Arm speed questions with M105/M205

[jmakado]

Re: Arm speed questions with M105/M205

Some times you have to slow down to speed up (I stole that quote BTW). Being efficient is just that. Have an order that you do everything in and stick to it. Fill your dead time with little tasks. For example: When you are waiting for your wax to dry dress the tires. When you are washing your wheels, tires, and wheel wells spray your APC on the tires and wheel wells before you spray your wheel cleaner on the wheels. Then agitate the wheels with your brush while the APC in the wheel wells and on the tire is soaking. Then agitate the tire and wheel well while the agitated wheel cleaner is soaking. Then rinse the whole area off.

Get the idea? It's just filling in dead time with other useful tasks.

[dnoraker]

Re: Arm speed questions with M105/M205

Jason- yep. I do all those things, incidentally.

I think there are some tasks that I just do really slow because I don't know efficient methods. Like door jambs. I just need to read up on some things. I've read great ways of doing things, I just forget.

One thing that has helped speed was to have more pads. I like to have 3-4 pads available for a vehicle of the polishing and finishing pads, and I have my second wool pad on order. Having more towels helps as well, since clean, fresh towels absorb product better.

I think I need to develop an order of tasks as well. I would love to find a thread on that.

[jmakado]

Re: Arm speed questions with M105/M205

Not sure if I have ever seen a thread on the order of tasks? Here is how i do it on an exterior only detail.

1. Degrease and wash engine compartment. Spray dressing on wet engine bay.
2. Wash wheels, tires, wheel wells and exhaust tips.
3. Wash car.
4. Rinse using sheeting method. No other drying at this time. Car is pulled into garage to slow down the remaining water on the paint drying. Water spots you know?
5. Open all doors, hood, trunk, and gas cap. At this point there is water inside all of those areas from washing.
6. Using a terry cloth towel and a bottle of last touch I go around and dry/clean all those areas and the wheels as well. Once that is done I give all the tires a wipe to help dry them.

At this point the wash is done and the car has some moisture on it as it was only dried sheeting style and no towel has been used on the paint. This is not an issue as I will be claying next so a little water is no big deal.

7. Using a bottle of Last Touch the car is clayed. Any remaining water on the paint is dried as the Last touch is wiped off after claying.
8. Car gets taped up for polishing.
9. Polish Away!
10. Remove tape.
11. If dust was created (i.e. Compounding) The car gets rinsed.
12. Pull car back in garage and dry with microfibers. As I'm drying the car I pay special attention to any areas where polish may have collected and not been wiped off. Since the microfiber is wet from drying it has no problem removing dried polish...even dried concrete AKA M105. Door jambs, trunk, hood, gas cap are all opened an wiped down again using LT to make sure I don't have water running out while I am waxing.
13. First coat of wax via DA and everything except black plastic and rubber gets a coat.
14. While wax is drying I dress all exterior trim and tires.
15. Wipe off wax.
16. Polish exhaust tips, wheels, pop hood and give the engine bay a final wipe to make sure it is dry and dressing is even. By now 20-30 minutes has passed since wiping off wax.
17. Apply second coat of wax.
18. Clean my pads and pack up everything except my microfibers.
19. Wipe off wax.
The end.

I would guess that most follow the same routine. When I am detailing I try to make sure that I always have a towel, product or applicator/machine in my hand....basically I'm always busy with no dead time. Polishing is where all the time is and I can't think of any routine or "order" that would reduce the time of polishing without reducing the results. The new SMAT products have made most 3 step polishing sessions into 1 or 2 step sessions. That to me has been the biggest time saver.

Anybody else do things different?

BTW. That was a major thread hijack....sorry but hopefully it helps in some way.