Looking for a detailer in Memphis who is an expert with a rotary

[davidc11291]

Looking for a detailer in Memphis who is an expert with a rotary


I've started buying beat up cars, fixing them up, and selling them (I hope to open a car lot within a year). The cars I'm dealing with for now are usually around 15 years old, heavily abused repos (like from a title loan company). They're nasty, filthy, and abused. I'm talking about cars that have probably been washed about once a month.

After 20 hours of using a rotary on one of these cars, and getting horrible, ugly results, I've come to the realization that no matter how much I read online, no matter how much time I spend on the machine, I'm just not gonna be able to learn how to use this machine without someone teaching me, hands on, so I want to find someone who knows how to do heavy correction with a rotary and then finish out to a mirror finish, and I want to pay them to spend an hour or 2 teaching me how to do it on my cars. The current one I'm getting ready to sell is a black 97 Lumina.


I'm wanting to pay $50 per hour, and I'll come to you.

[2old2change]

Check with forum member flash. He knows just about everybody in that area.

[mjlinane]

FWIW - you might also consider a DA with Surbuf or Microfiber pads and one of the SMAT polishes (Megs 105, Optimum). Nearly comparable correcting, much quicker learning curve and finishes much better - IMHO.

I have relegated my rotary to jewelling.

[Mike Phillips]

so I want to find someone who knows how to do heavy correction with a rotary and then finish out to a mirror finish,

I post this all the time but here goes again...

It's a tick on the difficult side to use ONLY a rotary buffer and finish out 100% swirl free on every car.

When I use the words "every car", that's a way of saying ever paint system as there are multiple paint companies used by the different car manufactures and they use different brands of pains PLUS paint technology i ALWAYS changing.

It's better and more fool-proof to do the heavy correction starting with a rotary buffer but finish out with either a Flex 3401 or a DA style polisher like a Porter Cable 7424XP.

Plus you don't want to machine apply a wax using a rotary buffer it's going to look swirly when you're done.

For what you're doing, a Flex 3401 would be a better option because it will do heavy correction, polish and machine apply waxes and no swirls and no paint burning.

[Mike Phillips]

FWIW - you might also consider a DA with Surbuf or Microfiber pads and one of the SMAT polishes (Megs 105, Optimum). Nearly comparable correcting, much quicker learning curve and finishes much better - IMHO.

I have relegated my rotary to jewelling.

Good advice and cool Avatar!

[Flash Gordon]

I've started buying beat up cars, fixing them up, and selling them (I hope to open a car lot within a year). The cars I'm dealing with for now are usually around 15 years old, heavily abused repos (like from a title loan company). They're nasty, filthy, and abused. I'm talking about cars that have probably been washed about once a month.

After 20 hours of using a rotary on one of these cars, and getting horrible, ugly results, I've come to the realization that no matter how much I read online, no matter how much time I spend on the machine, I'm just not gonna be able to learn how to use this machine without someone teaching me, hands on, so I want to find someone who knows how to do heavy correction with a rotary and then finish out to a mirror finish, and I want to pay them to spend an hour or 2 teaching me how to do it on my cars. The current one I'm getting ready to sell is a black 97 Lumina.


I'm wanting to pay $50 per hour, and I'll come to you.

Sounds like your having problems finishing out? Very hard to finish out with a rotary. If you would like, I could spend a few hours with you one day using a DA with various pads

Where are you at (part of town)? I would rather come to you. Otherwise, we would have to go through the whole washing process before we could get where we need to be

[IID]

That is great your stepping up to the plate Flash to help out.
This forum has some Awsome members

[davidc11291]

Mike- Sorry if I didn't explain myself clearly enough, and my post sounded redundant. I recognize that leaving a certain amount of holograms is a natural byproduct of a rotary, and that there's no way someone with my skill level can get anywhere near a show car finish using only a rotary, as this is probably impossible 99.9% of the time for even experts. However, I feel that I've got some fundamental errors in my technique which are causing me to get exceptionally poor results- results that could be 10 times better if I had someone spend some time teaching me the basics, so I could translate "book knowledge" that I've gotten on the forums to real world results. I'm definitely purchasing a DA or a Flex in the next few days. Thanks for telling me about the Flex.

Flash- I'm sending you a pm now.

2old and mj- thanks for the great advice. It's much appreciated.

[Mike Phillips]

I recognize that leaving a certain amount of holograms is a natural byproduct of a rotary,

In most cases that's true... everyone wishes it wasn't true but it's the nature of the beast as it relates to two things,

1. The combination of pad, product, pressure and rotating action imparts it's own mark into the paint
2. Modern clear coat paints are scratch-sensitive

Neither of the above have anything to do with the skill of the operator.

However, I feel that I've got some fundamental errors in my technique which are causing me to get exceptionally poor results- results that could be 10 times better if I had someone spend some time teaching me the basics, so I could translate "book knowledge" that I've gotten on the forums to real world results.

I agree wholeheartedly and that's my second passion in life, sharing with others how to polish paint and get show car results.

I've read a number of comments by others that they don't think there's any value in attending a detailing class but as someone that attended a detailing class sometime in the early 1980's and then started teaching a similar class starting in 1988 I've witnessed first-hand over and over again how much faster and better it is to pick up techniques and correct procedures simply by watching someone else that knows what they're doing.

I can't even begin to count how many times I've heard comments similar to this...


Reading and watching videos is good but nothing beats seeing it done in person



And of course, to me nothing beats true hands-on training as in actually placing your hands on someone else's hands and showing them,

• How hard to push down
• How fast to move the polisher over the surface
• The pattern to make
• When to stop
• How to deal with curved body panels
• Etc....

Tanya is ready to learn the way of the rotary buffer...



First things first and that's learning the 10 @ 10 Technique for picking up a bead of product...



Little hands-on help for Astrid her first time using a DeWALT 849 Rotary Buffer...



Tanya's ready to do some polishing using the Porter Cable 7424XP, here's a quick hands-on lesson pressure and arm speed...



Here's one from last week...

Now it's time for some hands-on training for Nicole who picked up machine polishing like she'd been doing it all her life...




So David I'm 100% in favor of getting training especially from someone that knows what they're doing, that doesn't always mean from someone that's been doing it a long time...

I'm definitely purchasing a DA or a Flex in the next few days. Thanks for telling me about the Flex.

A great combination... rotary for major correction then change the action of the tool to a tool that both rotates and oscillates to ensure a swirl free finish even months down the road after your customer has washed the car with dish soap and run the car through a tunnel car wash.


Keep us updated as to your progress...

[Flash Gordon]

Flash- I'm sending you a pm now.

.

PM replied

Sorry I couldn't make it this morning

Call me, or PM when you can