# Seriously don't understand how you do it!



## dann2707 (Mar 25, 2011)

Been correcting the paintwork on my Focus today. I clayed it last week so that was done, but today it took me the best of 3 hours just to do one door! Yes one door! 

How on earth do detailers do a full correction in one day? including wheels, multiple washes, decontaminating, claying, correcting, applying glazes then wax!

Am I doing something wrong? Or just taking my time? Is it the cold weather impeding my progress? 

If it helps I'm using a rotary, initially de-swirling with Megs #105 on a hexlogic white pad then refining with #205 on a black hexlogic finishing pad and also using a few cheap spot pads from eBay that are an absolute god send for the tighter parts.


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## Damien89 (May 13, 2007)

To tell the truth even i sometimes am amazed at how some detailers do everything in a day or two.

Last i did my hilux pickup it took me 8hrs to wash it, put auto fin rej. on it and colli 845 on top and did arches and wheels (without taking them of) and i was knackered, and i didn't touch the interior and the engine bay.

How others do it in a day or two is beyond me let alone clay and buff a whole car.


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## Steampunk (Aug 11, 2011)

How do we do it? Patiently.... 

If it makes you feel any better, I have twelve hours in correction work on the bonnet of our MINI, which I did by hand. The entire car took 60-hours. The MINI is covered, which absolutely tears up the paint when the wind blows, so it has to be completely re-done this spring. You have the advantage of a rotary polisher, which is something that I would LOVE to own, but cannot yet afford. Detailing is about quality over quantity, so do it properly, and enjoy the process!

Steampunk


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## Damien89 (May 13, 2007)

Steampunk said:


> How do we do it? Patiently....
> 
> If it makes you feel any better, I have twelve hours in correction work on the bonnet of our MINI, which I did by hand. The entire car took 60-hours. The MINI is covered, which absolutely tears up the paint when the wind blows, so it has to be completely re-done this spring. You have the advantage of a rotary polisher, which is something that I would LOVE to own, but cannot yet afford. Detailing is about quality over quantity, so do it properly, and enjoy the process!
> 
> Steampunk


I also do it patiently but i wont spend 12 hrs by hand on the bonnet alone to then cover it and have the paint ruined after a couple of weeks. I dont have a rotary also.


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## Gretsch-drummer (Sep 17, 2010)

I spent a good 6hrs on a black focus ST my dad's borrowing. Washed, clayed, #83 with a rotary then went over with SRP and UDS....only to spot it under the street lamp and seeing it covered in holograms....

So BAAAAACK out washing it on friday and going to #82 by hand to get rid of them all. 

Me and my crappy technique.


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## Steampunk (Aug 11, 2011)

Damien89 said:


> I also do it patiently but i wont spend 12 hrs by hand on the bonnet alone to then cover it and have the paint ruined after a couple of weeks. I dont have a rotary also.


Sadly a part of life I'm afraid ... Without the cover the paint would be ruined in a couple of weeks due to the ridiculous amount of environmental/industrial fallout that we receive in this area. I'm looking into nano-coatings to try and solve this issue. My hope is to either eliminate the need for the cover in the first place, or reduce the amount of marring that I receive from it; creating a thick sacrificial film to reduce the impact of regular polishing on the clear coat.

Steampunk


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## RedUntilDead (Feb 10, 2009)

Don`t stress, I think speed comes with more experience and knowledge tbh.
It takes me a couple of hours every week night and then all day sat and sunday.

Roughly breaking it down as per Dave`s excellent guides: say you split each panel into four and the bonnet and roof area into six, spend 3 minutes per section of the split machining, then thats about 3 hours (I think) Now if you use the 3m system of green/yellow/ blue then times by 3 then you are up to 9 hours machining alone never mind buffing off, washing, claying, wheels, interior, lsp ect.
Some posts don`t add up if they have indeed done (correctly)what they have said.
Don`t mistake me for someone who knows what they are doing though


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

dann2707 said:


> Been correcting the paintwork on my Focus today. I clayed it last week so that was done, but today it took me the best of 3 hours just to do one door! Yes one door!
> 
> How on earth do detailers do a full correction in one day? including wheels, multiple washes, decontaminating, claying, correcting, applying glazes then wax!
> 
> ...


3 hours to do one door, seriously is that how long it takes, plus you have used a rotary, i thought it would be 30 minutes max correction time.


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## bmwman (Jun 11, 2008)

I carry out correction in the summer only, start at 8am and hope to be done by 6-7pm. depends on the condition of the car, and the time of was stage, degreasing, decontamination, etc etc. Don't be disheartened.


