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  1. #11
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    Re: How to Get More Efficient Doing Paint Corrections/Coatings

    That's awesome. All you really need, is to just do more cars. And be more realistic on the purpose of a 1 step. Also, having more experience with different products helps when it comes to being more efficient. My MIL brought her silver Forrester to me 3 months ago. It had normal dealer swirls and scratches on it. I used my Flex XFE15 with blue HDO pads along with HD ONE. That combo took about 3 hours and got me about 90-95%. Most Asian paints are softer, so one steps net great results. It just comes with having a few different options at your disposal.

  2. #12
    Junior Member davidk72008's Avatar
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    Re: How to Get More Efficient Doing Paint Corrections/Coatings

    Yeah I agree, I should have just polished the panels and moved on instead of trying to achieve perfection. That's my fault, and a mistake that I consciously made in the process. I won't do that going forward. I have another correction tomorrow, so I will focus on keeping moving if he decides to stick with a 1-step.

    One other thing that I know kills my time is having to move my lighting stands locations/height, extension cords, and buffer cords. Those parts of my process should get a lot better once I setup somewhere with some permanent lighting. Some battery operated buffers would be nice too, or at least having several outlets around my work station where I can easily move the cord from one outlet to another rather than moving an extension cord around the car all the time.

  3. #13
    Mike Phillips
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    Re: How to Get More Efficient Doing Paint Corrections/Coatings

    Quote Originally Posted by davidk72008 View Post

    I live in Birmingham, AL.

    I actually recently took Mike's last 3-day class in Florida. It was an extremely informative class, and it is where I decided which tools and products to buy for my business startup.
    That would have been this class,

    Pictures - September 2019 3-Day Car Detailing Bootcamp Class





    Quote Originally Posted by davidk72008 View Post

    We burned through cars like crazy when I was at that class, but there was about 15 of us working on one at a time lol.
    With 17 people in the class and always having 2 cars to work on, that would be 8 to 9 people working on each car and that's more than enough "car" for each person to work on when you consider the size of the cars I always bring in.



    Quote Originally Posted by davidk72008 View Post

    I was using the techniques learned in that class when I buffed out this car.

    I used 5-6 section passes on each section that I worked.
    So for the compounding step, I teach using an "average" of 8 section passes but this is determined when you do the Test Spot.

    For the polishing step, I teach using an average of 5-6 section passes BECAUSE you're ONLY cleaning up after the more aggressive compounding step.

    For using an AIO - I teach using the same technique as using a compound, so back to an average of 8 section passes per section.

    There is an actual science to all of this....


    Just for clarification.... and ALL the cars you guys buffed out came out looking amazing! And what's amazing about that is these cars were buffed out by TEAMS of people that have all just met each other with different backgrounds and experience.



  4. #14
    Mike Phillips
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    Re: How to Get More Efficient Doing Paint Corrections/Coatings

    Hang tight, let me take a stab at your questions...


    Quote Originally Posted by davidk72008 View Post

    Hey everyone,

    I recently got my new detailing business started up, and I have started to get some customers lined up for corrections and coatings around my full time job.
    Congratulations!



    Quote Originally Posted by davidk72008 View Post

    I just completed my first paying customer's brand new Acura RDX A-spec this past weekend.

    I require a minimum 1-step correction for any coating job to make sure the surface is properly prepped for the coating, so that is what he got.
    This is what I practice and preach. This would be my Package 2 Exterior Detail. It's for cars that DON'T need compounding. If a car needs compounding, this would be Package 3.



    Quote Originally Posted by davidk72008 View Post

    I used a Flex 3401 with white hybrid force LC pads and Sonax EX 04-06 for the correction, and I used a Griot's 3" DA on the small/complex areas of the car.
    That's a great combo for a one-step polishing job.



    [QUOTE=davidk72008;1661876]

    Here was my process:

    Strip wash
    Chemical Decontamination using Sonax Fallout Remover
    Mechanical Decon using Pinnacle clay bar
    1-step correction (but actually needed 2-steps on the doors and hood due to the dealer leaving some deeper scratches)
    Paint Prep
    Apply 1 coat of Carpro CQuartz UK 3.0

    This process took me ~16 hours to complete!!

    That's not too long for a full size SUV - but with experience you can knock it down to about 10 to 12 hours.


