What should I have to be a good detailer??

[TOGWT]

Re: What should I have to be a good detailer??

Hard / Soft Paint Correction

Experienced detailers can evaluate paint condition quickly and accurately but they still perform a test spot to make sure they choose the right methodology. Paint correction is a complex process that contains many different elements; polisher, type and abrasive level of pads and polish or compound, speed and pressure used, and etc

Dense (Hard) paint - is very resistant to correction; if you see very little change on your ‘test’ providing you are using an appropriate polish / pad combination and proper technique and you’re seeing very little correction you've got fairly hard paint.

When dealing with less dense (soft) paint, your ‘test panel’ looks far from perfect most neophyte’s are under the impression that they need to get more aggressive. Nothing could be further from the truth, even though the finish may not look all that great, it is an improvement from where they started. Usually a less dense or intermediate density (soft or medium soft) paint will result in really bad hazing.

Really dense (hard) paint (DuPont's SupraShield™, PPG's Optech™ and CeramiClear™) - will rarely haze; it’s usually very unresponsive but will show signs of improvement after a few passes

Some paints will finish with just a single pass; others will finish with a ‘haze’ that requires that you 'finish' with a less abrasive pad / polish combination

[Michael Stoops]

Re: What should I have to be a good detailer??

practice, practice, practice

A true PASSION for the detailing art, science, knowledge and skills!

technique

you must be obsessive

Someone who has the best tools and the best chemicals, but has zero of the above, will never be a great detailer and will probably struggle to even just be "good".

Detailing is not like baking a cake, there is no single recipe that will get you great results time after time. If we gave identical ingredients and identical instructions to 100 people, then assuming they all followed those directions to the letter they would all end up baking identical cakes. But if you give 100 people the same buffer, same pads, same liquids, they would end up with very different results. Why? There are so many other variables involved - temperature, humidity, pressure, arm speed over the paint, the paint itself, how critical the detailer is, how good his eye is, how patient he is, etc.

As with anything complex, people who are really good at detailing make it look easy (especially the paint polishing part!). But the finest tools and chemicals won't get the job done on their own.

[Jefri Lay]

Re: What should I have to be a good detailer??

Someone who has the best tools and the best chemicals, but has zero of the above, will never be a great detailer and will probably struggle to even just be "good".

Detailing is not like baking a cake, there is no single recipe that will get you great results time after time. If we gave identical ingredients and identical instructions to 100 people, then assuming they all followed those directions to the letter they would all end up baking identical cakes. But if you give 100 people the same buffer, same pads, same liquids, they would end up with very different results. Why? There are so many other variables involved - temperature, humidity, pressure, arm speed over the paint, the paint itself, how critical the detailer is, how good his eye is, how patient he is, etc.

As with anything complex, people who are really good at detailing make it look easy (especially the paint polishing part!). But the finest tools and chemicals won't get the job done on their own.

Hi Mike, A very inspiring advice. Really appreciate it. I'll do some practice and practice and do the advice from the expert on MOL....

Now about the update of what I've been working on... you can check it on youtube because I cannot upload photos right now. I take the picture under the sunlight so you can see better the result...
This is the youtube link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcAEQsOF5xU

THANKS Mike and all MOL members who join this thread...

[paul.segovich]

Re: What should I have to be a good detailer??

Patience

[k3ith]

Re: What should I have to be a good detailer??

All this has proven exactly right in my endeavors - except Stoops comments about the cake, as I know several cooks and grandmas who would consider them fight'n words It really is the experience, skill and passion you bring to the trade that makes a good detailer.

Now that that has been said though, I think most good detailers would agree that the tools and products you use DO matter too. There are products designed for different skill levels and tools designed to make seemingly impossible jobs easy to complete. Don't use advanced products until your an advanced detailer or you'll just make it harder on yourself. Also, there are tools made for even the smallest detail and these can save you tons of time.

So you started the thread asking "what should I have" and while you have received great and correct advice here - let us know if we aren't answering the question in the way you need.