Feel like my detailing skills are plateauing - Looking for a boost

[VP Mark]

Ok folks, first of all, I consider myself a very good detailer. If you've ever seen any of my interior show and shines, you can tell I'm a top notch interior detailer. There is always room for improvement, however.

I'm very good at exteriors also, maybe not the top 5% of paint correction guru's, but a lot of that is that I don't get as much as practice as others. Paint correction is a hard sell in my very small market. I can still finish down even a very damaged panel to 100% given the time.

I try to improve at my detailing skills 1% every detail, but feel like I am hitting a glass ceiling there.

I feel like I am the top detailer in my market, although that is not saying anything amazing.

I want to get better though, a LOT better. I want to stand right beside the top in the industry.

Hurtles:

Expensive or time consuming classes are not a possibility, at least not for the next year or so. My wife just started a very intensive new job, my son goes to a private school, I have a very involved position at my church, and I cannot just pack up and leave for a week or more.

Who has some advice? Only so much can be gleamed from watching Youtube videos. I feel like I am kind of on an island, but really want to step out.

Any constructive, helpful advice would be appreciated! :)

[GenesisCoupe]

I have seen your work, and recognize your name on this forum and your posts are always helpful.

I get my 1% from doing the detailing work, as well as Youtube videos- however not all videos as most of them are crap, in particular i have learned the MOST from Larry at Ammo NYC. His videos are awesome.

I have had a chance to practice new techniques and products on $500 cars, or hoods/door pieces, etc. to further my own knowledge. Perhaps you can try that? Check your local junk yard for a hood you can experiment with.

[7.3powerstroke]

Mark, I hope to be as good as you someday. I think Garry Dean had guys like you in mind when he started Raw Detail Tv. It matches your description of what you are looking for. Unfortunately I can not recommend Raw Detail Tv to you. Maybe a detail day with forum members in your area is something that would help. A handful of guys working on cars with a bunch of different tools, your bound to learn something new.

[TMQ]

Time invested and experience is what breaks the glass ceiling across all occupations.

What you need is tons of hours into the process.

Suggest you contact several local body shops in your area. Cars coming out of paint needs to be buffed out 75-90% of the time. And production painters hate to stop their work to correct paint. You can volunteer or come up with a deal that is beneficial to you as well as the shop owner.

Good luck...

Tom

[VP Mark]

Time invested and experience is what breaks the glass ceiling across all occupations.

What you need is tons of hours into the process.

Suggest you contact several local body shops in your area. Cars coming out of paint needs to be buffed out 75-90% of the time. And production painters hate to stop their work to correct paint. You can volunteer or come up with a deal that is beneficial to you as well as the shop owner.

Good luck...

Tom

That is really good advice.

I'm not giving myself any excuses. I'm going to do whatever it takes.

[Sicoupe]

Keep doing the good work you do Mark, your work is great just keep striving for more my friend:)

[GSKR]

dont start by autobody cars 80 percent of them are gonna be extreme work ,at the end of the day u will be defeated .just hang on ag soak up as much knowledge as u can,keep pursing it and it's free .theres not a whole lot of science behind this trade ,it takes a little time to be effiecient equals more cars a day ,paint corrections are relatively hard to come by on a everyday process so I would focus on production get them in and out ,go cut a deal with a used car lot give them a good price and learn more from there .before I started there was no clay ,no foam pads just a wool pad and the standard products, don't spend ur free time working on a car that saturated in overspray ,dirty paint which involves sanding .just my 2 cents

[GSKR]

Are they any car shows in you're town,go there a promote ur self get a car that has a nice canvas for u to improve and you're still getting paid,ant the word will travel.

[Ricorocks]

VP Mark - How about Mike Phillips book have you read it? How about looking at an accepted procedure, & digging deeper into why, it's so. It may seem silly, but greater understanding of why, can give insight & perhaps improve upon.

[VP Mark]

VP Mark - How about Mike Phillips book have you read it? How about looking at an accepted procedure, & digging deeper into why, it's so. It may seem silly, but greater understanding of why, can give insight & perhaps improve upon.

Yep, Mike Phillips, Renny Doyle have been read. I'm currently digging into more strictly business related books by a host of other authors. Re reading the specific detailing books is on the list now that you mentioned it.

[Kamakaz1961]

I IMO am in the same category as you. Always looking for improvement. Never satisfied with my technique and IMO could get better. I used to try different product, however, that did not improve. The one good thing I have learned is that I have only a couple of products I stick with for correcting. My weakness is still carnauba wax (have a boatload of them)...but that's not the point.

There is something that I have been doing that has helped my technique. I have been re-reading Mike Phillips books as well as watching Youtube videos of Mike Phillips and the ever so funny and cool (IMO) Junkman2000 videos. That alone has kept me abreast of all the little nuances you may forget.

Getting 2 different techniques from 2 different gurus is a plus. Now some may think AJ (Junkman2000) might be a little brash, however, for me I like his style. Makes fun watching his videos and he wins kudos because he was a former Marine; Semper Fi.

The Mike Phillips videos are more precise and to the point and I combine both.

I have Mike Phillips old Book the Art of Detailing and I read it on my lunch or other down time. I have been re-reading his book so much that the paper is actually falling out of the bind on his book.

This has made me comfortable to know that (I hope as well as IMO) that I am one of the "finer" detailer's around.

There is a detail shop about 200 yards from my workplace and I observe what they do. It only reinforces me to know that I am (again IMO) a superior detailer than all of their crew.

VP Mark; the fact that you are constantly trying to get better in itself is a great notion.

As Bruce Lee put it in martial arts (the Father of MMA) "Become the water and flow with the water and you cannot be stopped".

Have an awesome day!!

[GSKR]

Reading books is a good source ,but this is a hands on skill,u can't paint a car reading books ,but it can get you started. You need different problematic experience to master any skill whether is plumbing to carpet installation.

[Zubair]

Nothing beats experience and that means time behind a polisher.

[GSKR]

Saw your post from Africa going to go there next year

[Paul A.]

One of the questions i asked myself some time ago is "what am i weakest in and do frequently?". The follow up question to that was "and how lucrative could it be?".

In an attempt to get better at something, continue to get better at what you already do well but spend extra time on getting better at the things you personally feel deficient in.