    2020 Acura RDX A-Spec




    Your price is a tick on the low side due to the car being an SUV. Tall vehicles are going to take longer simply to get to the high country. I would recommend adding to your sales info an upcharge for SUVs, Vans and Trucks. I use $300.00 as a guide. You would feel a lot better about putting 16 hours into this SUV for $1000.00 vs $700.00


    Quote Originally Posted by davidk72008 View Post

    Now, granted, I took my time and did some extra things like the 2-steps on the doors and hood because I wanted my first customer to be happy and help me spread the word about my services, so I know I could have probably knocked it out in about 12-13..
    And that's the sign of a person that is passionate about doing their best regardless of the price point. Nothing wrong with this if you feel good when you put your head on your pillow at night. But if putting 16 hours into someone else's brand new car makes you feel bad or empty at the end of the day, then

    A: Learn to streamline your process and match your service rendered to the price point of the package.

    B: Charge more.

    There's a third option, and that's turn the work down but all of us that have been in your shoes, that is just starting out, we tend to take every job we can get - it's called starting.


    Quote Originally Posted by davidk72008 View Post

    How long would you guys typically take to complete a wash, decon, 1-step, and coating application on a small 2-row SUV like this typically?
    I would call that a full size, you might get away with mid-size, but I would not call that a small SUV.

    I shoot for 8 to 10 hours from start to finish. And I'm usually on the 10 hour side. Just depends on the condition of the paint as the machine polishing step chews up time. I figure just under 2 hours to wash the car if the wheels are really dirty. Dirty wheels, if you're going to clean the barrels and really get them clean equals 15 minutes per wheel. Multiplied by 4 equals an hour.

    If you're prepped, you can then wash starting at the top and working down and do this in an hour. You have to have all your tools and supplies ready to go including things like a Werner work platform to reach the roof and things like the top, middle of the windshield.

    SUVs like this have a LOT of paint real-estate. Even when using the BEAST.

    You can only go so fast or you start doing shoddy work. I don't like doing SUVs but they are popular, so it's hard to avoid them. For your one-step polish and ceramic coating work you need to either raise your price or settle for working for less.

    Getting your prices higher starts with educating your customer. People don't know how long it takes to do the things you're doing. I would guess most people

    A: Don't know how to properly clean a wheel.
    B: Don't own the tools to properly clean a wheel.
    C: Don't know how long it take just to clean one wheel.

    And the above time-line for procedures applies for each step of the process. For example, chemically stripping the paint on the SUV will take you around 45 minutes from start to finish. And - you need GREAT towels.


    All-in-all, taking into consideration your passion for perfection, 16 hours isn't "wrong" for doing this type of work, it's just not as rewarding as we all want it to be.



    Quote Originally Posted by davidk72008 View Post

    What are some time-saving tips?
    Streamline your process. This means having everything ready to go and ready to use before you start.

    1. All washing tools staged and ready to go.
    2. Microfiber towels inspected and ready to use.
    3. Tools, pads, products staged and ready to use.
    4. Put your phone away.






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  6. #15
    Junior Member davidk72008's Avatar
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    Re: How to Get More Efficient Doing Paint Corrections/Coatings

    You're correct, Mike. For those that weren't there, I'm the guy in the gray shirt kneeling behind the Chevelle.

    Also, I agree there was always plenty of "car" to work on during the class. I was exaggerating when I said 15, but I didn't mean for that to come off as a negative comment. I hope it didn't seem that way. I really enjoyed the class, and it was very informative. Highly recommended.

  7. #16
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    Re: How to Get More Efficient Doing Paint Corrections/Coatings

    Wow!!! handsome fella you are. LOL I loved Mike's class. So much fun. After the class I bought my Flex XFE15, I really liked it.

  8. #17
    Junior Member davidk72008's Avatar
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    Re: How to Get More Efficient Doing Paint Corrections/Coatings



    Mike, you're the man. Thanks for the detailed responses. It sounds like I'm right on par with you on the wash phase, the polishing phase is just where I fell behind. That is due to me "going above and beyond" the scope of the project when I decided to 2-step some of it. That's on me.

    For reference, my website lays out my services and prices. Feel free to critique. I just finished up the website last week.

    slickobsessiondetailing.com

    Thanks guys

  9. #18
    Mike Phillips
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    Re: How to Get More Efficient Doing Paint Corrections/Coatings

    Quote Originally Posted by davidk72008 View Post

    You're correct, Mike. For those that weren't there, I'm the guy in the gray shirt kneeling behind the Chevelle.
    That Chevelle came out GREAT! We really had some cool cars there to train on. And I'm happy to say, there's no other class like my 3-day class here at Autogeek in Stuart, Florida where absolute strangers to the car owners get to work on so many cool cars.

    Yesterday I confirmed a 1964 Impala with a 409 BIG BLOCK for my February class.



    Quote Originally Posted by davidk72008 View Post

    Also, I agree there was always plenty of "car" to work on during the class.
    I'm sorry to say I never had the time to get all the great action pictures showing your class working on all the cars. Right after the September class, I had to prep for a roadshow and after that SEMA.


