Resuming a job the next day?

[Honda Fan]

Sometimes there just doesn't seem to be enough time to do everything I want to do the day I start a project i.e. my personal vehicle. It's probably a mix of old age (mine) and OCD, but too many times I find myself having to cut something short and say "I'll do that first, next time". When I clean I tend to obsess and spend way too much time on 1 area. If I was to be a little more structured I know I could knock it all out in 1 day, but that's just not me.


I'd really like to resume the following day but I find myself thinking about all the dust and debris that fell on the paint while the car was sitting in the garage overnight and worry about jumping right back in where I left off.


What would you suggest and how do you tackle a 2 day job? I was thinking that I should attack the paint first and then move onto the widows and other exterior crevices the following day followed up by the interior wipe down and wheel dressing? But what if I'm not able to complete my wax/cleaner process in 1 day? Is it ok to wipe down the exterior with a damp MF towel and resume where I left off?

 

[Paul A.]

I have done multiple day jobs and continue to do them. Most times for customers.

I use Optimum No Rinse to wipe down panels before continuing any machine work.

Having said that as a quick response, I've also inventoried my movements and processes to refine some efficiencies.

 

[Honda Fan]

I have done multiple day jobs and continue to do them. Most times for customers.

I use Optimum No Rinse to wipe down panels before continuing any machine work.

Having said that as a quick response, I've also inventoried my movements and processes to refine sone efficiencies.

Trust me, I understand the efficiency issue with myself. I don't let it get to me too much since I'm not a pro and doing other people's cars, or usually in any particular hurry. But still, I really need to clamp down and refine my process.

 

[chilly]

I can't finish even a small vehicle in a day anymore either, especially since I destroyed my dominant shoulder

I also don't apply coatings, just sealants/waxes, so I will completely correct/polish a panel, wipe it down with a panel wipe, and get my preferred sealant/wax etc applied and buffed out, and move on to the next panel

When I get back to the car to resume working I do a rinseless wipe as well on each panel before I start machine work

I plan on trying Can Coat this next year but even that will probably be a few panels at a time rather than trying to get the whole car done in one go

I know my process is inefficient as hell but it is just my cars and now that I am back home it will be family cars as well but still, they get them when they get them

 

[Desertnate]

If I'm going to do a full detail on a vehicle, I almost always break it up into 1.5-ish days of work. Depending on when I start the job, I find that either the threat of running out of time, or simply getting tired/bored from doing the work leads to a point where I get sloppy and start making dumb mistakes.

I have two approaches based on how much time I have on hand and when I start.

#1 Afternoon start with a whole day following
- Day 1 (just a few hours): Wash/Clay/Decon/de-bug, little stuff like polish tailpipes. If time allows, start polishing
- Day 2: Polish, apply LSP

#2 Full day start
- Day 1: Wash/Clay/Decon/de-bug, polish
- Day 2: Apply LSP, little stuff like polish tailpipes, trim etc.

I actually like #2 better because I take my time on both days and it's a more relaxed pace. However, life and commitments rarely allow it to work that way.

As for leaving the car in the garage over night, I've never found it to really accumulate any real dust in the 10~12 hours it sits. At least not enough to warrant having to re-wash the car or do a waterless wipe down of some sort.

 

[2black1s]

I rarely finish a job in a single day. My garage is very clean, so I don't worry about dust settling during the off time, although if I feel any pre-restart cleaning/dusting is necessary I'll usually just give it a quick once over with a California Car Duster.

 

[PaulMys]

I have done "two-dayers" a lot.

One thing I find helpful is that I always start with my roof, then hood second.

So even if I call it a day after those two, all of the horizontal panels are done. (Pick-up truck, no deck lid).

Then, I'll just quickly hit the vertical panels the next day with QD before firing up the polisher again.

 

[Flash Gordon]

I rarely spend 2 days on 1 car but when I do I do nothing but pick up where I left off.

 

[PaulMys]

I rarely spend 2 days on 1 car but when I do I do nothing but pick up where I left off.

That Memphis BBQ must be what makes you such an out of control wild man, Flash-o-Rama.....



:laughing::cheers:

 

[Flash Gordon]

That Memphis BBQ must be what makes you such an out of control wild man, Flash-o-Rama.....



:laughing::cheers:

Funny! I ate a bbq sammich for lunch today! Memphis without a doubt has the best bbq in this world

 

[PaulMys]

Funny! I ate a bbq sammich for lunch today! Memphis without a doubt has the best bbq in this world

I have been to KC, and Texas and had their BBQ as well. They are both excellent.

But, I can't say you're wrong.........

 

[Texchappy]

When I did my wife’s navigator I spent several days. I did the machine, wipe down, and then coating a panel at a time

 

[Flash Gordon]

I've had NC, KC & TX bbq. There is no comparison to Memphis bbq imo. Even our bad restaurants are good.

Was in Los Angeles not long ago. Tried a bbq shop there. Ended up throwing half a sammich in the trash.

 

[PaulMys]

I've had NC, KC & TX bbq. There is no comparison to Memphis bbq imo. Even our bad restaurants are good.

Was in Los Angeles not long ago. Tried a bbq shop there. Ended up throwing half a sammich in the trash.

Los Angeles BBQ?

That would be like going to Chicago for pizza..........:laughing:oke:

 

[Honda Fan]

Thanks for all the suggestions (even the ones for local BBQ, LOL)

I don't know why but I always seemed to hesitate jumping back in on a car the next day (especially on the paint). I guess I thought I'd be grinding in all these "invisible" contaminants and doing more harm than good. I now know that is not the case and will begin with a light wipe-down and jump back in. I'm also going to sit down and come up with a plan of attack in order to maximize my time and energy. This Honda Pilot is a bit more car than I've had to work on before and I think a day and a half plan is probably in order.

