Test Spot - The story behind the term...

[Mike Phillips]

Test Spot - The story behind the term...



The first photo-documented TEST SPOT - 1999







I was actually researching for the first time I used the term LSP and RIDS on the Autopia.org forum and ran across the story about why and how I came to coin the term Test Spot.


Here's the link to the thread, dated 03-04-04 with the story...


Swirls on Black Paint

hey guys... here's my story... rock hit the hood, made some damage... took it to the dealer for a repair and now I'm stuck with a bad case of swirls...

i am a rookie a detailing.. and my car is a daily driver... i know i am not going to get perfection on a black daily driver... but i can get close right??

i don't have a plan... so i would appreciate if you guys can provide me with one... the only thing i know is that i am planing on doing it my self and that i will probably get a porter cable...

please guys help me with a plan...and product list ( rookie here so easy on the abbreviations) .

here are the pics.. enjoy!!!

Hi schrader,

From the picture, they look fairly light. How hard they are to remove will depend upon,

Paint hardness
Swirl depth

After you decide you plan of attack, do a "Test Spot" .


Apply your products, using your application materials and choice of application procedure, (rotary, PC, hand), to one small area. Work all the way from beginning to your final wax, or last step product. Then inspect in both indoor lighting and outdoor lighting.

If the results look good... then repeat the process to the entire car. If you are not seeing the results you're looking for, then stop and re-evaluate your plan of attack.

If you cannot make one small area look good with your choice of products and procedures, then you will not be able to make the entire car look good.


(Anyone want to here a horror story about a guy, his hand, a tatty rag, some old fashioned compound and a single stage white finish?)

Hope this helps...



Mike

Mike: Sure! Let's hear it. I'm usually interested in stories with morals at the end! The car made it, didn't it? Please say it didn't die!

I pretty much summed it up, above, but here's the skinny,


I met this man through the Usenet Newsgroups on rec.autos.misc

He wanted to know how to get the scratches out of his finish. So, I responded back and asked him about the scratches. That's when he told me that he tried to polish out his car starting with a hand applied rubbing compound. (Dupont's I think).

He applied the rubbing compound to the entire car and then wiped it off to reveal a compete, scratched up mess. I forget the car but he told me he was seeing white paint on his rag.

He did not have a rotary buffer, or the skill to use one. I pretty much told him he would have to take it to a professional. I also told him he was probably out of luck because those scratches were going to be difficult, if not impossible to completely buff out because of the hardness of most single-stage white paints.

The lesson he learned was to do a test spot in one small area first to see if he can make it look good before applying to the entire car.


He simply let his excitement get a head of him. It taught me that not everyone I communicate with over the Internet has good hand skills. It's important when helping people work on their car's paint, and you don't know their skill level, or their specific paint problem, to be cautious. Start out with having them test their products of choice in a small area first, and sometimes in an inconspicuous area first.

Mike

p.s.

Never heard from the guy again...

This post includes the story from where the term Test Spot came from... dated dated 03-04-04

The time I actually used the term wasn't in my reply in this thread, it was back in either 1993 or 1994 when I was typing on Usenet Newsgroups, way before vBulletin was created, see my article here,

Discussion Forums - A relatively "new" invention...


vBulletin Released 1999/2000
vBulletin, that's the software that runs this forum and most high quality discussion forums on the Internet, was released as a for sale script around the end of 1999 or early 2000. So by th year 2002 the thing I'm typing on, the thing you're reading right now, that is text on a forum was still in its infancy from where were at today.


vBulletin History on vbulletin-faq.com
VBulletin History on Wikipedia

That's the story behind the term Test Spot

Here's the good news... the below video goes over in detail how to do a Test Spot using a DA style polisher. While in the video I show how using a Porter Cable 7424XP, the exact same principals would apply for working by Hand, or any tool, including rotary buffers, the Meguiar's G110v2, the Griot's Garage ROP and even the Cyclo.

How to Remove Swirls with the Porter Cable 7424XP



You can also see how to do a test spot using a Flex 3401 in this video taken from this thread,

1957 Chevrolet Belair Extreme Makeover - Flex 3401 & Wolfgang Smackdown!





The big picture idea is to test out the products, pads and process you're thinking of using over the entire car to just one small section and make sure you can make one small section look GREAT and if you can then you'll have proven your system and this will give you the confidence to duplicate the process over the rest of the car.