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

I was not aware correction stage took that long, i was told a day you can do it even on german paint with a da.


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## Beau Technique (Jun 21, 2010)

What level of correction on what state of canvas determines how long is spent. Enhancement in a day majority of the time but full correction will always be longer if its done correctly.


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## VinnyTGM (May 10, 2010)

I can't do a full detail in one day, it would take me at least 1.5 or 2 days for the outside, then the best part of another day for the interior.


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

VinnyTGM said:


> I can't do a full detail in one day, it would take me at least 1.5 or 2 days for the outside, then the best part of another day for the interior.


Hi is that on your vw golf mk4, if so do you use a rotary or a da.


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## dann2707 (Mar 25, 2011)

Beau Technique said:


> What level of correction on what state of canvas determines how long is spent. Enhancement in a day majority of the time but full correction will always be longer if its done correctly.


Well the paint is swirled all over pretty heavily. I don't have great pics as I don't have my phone atm, using my mums N95.

Paintwork looked like this.










Now looks like this, awful pics I know


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## McClane (Dec 9, 2010)

Yeah... I guess doing it properly whilst you're still learning is always going to take a while. Especially if fully correcting in 2-3 stages! 

I am getting quicker... but still take me most of a day to fully clean, clay, paint cleanse (by hand), wax, buff and interior clean a car. No true correction.

I'll also ache like a mother***** the next day! Still keep think about and then changing my mind about a DA.

Have done things quite quickly before, and gone "that's alright"... only to realise later, more haste, less speed, and something will be a bit rubbish due to rushing.


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## NissanMan (Aug 24, 2010)

Takes me a day to do my Navara. Will only do it when the weather is nice and warm (not hot) once or twice a year max. Once a full correction is done it only ever needs a quick glaze by machine.
Thing is it took me a day on my 1st attempt, only difference now is the results are better and i dont go for a 100% correction, ill do about 90-95% as its not the best paint in the world on a Nissan.


How you took 3 hours on a door i have no idea, i would be bored sh1tless stuck on a panel that long:buffer:


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

Full correction can't be done in a day,simple really.


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## Miglior (Feb 12, 2006)

Clark @ PB said:


> Full correction can't be done in a day,simple really.


Here here, 2-3 days usually. Some do it in two, I prefer to book three. Not because I work slow, just because it normally takes me that long to properly get round a car. It can take me 6 hours just on fiddly bits like apillars b pillars etc, number plate receses bumper contours et etc


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

Couple of things

1. Don't believe everything you read in the showroom and studio, all is often not as it seems

2. Don't try to work to others standards, every job is unique and requires a different approach. Trying to create a "standard" proceedure makes for substandard work

3. Don't forget to enjoy it. Things take as long as they take, if you rush it, you miss the point, and make mistakes. Take all the time in the world and get it right. I you find yourself getting bored walk away for a bit, you will only have to do it again anyway :thumb:


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## Aucky (Oct 3, 2008)

It takes me a good 3 days without using different grades of pad/polish. 

I'm a slow worker though. Do a panel, then go for a break


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## 888-Dave (Jul 30, 2010)

Clark @ PB said:


> Full correction can't be done in a day,simple really.


Very true, well... you could but you'd have to have an army of you on the car getting in each others way etc 



Miglior said:


> Here here, 2-3 days usually. Some do it in two, I prefer to book three. Not because I work slow, just because it normally takes me that long to properly get round a car. It can take me 6 hours just on fiddly bits like apillars b pillars etc, number plate receses bumper contours et etc


Exactly :thumb:



stangalang said:


> Couple of things
> 
> 1. *Don't believe everything you read in the showroom and studio, all is often not as it seems*
> 2. Don't try to work to others standards, every job is unique and requires a different approach. Trying to create a "standard" proceedure makes for substandard work
> ...


Couldn't have said it better Matt :thumb:


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## dann2707 (Mar 25, 2011)

Thanks for the replies people. Brings it into perspective, something I usually overlook. It takes me about 5 hours to clay easily. I can't miss a single spot and have to 100% make sure its smooth. 

Would it be harsh in saying that maybe on a detail done in a day certain parts of it will be neglected/ not as much time spent on parts.


