how long do you take? (clay, polish, wax)

what about paint correction? assuming youre just removing swirls and not wet-sanding or having to break out the rotary?
 
I'm a newb too

Wash--1 hr

Nano sponge clay--45 min

Polish w/ DA --3-4 hr

Seal w/ Duragloss & bonding agent--45 min / hour

Collinite topper--45 min
 
magna_power said:
Hi Guys,

I'm just starting here and was wondering how long it takes you guys to do certain tasks, so I have some idea of how I'm going. I clayed the bonnet of my car (yes, just one pannel) and it seemed to be a slow process, but I was much faster by the end of the pannel ;)

So, how long does it normally take to clay a family sedan? Also, how long for a swirl remover? And also for a wax.

can't wait until my DA polisher arrives :D
Click to expand...

I can clay a full sized SUV including glass in about an hour.
Polishing at best .......... multiple steps (2) BLACK ...... 4 + hours easy.
Simple hand wax 1.5 hours.
 
For claying, using a nanoskin sponge makes it easier and faster. I have yet to try the one that goes on the polisher... for some reason I am afraid to mar the paint with that.

For the rest:
Wash: About an hour depending on vehicle size
Decontamination: Nanoskin Speed Sponge about 30 minutes/Iron-X about 30 minutes
Paint Prep (IPA wipedown) about 20-30 minutes
Sealant: About 30 minutes to an hour
Wax: About an hour
Polishing: Depends on paint and size but roughly 3 hours
Compounding: Varies a lot but at least 3 hours
 
Two weekends. Sometimes even longer.

When you add in bad back, shot heart, old and beat up, and plain old lazy two weekends sound about right.

And that includes the fact that I have every mechanical advantage. A lift, Flex and PC and Makita polishers, filtered water supply and so on. And it still takes that long :dblthumb2:
 
I'll admit it, I'm slow. I don't usually break down the time spent into sections, I just figure out how long the job takes. On MY car(a compact sedan) it can take me ~8-10 hours from the time I pre-rinse it to the time I give the car a final wipe after waxing. And my car is usually always in good shape, for a first-time-ever detail on a neglected car it can take a bit over two full days (8-10 hour days - with breaks). I'm doing a wash/polish/seal on my father in law's truck (2009 Silverado, silver with a cap and a rack on top) Today is day 2 and since I'm the ONLY person to touch the truck, I have very few issues (other than ignored bird droppings) to deal with, no swirls or scratches. I will finish the truck (weather permitting) today

See, I'm in no hurry to finish (except towards the end if I'm running out of light and still have sections to wax) and I concentrate on one panel at a time making sure I got it right - on which ever step I happen to be doing wash/polish/wax. Although polishing takes more time than the wash & wax combined because I really take my time polishing, it's the most important aspect of the detail (aside from removing all the dirt and contaminates during the wash) and will have the biggest effect on the end results.
 
rustytruck said:
Why is it taking hrs and hrs to polish??
Wash dry Onr 45mins
clay 20-30 mins
polish/wax AIO 45mins
Find a quality AIO with diminishing abrasives that won't turn trim white and save yourself a bunch of time.
Click to expand...

What do you use?
 
What are you using that you have to tape the trim? I have yet to stain any trim. I have used chemical guys v series and d300 and I have never had staining.
 
Well it's going to take me a week to do my truck. I only have shade for about two hours in the afternoon when I get off work so I do a panel a day for compound and Polish. Which means a spit wash and clay before I start. It's pain with no shade but it's fun
 
A whole friggin weekend usually; old, slow, end up getting distracted and staring out the garage at the 'free' world:

Friday night (usually about 6pm to 10pm)
- Clean wheels, decon with WG Uber wheel cleaner or Iron-X
- Clean the living crap outta the tires to prep for Tuf Shine tire clearcoat (usually takes 4 wash/rinse/scrub cycles per tire if they use tire dressings previously)
- Wash car, dry
- Iron -X car, rinse
- Wash car/clay with Nanoskin
- Dry car, blow out all the water from crevices

Saturday (usually about 6am to 6pm):
- Tape Car
- Screw around doing test spots to see what I want to use that is least invasive
- Compound/Polish car, usually WG TSR followed by WG Finishing Glaze or Menz 2400/Menz 3500, sometimes add Menz 3800 step if dark car

Sunday (usually 6am to 2pm)
- Prep paint with Gyeon Prep or WG Perfekt Finish Paint Prep
- Coating, generally McKees Paint Coating or similar for friends vehicles cuz I'm doing it for free
- Tuff Shine Tire Clearcoat
- Dress or coat trim depending on what I have available (remember, these are 'freebie' jobs)
- Seal/wax or coat wheels
- Clean up garage/wash towels/pads
- Wonder where another weekend went.

Takes me an awful long time because I'm not set up very efficiently in a garage. Always walking from this side of car to that side to get pad brush, new pad, move air compressor hose, lights, extension cords.

I'm just doing this for friends cars, no $$ involved so i can pick and choose cars I find 'interesting', which usually means totally trashed because those are the coolest when they are done. Don't do any interior work outside of door jambs and can't clean an interior window/windshield to save my life. I plan on 'Drop off Friday night, pick up Sunday afternoon' type schedule so I'm never really in any hurry. I could likely cut the compound/polish day down to at least half of that if I really stuck to it and didn't go wandering off after doing one vertical side of the vehicle; that GG6 gets heavy!
 
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