If you process worked to one small section, then it will likely work over the rest of the car and the results will be a show car sine the first time.

If you run into any problems with your test spot, then simply come back to the forum you're reading this on and share what you're seeing in your test spot and the members here will be happy to help you tweak your technique until we help you dial-in a proven approach and see you through to success in your garage!

[Wax Gorilla]

I sold Detailing and Paint Correction all the way back in 1972. The Ploy which I got from Door to Door Carpet Vacuum (Rainbow) / Shampoo Machine salesman was "Just Let me do a Test Spot and then you make the decision as to your level of interest". I put Myself through College and Bought My first House Using the term "Test Spot".

[Mike Phillips]

I sold Detailing and Paint Correction all the way back in 1972. The Ploy which I got from Door to Door Carpet Vacuum (Rainbow) / Shampoo Machine salesman was "Just Let me do a Test Spot and then you make the decision as to your level of interest". I put Myself through College and Bought My first House Using the term "Test Spot".

Cool story...


That's a great example of how to use doing a small test section to make a sale. Here's a related thread as this same technique can be used in the detailing world.


The Cruel Test Spot - This or that? - Reverse Bait & Switch


Here's a technique I've used in case the actual owner isn't around when a job starts, the point being is people forget, that is people forget just how bad the paint on their car is and after you've restored a show car shine it's hard to remind them of how bad it was to being with except with pictures but that's not always realistic on-the-fly, on the job site...

So here's a powerful way to remind them...

The Reverse Test Spot

[Flash Gordon]

Are you saying you invented the term "Test Spot"

[Mike Phillips]

Are you saying you invented the term "Test Spot"

YES.

I'm saying I coined the term Test Spot. I can find no documentation as to anyone ever "inventing" it. I can find documentation for using it and making it a part of our NORMAL conversation in the car detailing world.

I coined the term as it relates to polishing paint in the online detailing world on Usenet Newsgroups back in 1993 or 1994 (Pre-forum software)

In the forum world, I introduced the term first on Autopia and then on AOPP, then SCG and then the MOL forum when it went live in 2004. I used the term in the Meguiar's Detailing 101 and 102 when I taught the first one for MercedesShop.com on July 31, 2002

It's how I teach people new to detailing to make sure their pads, products and process works in one small area before buffing out an entire car. It's a term I coined to help people avoid making mistakes.

In the same way I coined these two popular discussion forum terms...


LSP - The definition and the story behind the term

RIDS - The Definition of RIDS and the story behind the term...


I'm real good at giving due credit to where credit is due.


If you can show me where any of these terms originated before or after the Internet please do...


Don't know if you ever noticed but I write a lot. And coining terms is a natural evolution of wordsmithing lots of how-to articles.

[Perfections]

I just want to add the importance of doing a test spot can be huge, I had a boat delivered for a quote, my wife was gone at the time with all my tools, so I wasn't able to tell exactly how hard it was going to be to remove the oxidation, I quoted the guy thinking I could compound out the oxidation, I was wrong going to have to wet sand it, had to go all the way down to 500 grit before it removed it I'm gonna lose money doing this job with the time this projects gonna take and the 60 dollars in sanding disc I had to buy

[Mike Phillips]

I'm gonna lose money doing this job with the time this projects gonna take and the 60 dollars in sanding disc I had to buy

Sorry to hear this... but it does help to drive home the importance of doing a Test Spot any any vehicle or in this case a boat, that you haven't previously work on and are familiar with the material or the coating.


Thanks for sharing...

[Perfections]

Heres a quick peek of the true Importance of a Test spot, as stated above, I didn't have my tools to do a test spot. But once my wife got home and I tried a few things out I realized I was going to be in for a long project. Me and the owner talked for a while as I wasn't going to be able to correct the gel coat to perfection because it was to thin, so we decided on a full restoration inside and out. He wasn't on a time crunch so I worked on it at night after working on cars and other boats all day long. Over 100 hours went into this project all because I didn't perform a test spot and I dont allow customers to not get perfection even if I have to break out my body work/ painting skills. Heres a quick peek and a full write up will follow once I completely wetsand it to perfection and put the trim on.

Before



After, hours after I shot the clear coat

[Mike Phillips]

Over 100 hours went into this project all because I didn't perform a test spot

And because you're a good guy!

Point being, it's important to do a Test Spot.

Looks great so far...