!

It also seems that a lot of folks use Detailing to mean, exclusively, paint corrections/buffing, etc. I hear folks saying "I detail but I don't do interiors". Well, then you clean and correct paint; right? I'm a newbie, but saying you detail but don't do interiors- in my perspective; means you're a buffer or a paint corrector- but a detailer- to me, makes a car spotless inside and out. No scratches or swirls, no dirt, no stains- inside and out. I had a car professionally detailed one time in my life (got a gift certificate). This was WAY before AGO. I don't know if he did any paint correction, or even if he waxed or sealed. I just know he washed the car at least. But the interior was what I was impressed with. Spotlessly clean, no dust in the vents, no dirt in the cracks, even got out a couple stains in the carpet!

So I'm sure some think it's just a wash n wax, some think it's a wash n wax + interior, some think it's paint correction but that it doesn't take long, etc.

I knew polishing/waxing/sealing would take a while, and the prep would take some time; but not as long as it ended up taking. I had planned for it- but it really does take a long time to get that stuff done! Took me a couple hours just to get it washed, clayed, iron-x'ed, and taped. I was thinking that I was going to have to go inside and wait for the garage to warm up before I could effectively do anything with the DA; but by the time I had finished taping the car up- I had to turn the heaters down!
 
Lol you literally hit the nail on the head with this one. My first time detailing this was all I was thinking about..

6) You missed a spot. I don't care if it's taping, polishing, cleaning, claying, decontaminating, sealing, waxing, buffing off residue or coating. But you missed a spot.
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6 and 10 for sure! And I'll say more than just the back seems to be sore after a long detail for #1
 
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