    Quote Originally Posted by davidk72008 View Post

    I was exaggerating when I said 15, but I didn't mean for that to come off as a negative comment. I hope it didn't seem that way.
    I'm a little sensitive to how my classes are positioned BECAUSE I've seen a few people state that in a large class you don't get enough ONE-ON-ONE time with the Instructor but the person saying this has also NEVER been to one of my classes. I make sure EVERYONE gets TONS of one-on-one with me as I walk around the entire time, for 3 days and walk right up to each person and check with them on how they're doing and if they have any questions.

    I also stop and share tips and techniques that apply to the person and the tool and the procedure being performed in real-time and PRO-ACTIVELY.

    No harm, no foul, I just like to make sure all the hundreds, if not thousands of people that will read this thread into the future have an accurate impression for any class I teach.

    And as you witnessed first-hand - we start early, worked late and everyone was on their feet working on cars each day. The ONLY time anyone sat in a chair was to eat lunch and that was kept to about 15 to 20 minutes. That's how I run my classes. I cover so many tools, products and techniques there's simply no way we could get through them all by sitting in chairs looking at a wall. (looking at a slide in a power point presentation).

    If a person learns best by sitting in a chair by all means, take any of the other classes on the market.


    Quote Originally Posted by davidk72008 View Post

    I really enjoyed the class, and it was very informative. Highly recommended.
    Thank you. And you know what? I really enjoyed it to. I love all my classes and that's because as I've been typing for years, I love to do two things,

    1: I love detailing cool cars. It's my passion.

    2: I love teaching others to detail - I have empathy - I've been in their shoes when first starting out.



    You're doing good. Speed comes with practice and practice makes perfect.

    Selling yourself at a higher price point is your next challenge.



  10. #19
    Mike Phillips
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    Re: How to Get More Efficient Doing Paint Corrections/Coatings

    Quote Originally Posted by Billy Baldone View Post

    Wow!!! handsome fella you are. LOL

    I loved Mike's class. So much fun. After the class I bought my Flex XFE15, I really liked it.

    The class you attended at GYEON in Colorado was also a lot of fun.


    Pictures: Colorado Roadshow Class- Denver Auto Shield



    It was also a LOT of work because we only had 4 people in the class. We all had to hustle including me.

    But I think you'll agree, we started early and we're doing hands-on the entire day. The picture below is 6:30am



    First day of Class is over! 12 hours on total hands-on immersion training.

    We start tomorrow at 7:30am. I’m nice to the class and let them have 1 extra hour of sleep before we get into the wetsanding class.


    Click here to view the original image of 1200x900px.




    covered all the tools, products and techniques I advertise






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    Next...


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    Second Day


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    BEFORE

    Wet Wash Engine Detailing


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    AFTER

    Results are DRY to the touch.


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    I always show the Air Test

    The Air Test - Using NON RUPES pads on RUPES Polishers by Mike Phillips






    When holding the RUPES BigFoot 21 or the 15 in the air with the tool set to high speed WITH a RUPES matching pad --- it's a smooth as can be!







    And ALL the cars came out incredible. Here's just 3 of the cars, but it's a cool picture because it's also

    RED - WHITE & BLUE




    Not trying to brag, but there's simply no other class like the class I teach on Planet Earth. This goes for my car detailing classes and my boat detailing classes. The boat classes are JUST like the car classes - on your feet learning from start to finish for 2 days straight.


    Someday - others will copy me - mark my words.



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  12. #20
    Junior Member davidk72008's Avatar
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    Re: How to Get More Efficient Doing Paint Corrections/Coatings

    Just wanted to follow up this thread with some work from this past weekend.

    I had a 2-step correction with ceramic application on a black 2008 Tahoe. I sped up a little bit this time around. It still took me 16 hours, but it is a larger vehicle than the RDX and I did a full 2-step on the whole car. I also actually charged for a 2-step this time around so the time was worth it. Another factor was that I working in his cramped garage, so I had to do a lot of shuffling around with the lights and even had to move his car several times. I am looking forward to owning a shop so that I can avoid these types of things, but I'll put in the grunt-work for now.

    Educating the customer is key, as Mike has said many times. He started out just wanting a 1-step and was sceptical on paying an extra $400 for a coating over a sealant. I did a test panel to show him what a 1-step would do, and then followed up with a seperate 2-step section. After seeing the results he agreed to go with the higher package. As the old saying goes, "seeing is believing".

    Good news is that word is getting out, and I am starting to get jobs lined up from people outside of my friends and family. This customer wants me to follow-up with his son's new Mustang in a couple of weeks too. Repeat customers are always a good sign.

    I'll get some pics posted here when I get a chance. I can't access imgur to get the link right now.

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