Brand new to detailing

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Woodman2011

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Okay, I've recently wanted to start detailing friends, family, and my cars.

Then maybe once I gain some more skills and knowledge to do it for money on my days off.

I've read quite a few articles on here plus purchased and read The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine.

I have a wash mitt and buckets from autozone so I do not need them. I didn't include microfiber towels I could use a suggestion on how many I should get and what kind.

I didn't include a good washmitt and the polishes I wanted because the total was high already.

I'd like suggestions on anything I can take out to save a bit more money for my first go around. If I'm missing something that I could really use let know.












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Here's your pictures....


58747d1499948991-brand-new-detailing-1499948725453.jpg



58746d1499948976-brand-new-detailing-1499948708522.jpg



58745d1499948820-brand-new-detailing-1499948685160.jpg





I also edited your thread and broke up the huge block of text into smaller sentences to make it easier for me and probably everyone else to read.


:)
 
Maybe start with smaller quantities of stuff and don't go right for the gallon. If you use it and it works for you and your happy with it buy a gallon if you see the need.

As for towels I use anywhere from 10 to 15 towels on a full detail (usually). I don't want to have to stretch the use of a towel so if I want a new one I grab a fresh towel and move along.

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I agree with ryan, start with smaller quantities of product as you're testing new waters. If a product doesnt work out.. even after adjusting your technique then its no big deal. Find products you like and use them often :) and thank you Mike for posting up the pictures. :)

James
 
I'll make it unanimous up to this point and say you can try smaller quantities of products and save some money right now. Then, after you have tried them, you can decide to buy more or try something different. I spent a lot of money on the new "rage" products early on and in large quantities. I still have some old product laying around collecting dust in the bottles. I now try new products out in smaller sizes and decide if I like them or not. When you're just starting out it isn't as much experiencing something that isn't working for you...it's more of finding the product for that particular task YOU like best.

Don't get me wrong, you have picked not only some winners in my book but good value stuff too. AG doesn't sell any "dogs"! It's just that finding what you like BEST takes some trial and error when you are gaining experience.

Also, is your order for Buff and Shine pads exactly as shown i.e. one of each color? That's ok too but after doing several vehicles you will find which pads you use the most and then load up more on those colors. Once you decide which pad you're going to use with your HD Speed after your test spots you now need AT LEAST 4 of that color and preferably 6. And when you start doing it as a business you'll find that the orange pad (x4-6) you used for yesterday's job isn't yielding the best test spot today. "Dang, a blue pad today and I already used it for my test spot!".

I also like the finest foam for LSP application and the B&S red pad looks like just the ticket however I would only need 2-3 of those, 1 for each job and maybe another for a different LSP.

You can never have enough MF towels in my opinion. I would recommend some good quality MF buff towels in quantity. Any of the MF buffing towels AG sells are quality and get about 6 to start, especially if you're just wiping off Speed. You can always get more of those a bit later (and you will, trust me) but I would want AT LEAST 6 and preferably about 10 for each job. And ALWAYS keep them clean. The only suggestion I would make on your order is at least 2 WW MF drying towels. I wish I could get away with only needing one per wash and dry but use about 3.
 
Agree with above comments. Plus you mentioned the order is already high. I feel that your order is somewhat all over the map. Let's try to trim based on need.

1. polisher- check
2. 5" backing plate---do this (reason is when pads are a bit smaller 5 1/2"---you can dance the polisher in tighter areas)
3. 6-- 5 1/2" polishing pads--need this (works well with AIO)
4. Speed---check (this is a good all around AIO for starting out) (And has wax as well)
5. med nanoskin mitt---get this (clay car while washing---time saver!)
6. Iron X---check ( if cost too high, can skip this if in a pinch)
7. Microfiber towels---get as much as you can. Gold plush-12 pack and Green edgeless maybe 6 pak. (Probably 2nd most important thing after polisher!)
8. Soap---check

As for the rest of your order---you can hold of till you get a few cars under your belt. That way you'll begin to identify additional items to add on later.

Wash, clay, polish (AIO)....Done!

Tom
 
Oh...forgot a couple things...

1. get pad cleaner---McKee's a good one
2. microfiber cleaner---towel kleen is a good one.

Tom
 
Welcome to AGO! Rather then add more stuff and confuse you more all I can say is welcome. If there is ANYTHING that should help you the most is get one of Mike Phillips Books on How to's. Show car detailing is the one I would get. I have the older version that is discontinued and I believe the Show Car Detailing book is the updated version.

GET IT!!
 
Thanks Mike for helping me out with that. For some reason I couldn't get them to post from my phone I'll have to read your fourm about posting pictures a little bit better.

For the 6 pack I did get one of each so I could try to use least aggressive then step up if need to. Since I won't be attempting any heavy corrections in the mean time should I get a few of one color?

So one more drying towel. 6-12 microfiber towels for a full detailing job. Then try to get less product?

The combo with the polisher has 5.5 backing plate.

Thanks everyone.

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If it is allowed, I've got plenty of various products, mostly un - opened I'd be willing to donate to you. A would ask you to consider repaying my shipping cost, but that is all. Polishes, LSPs, prep polishes, quick detailers, WOWA products etc

If interested, send me a PM. If this is not allowed, just delete the message. By donating and making room on my shelf, I get to buy more stuff from AG. LOL
 
Go with smaller sizes. Once you start, and your vehicle looks really good, you'll want better. :)

There's a lot of good stuff sold here that you'll want to try, and may work better for you than your original picks. For now, keep it simple. HD speed is a great product, as is the blackfire sealant. However, they may not work well together. Often the chemistries of products are meant to work as a family. I've found a few cases where a spray wax didn't work with a previously used sealant. My only suggestion on product would be to go with HD speed, and if you really want a sealant, HD Poxy. Blackfire is good stuff, but I don't think their AIO performs as well as Speed.

The only things I think you can never have enough of, are good towels, and pads. I started with 5 CCS orange pads, 5 white pads, and 2 black pads. With a full size SUV and a crew cab truck, 5 pads wasn't enough to prevent washing two of them for another panel on the truck. I've since added 6 thin pros in orange, and white. The pads aren't cheap, but if properly cleaned, they last a long time. Having more pads means you spend less time cleaning on the fly, which means you get through your vehicle faster, get better results as you go, and can do more with less product which in the long run will save you money.
 
Agreed with all the other comments here. Any of the polishes and compounds sold here will do a great job and stick to small quantities to try stuff out. It really takes a lot of trial and error to see what works best on your vehicle. The nice thing to know, is if you have the right technique, you're mindful when washing and drying, and you're not smacking your car with the polisher, you're not going to hurt anything. You'll also find yourself going through a decent amount of towels too. Any of the waffle weave style towels are a MUST for drying off liquids, and a plusher 365gsm+ towel is good for the wax/sealant buffing step.

FWIW I found Mike Phillip's Show Car Shine Guide to be more helpful after watching the Junkman2000's paint correction and detailing videos on youtube. Technique trumps product 24/7/365!

Good luck and have fun!
 
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