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## Goodfella36 (Jul 21, 2009)

Full correction are always booked for 3 days had some for as long as 5 days on 4x4 that are in a right state that does include interior etc 

When I see full corrections in a day all I can think is they have either hit the car hard with fast cut plus with no care for how much paint they are taking off or lots of fillers have been used pictures can hide a lot of things


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

BespokeCarCare said:


> Full correction are always booked for 3 days had some for as long as 5 days on 4x4 that are in a right state that does include interior etc
> 
> When I see full corrections in a day all I can think is they have either hit the car hard with fast cut plus with no care for how much paint they are taking off or lots of fillers have been used *pictures can hide a lot of things*


this. usually a swirly 'before' and shiney 'in the shade' after lol..


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

Trip tdi said:


> I was not aware correction stage took that long, i was told a day you can do it even on german paint with a da.


as others have said, not full correction in a day - no way. take things you're told with a pinch of salt sometimes


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## McClane (Dec 9, 2010)

^^ Oi, don't give away all my best tactics!

The flip side of the coin is. In one day you can transform a car from a heap into a nice looking motor... the working towards perfection is where the diminishing returns come into play. Then it's about finding a balance that works for you. 

I for one would love to have a car in a garage that I could spend all year polishing everything on!


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## gally (May 25, 2008)

I've got to agree with sime of the sentiments in here. Clark and Matt especially. 

Lest we forget some of the Studio threads that are hardly showing the full picture so to speak. 

Half the pictures I seem to post make my 106k car look amazing. In person it has it's imperfections.


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

Beau Technique said:


> What level of correction on what state of canvas determines how long is spent. Enhancement in a day majority of the time but full correction will always be longer if its done correctly.





Clark @ PB said:


> Full correction can't be done in a day,simple really.





Miglior said:


> Here here, 2-3 days usually. Some do it in two, I prefer to book three. Not because I work slow, just because it normally takes me that long to properly get round a car. It can take me 6 hours just on fiddly bits like apillars b pillars etc, number plate receses bumper contours et etc





stangalang said:


> Couple of things
> 
> 1. Don't believe everything you read in the showroom and studio, all is often not as it seems
> 
> ...





BespokeCarCare said:


> Full correction are always booked for 3 days had some for as long as 5 days on 4x4 that are in a right state that does include interior etc
> 
> When I see full corrections in a day all I can think is they have either hit the car hard with fast cut plus with no care for how much paint they are taking off or lots of fillers have been used pictures can hide a lot of things





-Kev- said:


> as others have said, not full correction in a day - no way. take things you're told with a pinch of salt sometimes





gally said:


> I've got to agree with sime of the sentiments in here. Clark and Matt especially.
> 
> Lest we forget some of the Studio threads that are hardly showing the full picture so to speak.
> 
> Half the pictures I seem to post make my 106k car look amazing. In person it has it's imperfections.


here here... to all the above statements..

IMO full correction is not possible in one day, unless the car starts in brilliant condition, but even then would need to be a long shift to get all the other bits done properly..

I had a very swirled audi RS4 cab, and it was done in just over 2 days, 3 stages of machining, festool 5000 on compounding pad(yes it was that bad) broken down well to just hologramming, then 205 on a medium pad to remove the holograms, then jewelled with p2 on a super soft pad.

but that "just over two days" was 1 x 13 hour shift, and then a 30 hour shift.(8am thurs to 2pm fri) it got the full works aswell, wheels off, every coating ect.


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## The Doctor (Sep 11, 2007)

It takes a full day for me to do a standard full valet with no machine polishing involved sometimes a bit more. There's no getting away from the fact that to do it proper takes time. A lot can also depend on the condition of the car to start with. If the interior is filthy you can spend the best part of the day just doing that and nothing else if your doing the job properly. What I will say and I'm not aiming this at anyone in particular is that some of the cars posted on here are already fairly clean to start with and that is half the battle. Having premises with everything on hand and set up ready to go is also a massive help. That was one thing I really hated about mobile valeting, getting everything out and set up then putting it all away again to go to the next job and do the same again.

Sent from my HTC using Tapatalk


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

very true doctor.. spending 1 hour getting all the equipment set up, then the same getting it all back in place really reduces work rate for mobile guys I would think..


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## The Doctor (Sep 11, 2007)

CraigQQ said:


> very true doctor.. spending 1 hour getting all the equipment set up, then the same getting it all back in place really reduces work rate for mobile guys I would think..


There's no doubting its hard work and time consuming to do it properly. With working on the autosmart truck I see mobile valetors setting up all the time thinking its easy to clean cars and make a few quid. Its certainly not, id say its one of the hardest jobs around when done properly and unless your doing lots of maintainence cleans every few weeks on the same cars or the high end stuff then it can be for very little reward considering the time it takes.

