Tesla Service Detailer in desperate need of help with this paint!

[brettka7]

I'm a Detailer at a Tesla Service/Delivery center. Due to the fact that customers spend 1-3 hours with the car under harsh artificial lighting before they leave, we essentially give retail details to every customer that receives their car from our center. I've been trying to jewel solid black Tesla Model S&Xs with 3M Ultrafine Polish via rotary, and CANNOT get it to work. I've tried more pressure, I've tried zero pressure, I've stuck with about 1" per second while jeweling the paint up to 1500 rpm, then dropping down to 600-800 rpm (I've tried everything below 1k rpm for the final 2 passes. ~7-800 RPM seems to work best) I've tried priming Kevin Brown method, I've tried over-priming, I've tried not priming, I've tried ultra finishing, finishing, light cutting pads.

Right now, my best results are with Crimson Buff and Shine Ultra Finishing pads. However, it is still unacceptable.

Here is rotary:



And here is Rupes LHR15 with the exact same pad removed from the rotary and placed on the Rupes.



Both pictures are after an alcohol wipedown, followed by lacquer thinner to ensure a true finish is revealed during our tests.

This paint is SOFT. Going aggressive with a microfiber on residue will look like 1000 grit sanding marks. Final wipedowns marr the paint with the best microfibers we can find. Think jet black BMW paint, or Honda Nighthawk Black Pearl, minus the pearl flake covering any light marring.

Obviously it is the machine/technique and not remaining swirls from the cutting or polishing steps. We stick with buff and shine pads because, frankly, 3M pads are worthless on these cars. Can anyone give me any advice or tell me where I may be going wrong? Is jeweling paint this unforgiving with a rotary possible with Ultrafina?

Thanks so much for reading!

[Setec Astronomy]

I don't get it--you have a process that gets the results you want (second picture)...can't you just use that process?

PS This new product along with some tips from Mike Phillips might be just what you are looking for, hopefully he will see this thread:

McKee's 37 Jeweling Wax For your dual action or rotary polisher.

[brettka7]

I don't get it--you have a process that gets the results you want (second picture)...can't you just use that process?

I can, and I will use the process until/unless I can get the rotary to work.

The Rupes machines break down polishes much slower than a rotary will. That's never good in a production setting.

Also, we usually have at least one Rupes out of commission due to rubber covers disintegrating, overheating, cords breaking down, or various other issues. The rotaries have never needed anything other than brushes.

[Setec Astronomy]

I can, and I will use the process until/unless I can get the rotary to work.

The Rupes machines break down polishes much slower than a rotary will. That's never good in a production setting.

Also, we usually have at least one Rupes out of commission due to rubber covers disintegrating, overheating, cords breaking down, or various other issues. The rotaries have never needed anything other than brushes.

I hear you...we have a member who does a lot of work in a Tesla delivery center, let me see if I can find some of this threads.

EDIT: He doesn't seem to like to post his materials/process--IIRC he's in an ongoing beef with another local detailer over stealing each other's methods or something. He may help you out, though, as he did in the last thread posted below.

OCDetail - Jet Black Tesla Cquartz Finest

Here's a couple with some methodology:

Tesla model S gloss coat

Tesla Model S, New Car Prep and CQuartz Finest Application

This thread had a lot of back and forth:

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...ighlight=Tesla

[Mike Phillips]

If these are "Retail Details" and to me that means a quickie like doing one-step production detailing, then perhaps keep it a LOT more simple.

Especially if you don't know how the customer is going to wash or take care of these cars?

It doesn't do any good to put a show car finish on a car the owner is going to take to a car wash.


Try the McKee's 37 Jewelling Wax with a SIMPLE Porter Cable dual action polisher and either a simple foam polishing pad or a simple foam finishing pad.

[brettka7]

I hear you...we have a member who does a lot of work in a Tesla delivery center, let me see if I can find some of this threads.

EDIT: He doesn't seem to like to post his materials/process--IIRC he's in an ongoing beef with another local detailer over stealing each other's methods or something. He may help you out, though, as he did in the last thread posted below.

OCDetail - Jet Black Tesla Cquartz Finest

Here's a couple with some methodology:

Tesla model S gloss coat

Tesla Model S, New Car Prep and CQuartz Finest Application

This thread had a lot of back and forth:

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...ighlight=Tesla

Thanks for the threads!

If these are "Retail Details" and to me that means a quickie like doing one-step production detailing, then perhaps keep it a LOT more simple.

Especially if you don't know how the customer is going to wash or take care of these cars?

It doesn't do any good to put a show car finish on a car the owner is going to take to a car wash.


Try the McKee's 37 Jewelling Wax with a SIMPLE Porter Cable dual action polisher and either a simple foam polishing pad or a simple foam finishing pad.

There are some irregularities that occasionally happen between painting and delivery that require further polishing on the car; sometimes they even require a bit of sanding, which has to be taken down with at least a few separate steps. The blacks always require 2-3 steps before they can go on the delivery floor. I'd love to be able to just cut and polish the cars and throw them out there, but with paint this soft I find myself having to cut, Polish, and follow up with some third even less aggressive step, at least in the customer's immediate field of view.

Oh, and 3M products are simply what we are using. Maybe I can get away with swapping Ultrafine out, maybe not. For the sake of this thread though, 3M polishes are the only option.

[Busy mind]

Is the MF towel in the second pic, the one you use for wipe downs? The stitched edges and short nap remind me of the MF towels I used when I first started out, and now I use them on wheels or anything I don't care about.
Perhaps that's contributing to some of the headache?

I've yet to see high quality results and high speed volume coexist from production detailing.
I am super pleased to see someone from a dealership position care enough to enlist help. I hope you find the right combo to get the best of both worlds.

[GSKR]

Thanks for the threads!



There are some irregularities that occasionally happen between painting and delivery that require further polishing on the car; sometimes they even require a bit of sanding, which has to be taken down with at least a few separate steps. The blacks always require 2-3 steps before they can go on the delivery floor. I'd love to be able to just cut and polish the cars and throw them out there, but with paint this soft I find myself having to cut, Polish, and follow up with some third even less aggressive step, at least in the customer's immediate field of view.

Oh, and 3M products are simply what we are using. Maybe I can get away with swapping Ultrafine out, maybe not. For the sake of this thread though, 3M polishes are the only option.

I would talk to your supervisor about the 3m products that are making your job hard to get acceptable results with this finicky paint.Get a true easy system that works,then approach him.Ive never done one of those but I think cutting on new paint is your promblem.Have you had complaints just with a polish and wax,or is this your ocd which there nothing wrong with that.

[GSKR]

Whats the name of 3m cutting?

[AllanS]

To follow up on what GSKR said (though NOT an immediate solution) see how willing they are to change (unless corporate dictated.). Then, buy (or borrow) a small bottle of product(s) that may do the trick & see if they are willing to convert. iF they give you the latitude, you may be able to score some points with them & addt'l respect that you DO know what you are doing. That may help you in the long run as well.

Good luck!