Being able to wet sand (or color sand) scratches and other blemishes that are too deep to be buffed out, is something that every detailer should be able to do if called upon. As a detailer, this added skill raises your level of professionalism, saves the customer money by keeping the vehicle out of the paint shop, puts you ahead of your competition who may not be able to perform this type of work, and adds a profit center to your shop.

Click on "Wet Sanding for Show and Dough" to read the full article 

Paint thickness gages have come a long way in the past few years. Gone are the pen-like devices that you would lay against the paint surface and raise up while watching a shaft and trying to guess the number where it left the surface. Today's paint gages are small, electronic, extremely accurate, and some can measure in a couple of different ways on a couple of different substrates

Click on "Auto Paint Thickness Gauges" to read the full article 

I'm sure most of you have heard the term "wet sanding" or "color sanding." What do these terms mean and when and how should you use these procedures? Sometimes the only way to remove or lighten a heavy imperfection is by sanding the paint surface. This can be a fast and effective way to remove a heavy scratch or scuff, if you are skilled and very careful. On the other hand, this method may lead to a trip to the spray booth if you are over zealous and not aware of when to stop.

Click on "Wet Sanding a poweful yet dangerous tool" to read the full article

With almost all of today's paints being basecoat clearcoat systems, you may think that they are all the same. You may think that a vehicle is painted the same way at the factory and uses the same paint as in a body shop. You may also think that every vehicle can be buffed and polished the exact same way achieving the same results. This is not the case. Even though the final product may look the same, many paints have different chemical properties, which will dictate how you buff the surface of a vehicle. As detailers, we are only buffing the clearcoat, but some background knowledge on the rest of the painting process can be very helpful to both you and your customer. I truly believe that to become an expert on buffing the paint, you must first know the science behind the paint.

Click on "OEM Auto Paint Finishes: to read the full article 

You have completed the toughest part of the detail. You have cleaned the wheels to perfection, got the filthy interior spotless, buffed the paint to a mirror finish, and applied your best wax. Now, its time to trim out the vehicle and let it be on its way. However, NOT SO FAST! You do not want to get sloppy here. Trimming the car out, and taking care "final details" is very important for a professional looking job.

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Proper buffing involves many nuances and variables, ranging from technique, buffer speed, pad type, products, type of paint, and more. However, one variable that often gets overlooked but is extremely critical in buffing is pressure. More specific is the amount of pressure needed on the buffer to buff a paint surface to perfection. It is very true that all the other variables mentioned will make a big difference in the level of perfection, but pressure exerted, is one of the more overlooked but very important issue to understand when buffing.

Click "Proper Buffing Procedure" to read full article 

Window cleaning has always been a big challenge for both detailers and car washes. It's an area where customers demand perfection, but more times than not, they are dissatisfied with the look of their glass. We all try to provide streak free and crystal clear glass, but streaking is a huge concern. We need to understand many variables that cause window streaks, have a good technique, and use quality cleaners and towels to produce perfect windows every time.

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Customers love clean and shiny wheels. Perfect looking wheels really makes their cars "pop". A car however with dirty or even damaged wheels can really take away from the look of a gorgeous automobile. Wheels are more expensive than ever, with many people installing custom aftermarket wheels for a more personal look. OEM wheels are nicer than ever as well, and enhance the posture and stance of a great looking vehicle. Care must be taken to protect this ever increasing investment.

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In this article I look at why there is no such thing as an "average" time and the many variables involved that determine how long a vehicle should take to complete. A detailer needs to determine how long it will take to complete a vehicle BEFORE giving a customer a price. However, what many detailers get confused about is how to calculate a labor rate, which will ultimately determine the price of the job.

Click "Detailing Labor Rates" to read full article 

We have all heard these terms recently. "Going green", "eco friendly", "environmentally safe", and more are more than just catch phrases. We know what they mean and why we should heed the call. Some of us may drive more fuel efficient automobiles or hybrids, we may use energy saving light bulbs in our homes, we all hopefully recycle as much as we can, but when we look at "going green" from a detailing point of view what does that mean to us?

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One of the questions most frequently asked by detailers is "how long should it take to detail a car?" This is a very loaded question for many reasons. The old saying "time is money" is very true. If you can get the job done in a shorter period of time, your profit will be higher. If the job takes an hour or 2 longer your profit will obviously be lower. Let's look at some factors involved regarding time and how long it may take to complete a detail.

Click on "Time to Detail a Car" to read the full article 

Many detailers are curious about dry vapor steamers, or "steam machines". They have heard of steam's cleaning capability and the advantage of not over-wetting the interior of the vehicle, while also substantially cutting down on the use of chemicals. However, many detailers are still skeptics, either because they don't believe that you can effectively clean without chemicals, or they have tried some of the cheaper, TV advertised versions of steamers and have had no luck. I fell into both of those categories.

Click on "Detailing Steam Machines" to read the full article