Sent from my HTC using Tapatalk


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

gally said:


> I've got to agree with sime of the sentiments in here. Clark and Matt especially.
> 
> Lest we forget some of the Studio threads that are hardly showing the full picture so to speak.
> 
> Half the pictures I seem to post make my 106k car look amazing. In person it has it's imperfections.


I also agree but there is a but.

Customer Budget...........

I do and always will do a 1 day paint enhancement. Some customers just want this due to budget or they only want paint touching. I also insist the car is washed prior to me turning up or delivered, really to save time. I just ONR each panel, clay and polish away. I just wash the car at the end to remove dust.

With Scholl S3 you can get a pretty good correction on a door then polish out and refine. These details do not include wheels, engine or interior, they are just a paint service, for which I am pretty well booked for. Most will slate this but this approach is key for forum members who generally look after their cars but can't or wont machine polish.

These are not full corrections, I do not guarantee all swirls or marks removed. But for a lot of people this is more than acceptable at a price they can afford.

A full correction with full sand will be 3 days minimum, 4 for a Range Rover and all my full correction details are wet sanded. Why heavy compound and leave the orange peel in when I can gently flat the panel and remove all marks and peel and generally remove less clear.

Lights and cameras can hide a lot and I would love to take the car outside for full on sun shots, but I usually finish after dark and even in the summer it is usually raining with no sun.


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## csjoh (May 10, 2011)

I did a quick external sales detail on a mate's Ford Focus Wagon in October, which included prewash, tar removal, IronX, snow foam, wheels & tyres, 2bm wash, claying, drying and a 1-step detail with my Flex DA, and topped it with CG Black Light.

Time spent: almost exactly 8 hours.

Result: Should've had another 8 hours - I was not happy with the result.

Didn't get to do the door handles, windows, tyres or wheel arches, nor did the rims get any love. Trim was neglected as well. All of the above on the owner's request. "We don't need to do that, don't bother doing that, the next owner will have to deal with it", etc.

The car is still not sold.


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## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

I always ask the pros how long they took on details that I believe are true paint correction details. The answer always seems to be 4-5 days! Massive effort!

It takes me all day just to wash, decon and paint clean, then pre-wax cleaner or glaze, then LSP. I like to take my time, and spend over an hour to snow foam and wash the car. When I detail friends cars, I just crack on with it, and I can add a single stage polish into the mix in the days worth of detailing.


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## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

This is exactly why i don't bother with correction anymore. It takes too long and gets ruined anyway. I use filler heavy sealants and live with the 80% results.

I have better things to do.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

I have to get any car done over the weekend, but most of the time, I work on them for about 12 - 15 hours...

I have never chased 100% correction though, only do what I can with my skills to make the car look better....

I'm not sure if some of the "pros" are trying to make it look easy, or think there are some bragging rights in saying I done this in a one day, but I can see the ones that I look to for help, and rate, are all 3 - 5 days for their work...so I would say thats a pretty good indication of the "correct" time...

:thumb:


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## DetailMyCar (Apr 19, 2010)

Mirror Finish Details said:


> I also agree but there is a but.
> 
> Customer Budget...........
> 
> ...


Great response, and completely agree with a lot of what you are saying!

Full correction would be 2 days on a small-medium hatchback but if a customer generally only has 1 car and needs it for the weekend they usually just want it done in one full day.... For me this is where your time management, preperation, dedication and skill comes into it - Know your process inside out, know your products and which ones you will use, have all your bottles filled up and ready to go, and be ORGANISED! It is surprising what can be achieved in a full day, if you really work hard with no more then a couple of 10 minute breaks for a bit of food, keep drinks coming to keep you going...

Usually most of my customers would rather achieve 90% of the perfect end result compared to paying 2 or 3x more for that extra 10% they may get....

Things like taking wheels off adds a good 3-4 hours (at least) on to any detail, yet this time of year most people would probably feel it's not worth while... You get nice clean arches, suspension struts, brakes and what happens? They drive down the road and all of those areas are pretty much immediately filthy again! You can do your best to protect them but it's impossible to protect them like a Wax / Sealant will protect the paint. If budget & time is a concern I would always recommend a customer lets me concentrate firstly on the paintwork, as that's where the benefit is for them having their car worked on by me - They can always take their own wheels off and clean the underneath if they want to but most of them don't and will never want to get into machine polishing or spending £800 on Waxes to finish the cars off with so this is where the big benefit is by using a "pro" in their eyes.

