How to detail quicker

[Daniel Kinder]

Awesome, thanks!

Hey mbenzo, read from first to last post and I think your doing great work!! Like you know just find you a routine and stick to it, I time myself on every job and when finished and customer has picked their vehicle up I go back over what I did and condition of each thing and factor in size of vehicle and think about why I was faster or slower and how I can improve upon.

I have a Mytee8070, Harbor Freight Steamer, and use the steamer much more and now see that I should have got me a Tornado Black! If you have a Air compressor I think this could be one tool that could really speed up your process, also along with having a routine a detail cart could knock off 10 to 20 minutes total from start to finish at having everything ready and on hand!

As far as having a flex 3401 for speed, I have one and their awesome machines but find myself using my 7424XP on more production type jobs along with a micro fiber pads and Like was mention before D151 Paint Reconditioning Cream and then spray down with D156 Hydrophobic spray wax. or for a more correction type job! not full-on paint correction but remove 70% or so swirls and light to medium scratches I use M100 and a polishing/cutting pad and first couple passes use high speed then switch down to slower speed and very light pressure and make another passand move on, check everything with high Powered LED's or a Flex swirl finder light and if everything good spray down with D156 or GTechniq's C2v3.

Just giving you some of my ways and technique's that way you can take a little something from all of us and set up your own technique and start blazing their them production details and putting out the best quantity and quality out of your shop!

Also check out some of the top guys you-tube video's and don't just watch! Listen! to what they say and do! Then think about your technique's? Could you be just a few seconds quicker if you did this or that?

One last thing that help me knock off at least an hour or so from my details was when I bought AutoScrubs wash mitt and fine & medium towels. Depending on condition of the surface of how and which process I did!

Hope I've been of some help if I have given you any thoughts, suggestion or a idea or two!

 

[CDot]

Well I hope you don't mind my input. I recently did a full correction detail to 1 of my friends cars. It took about 4 hours from start to finish. EXTERIOR ONLY.

1. Wash
2. Nanoskin Sponge IMO quicker than clay. (I would assume a mitt would be faster)
3. Flex 3401 VRG IMO the best DA to get the job done the fastest...hands down.
4. Menzerna FG400 This compound works wonders and is very effective. Used 6.5" Orange Hybrid Pad Speed setting 5
5. Menzerna SF4000 (I use SF4500) IMO SF4000 is a great effective polish. Used 6.5" White Hybrid Pad Speed setting 5
6. Menzerna Powerlock Sealant it dries quickly and you can remove it real easy. Used 6.5" Black Hybrid Pad Speed setting 2
7. Used a foam applicator that the DA could not reach for sealant.

No door jams or other areas that are not seen...IMO why waste time for something that will be covered 90 - 95% of the time.

The car I worked on was a Red Honda accord coupe. Here are the pics from before, Mid (just finished compounding no polish yet) and then final result.

This took 4 hours. Some people may think I am on crack or don't believe me but so be it. I again, did exterior only.

I did this 11-29-2014. I think the type of DA helps significantly and the type of product...how effective it is in correction. Mine was the Flex 3401 VRG and Menzerna Products. The correct MF Towels are also important too. I use different MF towels for specific applications. I have a MF towel specifically for compound/polish removal and a specific MF towel for sealant/wax removal.

I hope this helps. BTW I do this for a hobby. This person needed her car back in about 6 hours.

:buffing:

I know this is kinda old, but wanted some help with this as well. I'm a hobbyist, but still looking to make efficient use of my time. I have 2 kids (one is 10-months old) and they--well really the infant--seems to take up every waking moment. Can you estimate the time it took to do each step?