I also like the idea of doing several panels at a time and then hitting several more after the next wash.

 

[Lance Mark]

it's a side hustle for me, so a few hours in the evenings, sometimes just a morning on a Saturday or Sunday....it's less efficient, and I do some extra prep wiping, but i still get it done

 

[Coatingsarecrack]

I can't finish even a small vehicle in a day anymore either, especially since I destroyed my dominant shoulder

I also don't apply coatings, just sealants/waxes, so I will completely correct/polish a panel, wipe it down with a panel wipe, and get my preferred sealant/wax etc applied and buffed out, and move on to the next panel

When I get back to the car to resume working I do a rinseless wipe as well on each panel before I start machine work

I plan on trying Can Coat this next year but even that will probably be a few panels at a time rather than trying to get the whole car done in one go

I know my process is inefficient as hell but it is just my cars and now that I am back home it will be family cars as well but still, they get them when they get them

With that AK road film i would look into coatings. Not that much harder than applying a sealant nowadays.

I am nothing close to a pro and was pretty intimidated my 1st time coating. Was my 1st time polishing too. Was pretty easy and only had 1 high spot that I lived with. I named him Steve.

With things like CanCoat and CP lite that wipe on and wipe off. Will give you a true year. Perfect for that weather.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Don M]

I also have found that age (combined with a mental loss of 'drive') has slowed me way down. 30 years ago, I was easily able to do an entire car (inside and out) in a day (I had drive AND youth on my side then, LOL).

Nowadays, it's almost ALWAYS a multi-day process, unless it's just an exterior wash (which, even with experience and practice can take me over 2 and 1/2 hours) - my OCD has definitely gotten worse as the rest of me has slowed down.

Now, if I'm doing an interior, with a wash/polish and "wax" on the exterior. it can easily take 2 or even three days, because like I said, my OCD has gotten so much "worse,' (and my skill, fortunately, has improved greatly over the last 30 years).

Day 1: Interior - vacuum, clean and dress (along with the interior windows).

Day 2 (or day 1, if I start early enough and my drive hasn't fizzled): Exterior wash, windows, tires and wheels cleaned and dressed.

Day 3 (or day 2 IF I was able to do the interior and exterior cleaning in 1 day): Polish (for deep cleaning/correcting the paint) and "wax," including coating the exterior glass and all the other "details."

Between the wash day and the "wax" day, the car goes into the garage after the wash. MOST OF THE TIME, there is not enough dust collected to even worry about. But if there is a lot of dust (because the garage windows were open), I will take a good QD and a 'plush' (really fluffy) microfiber towel and wipe the car down before polishing.

I have found that by 'breaking up' the job into smaller parts, done on different days, it really limits burn out and I end up doing a better job overall.

 

[Desertnate]

That would be like going to Chicago for pizza..........:laughing:oke:

Hey now! Those are fighting words! I've driven four hours, to Chicago, to get a good Chicago-style pizza.

If a pizza isn't built upside down in a deep crust with enough cheese to make a normal person lactose intolerant, it isn't a real pizza.

 

[chilly]

I also have found that age (combined with a mental loss of 'drive') has slowed me way down. 30 years ago, I was easily able to do an entire car (inside and out) in a day (I had drive AND youth on my side then, LOL).

Nowadays, it's almost ALWAYS a multi-day process, unless it's just an exterior wash (which, even with experience and practice can take me over 2 and 1/2 hours) - my OCD has definitely gotten worse as the rest of me has slowed down.

Now, if I'm doing an interior, with a wash/polish and "wax" on the exterior. it can easily take 2 or even three days, because like I said, my OCD has gotten so much "worse,' (and my skill, fortunately, has improved greatly over the last 30 years).

Day 1: Interior - vacuum, clean and dress (along with the interior windows).

Day 2 (or day 1, if I start early enough and my drive hasn't fizzled): Exterior wash, windows, tires and wheels cleaned and dressed.

Day 3 (or day 2 IF I was able to do the interior and exterior cleaning in 1 day): Polish (for deep cleaning/correcting the paint) and "wax," including coating the exterior glass and all the other "details."

Between the wash day and the "wax" day, the car goes into the garage after the wash. MOST OF THE TIME, there is not enough dust collected to even worry about. But if there is a lot of dust (because the garage windows were open), I will take a good QD and a 'plush' (really fluffy) microfiber towel and wipe the car down before polishing.

I have found that by 'breaking up' the job into smaller parts, done on different days, it really limits burn out and I end up doing a better job overall.

:iagree: :whs:

I will go a step further and (at least in my case) blame a portion of my need for extended time on the design of many newer vehicles

My newer car is a case in point with all the little character lines, ledges, swoopy bits, etc that have to be dealt with

It just simply takes me longer to effectively tape, correct, polish, etc than a car even twice the size with simple lines

I posted something last spring after we rented a Dodge Challenger for a few days

Acres and acres of paint, yet huge flat panels with simple lines that you could correct/polish easily and quickly, all things being equal, as opposed to my little crossover, simply due to design

I am forever looking at cars in traffic, parking lots, etc and sizing them up in my mind as to how I would attack them with a machine and there are cars out there that just boggle my simple little mind with their complex construction

Having a 5-6", 3", and 1-2" machine all laid out and ready to go is almost essential these days to cope with it all

Yeah, I did a lot of cars for a lot of years with a single PC by swapping 5" and 3" backing plates (a total time suck) and lots of hand polishing on the intricate bits, but those days are long gone, for me at least

Rant off, soapbox put away, resume your previous programming...