Quickest method of paint correction for production work.

**Axrow** · 09-07-2014, 03:43 PM

Hello, I've been on the forums here for a while researching. The last year and a half I've been doing production work at a low end dealership and recently took a job at a high end dealership. They want every car clayed, touched up, wet sanded if there are deep scratches, buffed and waxed. However I don't have any experience with a rotary buffer. They are training me, but I think the easiest/best way may be to just get a Flex 3401. What do you guys think? Do you have any advise on products or strategies to speed things up? The other guy I work with usually does a car in about an hour and a half with a rotary buffer. Would it be quickest to compound with a rotary, then polish using the Flex to get a perfect finish?

Any advise would be appreciated!

**HD.Detailing** · 09-07-2014, 03:50 PM

1. the other guy isn't correcting paint, he is hacking it up, in an 1 1/2, period.

2. Do you know how to wet sand?

3. What experience do you have detailing?

no offense sounds like a hack shop to me, and if you learn to do this work the right way, you need to be out of that shop.

**Axrow** · 09-07-2014, 04:16 PM

There's no need to call it a hack shop, we just do a different type of work. I've been making almost 2k a week every week doing it, so I have no intention in trying to get out just so I can have a chip on my shoulder like you. Thank you for not helping at all.

**The Critic** · 09-07-2014, 04:16 PM

It's production work.

It's certainly do-able in 90 minutes with a rotary. You'll probably be using an AIO type product and claying with a nanoskin-type device.

You're going to have to learn how to use a rotary if you want to survive in that environment. I don't think any DA is going to accomplish results in that time period.

**Axrow** · 09-07-2014, 04:59 PM

Thank you, we do use nanoskin on a PC to clay. Do you think I would get better results if I just hit the heavy scratches with a rotary, then use the Flex with wolfgang uber compound? From what I read, it sounds like it would finish out well enough for this type of work. They are pretty picky for production work. Most are newer Mercedes, Porsches and Aston Martins. Not the best type to learn to buff on.

**The Critic** · 09-07-2014, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by Axrow

Thank you, we do use nanoskin on a PC to clay. Do you think I would get better results if I just hit the heavy scratches with a rotary, then use the Flex with wolfgang uber compound? From what I read, it sounds like it would finish out well enough for this type of work. They are pretty picky for production work. Most are newer Mercedes, Porsches and Aston Martins. Not the best type to learn to buff on.

Paint is paint, at the end of the day. I would see if you can get some training with some individuals who have more experience with a rotary.

Most dealers, even high-end ones, just want the cars to look clean and shiny and without wax/compound in the cracks. They're not going to be going over the cars with a Rupes swirl-finder light or a Flex light to check for defects.

Of course heavy defects will require attention with wool and a heavy compound, but I think most moderate defects can be removed (and filled, in your case) with a heavier-cut AIO such as Meguiars D151.

If you only have 90 minutes, you're not going to have time to compound and then wax - you need something in one step.

**Axrow** · 09-07-2014, 05:18 PM

You're exactly right, I'll give Meguiars D151 a try. Right now I'm teamed up with a guy that has been doing this for 15 years. He's going to train me on buffing. Just thought it might be easier/nearly as quick to do it with a DA. Guess I'll start researching rotary techniques. Thanks for the advice.

**HD.Detailing** · 09-07-2014, 05:30 PM

It's not possible to do paint correction in 1.5 hours. It's an insult to detailers that actually do paint correction to say it can be.

**Axrow** · 09-07-2014, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by HD.Detailing

It's not possible to do paint correction in 1.5 hours. It's an insult to detailers that actually do paint correction to say it can be.

What's another term for removing most defects and making the paint look basically new?

**hernandez.art13** · 09-07-2014, 05:41 PM

I think using a Flex 3401 could be a great alternative instead of using a rotary.

What if you have to buff and polish a black car? Can it be done on a rotary? Yeah it can, but then you have a higher potential of having holograms.

With the Flex 3401 since it is forced rotation, you could be working more production style. (which I have done many times in the past, mainly with a rotary) and I hated black cars lol, that was before I discovered AGO and Meguiar's Online.

If you did have to wet sand scratches the Flex can remove the sanding marks to.

So if you wanted to increase speed IMO, you could get the PC and use the Nano skin autoscrub pad, you'll be claying cars at a lot faster speeds. (Since it is production style and not pebble peach style, IMO you'll be fine) and not against or for either or, they all have their proper place in detailing.

3 step - Then you can do a compound/polish/LSP with the Flex
2 step - polish/lsp with the Flex - 2 step
1 step - AIO (never tried it, but I would imagine it could be done using the Flex)

Plus you could switch backing plates.

So you could accomplish a lot with the Flex IMO.