There are always different circumstances of course where it's a show car and someone wants it done to perfection with all the small bits cleaned and polished, even the areas nobody can see but for the most part, people want their car protect, shiny & with 90%+ of swirls removed with a few deep scratches seen to where possible... Leaving the car looking 100x better then it did before for a very decent price is usually more appealing to people on a budget who aren't concerned with 100% orange-peel free paint, clean wheel arches and scrubbed suspension struts


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

DetailMyCar said:


> Things like taking wheels off adds a good 3-4 hours (at least) on to any detail


:doublesho:doublesho:doublesho

Hope you are not waiting for Red Bull to give you a call for a pit crew job!



:lol:

:thumb:


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## DetailMyCar (Apr 19, 2010)

The Cueball said:


> :doublesho:doublesho:doublesho
> 
> Hope you are not waiting for Red Bull to give you a call for a pit crew job!
> 
> ...


Hahaha you know what i mean though, time you add working on them one at a time, and the time it takes to properly clean each corner etc... Plus I've seen a local garge have the issues where a customer's come in for a simple brake pad change only for the Garage to find the last place to take the wheel off have over-torqued the wheel bolts, meaning they undo the wheel and strip the thread in the hub.... not the sort of problems you need when trying to polish someones car


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Don't need to tell me about it after my dads C5 I done...

Nightmare with the wheels from start to finish...and of course, as you say, no-one but me, and my fellow geeks on here know about it, or see it! :lol:

:wall::wall:

:thumb:


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## M.J (Mar 17, 2010)

I,m glad i,ve read this thread , has often had me thinking on here about how much has been acheived in a single day. I,ve been machine polishing for about 1 1/2 years and could never fully correct and jewel in a day on the average car. 
Just finished a new GTI VW single stage polish (in the cold indoors) its taken roughly 24 hrs with 1 layer of sealant and windows cleaned.


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## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

Yep, doing the wheels properly takes ages! It took me over 6 hours to clean and seal my wheels on the Lex with C.Quartz. I did them properly, so it should only be a yearly job now, if that.


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## Sirmally2 (Feb 28, 2011)

It took me 7 hours to do a corsa! No correction, just washed, decontaminated, glazed and waxed.


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

DetailMyCar said:


> You get nice clean arches, suspension struts, brakes and what happens? They drive down the road and all of those areas are pretty much immediately filthy again! You can do your best to protect them but it's impossible to protect them like a Wax / Sealant will protect the paint.


You need to get some Swissvax Motorshine :thumb:


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## RedUntilDead (Feb 10, 2009)

Gruffs said:


> This is exactly why i don't bother with correction anymore. It takes too long and gets ruined anyway. I use filler heavy sealants and live with the 80% results.
> 
> I have better things to do.


Tell me more mate:thumb:

This is going to be my new approach on my own car. Its less than a year old and I gave it the works chasing every blemish. Its not that long ago and plenty more marks have appeared since and I don`t want to keep removing clear!

What products do you find best?


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

If you're soon finding defects creeping back in after correction then you need to take a look at your wash/dry technique as it should be perfectly acceptable to expect a swirl free finish on the majority of paints for even 12 months +


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## Damien89 (May 13, 2007)

Clark @ PB said:


> You need to get some Swissvax Motorshine :thumb:


Is it that good? How long does it last in winter?

Just read on your site that it cant be shipped overseas so no use to me.


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## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

RedUntilDead said:


> Tell me more mate:thumb:
> 
> This is going to be my new approach on my own car. Its less than a year old and I gave it the works chasing every blemish. Its not that long ago and plenty more marks have appeared since and I don`t want to keep removing clear!
> 
> What products do you find best?


sounds like the 'super sealants' might be more your style. very long lasting, low maintenance, with scratch resistance. Take a look at Opti-Coat, C1, C.Quartz, etc. :thumb:


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## csjoh (May 10, 2011)

Sirmally2 said:


> It took me 7 hours to do a corsa! No correction, just washed, decontaminated, glazed and waxed.


I normally decontaminate, wash, dry and wax my car in less than 4 hours... And I have a large-ish station wagon...


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## alxg (May 3, 2009)

I have often looked at posts on here and wondered how the hell some peeps can turn around the jobs they do in a few hours; I know I appear to work at the pace of an arthritic tortoise with heavy shoes on in comparison but I put that down to me being too much of a perfectionist before reading this thread.


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## csjoh (May 10, 2011)

You can be a perfectionist yet work efficiently and finish in less time than you do now.

