Couple of Definitions That Are Bugging Me

S

Setec Astronomy

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 31, 2010
Messages
17,035
Reaction score
1,321
You know we all use acronyms here to make communications faster. Well a couple of written shortcuts to speed communications, that I thought used to have pretty hard-and-fast definitions, seem to have become rather muddy lately. Maybe you guys can give me your opinions.

1. "Weekend Warrior"

I always considered this to mean a professional detailer who detailed in addition to his "day job"; someone who detailed for money on the "weekend". This term of course derives from National Guard or US military active reserve members who are professional soldiers (I guess there are some who will argue that) but only perform on their one weekend per month.

It seems this definition has become muddied where people who are just enthusiasts, and therefore detail their car "on the weekend" now refer to themselves as "weekend warriors".

2. "One-Step Polish", or "Two" or "Three"

Back when I started on detailing forums, we didn't have the quality of abrasives we have now. If you had a hammered car, there were 3 steps: compound, medium polish, and fine polish. Since each step takes time, and time is money (or if you are a "weekend warrior"...er...enthusiast, time is time), and customers don't have unlimited time or money, detailers would do a "one-step" or a "two-step" which might be just a fine polish, or just a medium polish, or a two-step might be just compound and medium or just a medium and a fine.

These "steps" never included the LSP, that was LSP. Today most abrasives are capable of not requiring more than 2 steps, because with products like FG400, Meg's 100/101/105, the compounding step frequently leaves a finish almost LSP ready, so one more step is all that's needed.

Anywho, today if someone says "I did a 2-step" I have no idea what they mean, because they will throw in AIO's or LSP's into that. My point is that these descriptions of the number of steps have become meaningless because there is no uniformity.

Well, that's my peeve today--I could be way off.
 
Man, I just did a 97 step on my car. I washed it, clayed it, washed it, iron-x it then washed it, then compounded it, then washed it, polished it, washed it, eraser wipe down, coated with opti-gloss topped with cquartz then sealed it. Then I threw 19 coats of Fusso on it and followed up with reload. Those are the posts that get me (maybe not on here but on FB) and I agree, LSP is LAST STEP PRODUCT, not "A" step.
 
parttimer said:
Man, I just did a 97 step on my car. I washed it, clayed it, washed it, iron-x it then washed it, then compounded it, then washed it, polished it, washed it, eraser wipe down, coated with opti-gloss topped with cquartz then sealed it. Then I threw 19 coats of Fusso on it and followed up with reload. Those are the posts that get me (maybe not on here but on FB) and I agree, LSP is LAST STEP PRODUCT, not "A" step.
Click to expand...

:laughing:

these posts kill me. you're so right - i see this all the time now. Gotta throw at least 3 products on your car for that maximum shine
 
Heisenberg said:
:laughing:

these posts kill me. you're so right - i see this all the time now. Gotta throw at least 3 products on your car for that maximum shine
Click to expand...

Oh, we always had that on the detailing forums, it's the "more is better" approach.
 
Neither really peeve me, but number 1 I don't think it's necessarily those who make money detailing, but who use the weekends for the hobby and almost no other time either by necessity or choice, so I guess I agree more with the more recently popular definition. I use the term for just about anything whenever i'm just basically describing myself as a DIY-er or enthusiast

Steps are correction steps to me. Nothing else. A one step would be whatever your abrasive of choice is and then the LSP is seperate so I think we have the same expectations.
 
I agree that the "steps" are correction only.

Your LSP is just a step after the official steps. 😜
 
I washed and waxed my car last weekend, is that a 2 step?

lol
 
I've been doing this before the word detailing was a word. It's crazy the number of products that people have been convinced they must use or else they won't be able to sleep at night. Its quite a spectacle considering the next must have is already obsolete before you even buy it. When I was younger and easily influenced, I threw out more products than I ever used. Some never opened.
 
The hardest step is compounding step, and when doing correction job in most cases you will need to hit a panel 2/3 times which can be counted as steps, sometimes I like the word Multi-Stage paint correction.

There are a lot of steps before starting with polishing, but they are more like washing (cleaning step) and in most cases 6/7 steps at least are neded, anyway it's not a big deal 1:30/2 hours max. When compounding sometimes you need 2 hours just for the hood.

It's complicated but I try to not complicate thing to the clients, for them it's 1-step for gloss 2 steps for swirls and scratches

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 
Here let me throw a wrench into the machine,


In my classes, I teach that steps are the things you do to the paint after the normal steps.

Normal steps including everything and anything you do up to the point of

  • Compounding
  • Polishing
  • Waxing
So a one-step process = means using a one-step cleaner/wax


A multiple step process equals doing more than one step to the paint i.e.

  • Compounding, polishing and waxing
  • Polishing and waxing
  • Using a cleaner/wax followed by a finishing wax
  • Using a compound or a polish followed by a cleaner/wax
  • Compounding, polishing, chemically stripping the paint applying a coating
  • Polishing then chemically stripping the paint and applying a coating
Etc.


Then I wrote this too and I think the below and some version of the above is in 3 of my how-to books.

The 8 normal steps to perform before buffing out a car



:)
 
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
Here let me throw a wrench into the machine
Click to expand...

Ha ha, this is getting a little more complicated than I intended (of course that kind of dovetails into my previous thread about everything getting so complicated).

But look at all the possible combinations of "multi-step" that you listed, Mike--how can a noob not get all confused by that?

Anyway, I was really referring to when you read a post by a pro or weekend pro detailer back in the old days if he said "I did a two-step polish because the customer wouldn't pay for the 3-step" you knew he meant he did a medium polish followed by a fine polish, but he didn't compound first because the customer didn't want to pay for that.

Today if somebody says they did a 2-step polish I have no idea what they did, it could mean a whole lot of different things.
 
I look at the steps as any process that is done with the intentions of correcting or refining the paint.
Example: if i use an AIO or a finishing polish then wax/sealant then i did a 1 step.
Lets say i am using HD Polish+ and i use an cutting pad then use same polish with a finishing pad to remove cutting pad haze then I did a 2 step.
 
Awesome post! I like to say I do as many STEPS necessary to make my ride clean!! On a weekend or week day or in the early morning or early evening.....dusk to dawn!!...LOL
 
I'm gonna go ahead and stick to the idea that a "X step process" is abrading paint.

Washing, claying, polishing, waxing etc. are possible steps to detail a vehicle but doing a "2 step process" is, for example, a compound and polish.

That's how I think about it and I'm too old to change now. 😂
 
I always thought of it until you pick up the buffer the steps don't begin. Everything prior to that is just preparation in my opinion.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
1. "Weekend Warrior"


It seems this definition has become muddied where people who are just enthusiasts, and therefore detail their car "on the weekend" now refer to themselves as "weekend warriors".
Click to expand...


That's exactly how I define the term "weekend warrior"👆🏽
IMO, a weekend warrior is an expert at detailing his own vehicle, but doesn't really get involved with detailing other peoples cars.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top