I spent 19 hours on my first detail, a Fiat 500C. That included 3 hits of heavy prewash, two foamings, wheels/tyres, engine bay, wash, drying, claying, one-step detail and wax as well as the interior, glass and waterproofing the roof. This was done over the course of a weekend, wheels, wash&dry Friday arvo, polishing Saturday and Sunday, and interior, roof, glass and wax Sunday arvo.

And the Fiat isn't really a big car...


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## beko1987 (Jul 25, 2010)

I also seriously underestimated how long doing it properly can take, so now settle for 'a good wash and protection'. My Puma is still swirl city, but I get more enjoyment out of washing it and glossing the finish, so that's all it gets.

When I cleaned the missus' front wheels, I lost 3 hours doing them to the standard that was shown in the thread I made, I could have spent 5 hours more to get perfection, but decided it wasn't worth it, so left it.

We have a Meriva now (a post for another day), and I aim to machine that up as a project, but that will be done over a long period of time, maybe a whole weekend for 3-4 panels. 

I always look at the 'I want to machine cars, I have SRP and a rotary' and think... You're going to have a realisation soon matey, it's not all as plain sailing as you think.


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## anpictum (Feb 7, 2011)

Mirror Finish Details said:


> A full correction with full sand will be 3 days minimum, 4 for a Range Rover and all my full correction details are wet sanded. Why heavy compound and leave the orange peel in when I can gently flat the panel and remove all marks and peel and generally remove less clear.


So you replace heavy compounding with wet sanding on every full correction, with or without orange peel? I have been considering this as it seems to make sense. Do you find this saves time as well as preserving the clear coat?


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## Damien89 (May 13, 2007)

anpictum said:


> So you replace heavy compounding with wet sanding on every full correction, with or without orange peel? I have been considering this as it seems to make sense. Do you find this saves time as well as preserving the clear coat?


To the contrary wetsanding does not preserve the clearcoat, the more clearcoat is removed the more the clear is prone to fail in shorter time.


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## mike13 (Feb 25, 2011)

beko1987 said:


> I also seriously underestimated how long doing it properly can take, so now settle for 'a good wash and protection'. My Puma is still swirl city, but I get more enjoyment out of washing it and glossing the finish, so that's all it gets.
> 
> When I cleaned the missus' front wheels, I lost 3 hours doing them to the standard that was shown in the thread I made, I could have spent 5 hours more to get perfection, but decided it wasn't worth it, so left it.
> 
> ...


At this same stage,wash and protection consumes enough time.


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## anpictum (Feb 7, 2011)

Damien89 said:


> To the contrary wetsanding does not preserve the clearcoat, the more clearcoat is removed the more the clear is prone to fail in shorter time.


I understand where you're coming from but this thread:

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=244507

sheds much light on the possible benefits of wet sanding v's heavy cutting for correction and I was curious as to why Mirror Finish used it in every correction detail, not only for the elimination of orange peel.


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## Damien89 (May 13, 2007)

I am not saying that wetsanding doesn't have any benefits to those looking for the best reflections, but come on to wetsand an almost new car with all the years of abuse and rds that the paint will have to see in the future i would prefer a light buff with the rotary and a good washing technique to 'try' and reduce the chance of inducing swirls and rds. 
Remember that the thinner the clear is the more prone to cracking or peeling it becomes. Especially as most modern cars come with very little clear not like older cars.


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## Aucky (Oct 3, 2008)

I think I'm right in saying that a heavy correction can remove more clear coat than a light wet sand?


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

Aucky said:


> I think I'm right in saying that a heavy correction can remove more clear coat than a light wet sand?


In some cases but not all the time.


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## AndyC (Oct 25, 2005)

Took me 7-8 hours to turn around an Audi A2 a few weeks back. Included clay and some correcting but was more to pretty it up for sale than anything else. It looked a lot better and the owner was chuffed - worked for me.

Wash on the Smax can be done in less than 2 hours - Megane less than that and I can live the odd defect.

I spent 2 days on the Megane last year but 5 hours of that was washing, wheels off, IronX, tar removal, the whole moo. The polishing element was pretty low as it wasn't in bad shape and additionally I wanted to Nanolex it and leave it overnight in the workshop.

I managed a circa 90% correction on the Smax in a day, wheels were taken off and deep cleaned the following day. Same will be repeated once the weather warms up as it's now got another 35k on the clock and needs going over again.

Difference is that a) they're my cars and b) I'm not charging for a service which specifies certain items - so if I miss something then other than OCD I'm not overly bothered - can't take that liberty when you do it for a living IMO


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