no money for PC or similar

[GearHead_1]

Originally posted by nickis
Unless you are doing swirl removal, there`s no need for a PC. Everything else can be accomplished by hand, it will just take a little longer and, in my opinion, be more enjoyable. I personally don`t enjoy using the PC as much as I enjoy laying down wax by hand. The PC can be loud, cumbersome, and just seems like a pain to drag it out. Unless you have swirlmarks that are driving you crazy, or there is a premium on your time because you are detailing professionally, don`t worry about getting a PC.

I`m the exact opposite. I`m sure that I detail my personal cars "way more often" because of the PC than without. I also try more products/combinations, put more coats down, get a better finished product and overall enjoy detailing more. Just my two cents.

[norahcrv]

Thank you, Charles, for your words of encouragement on the "joys of doing it by hand" and your understanding of "real world" economics. You are a kind and wise man!


That said . . .I will apologize now for the following rant, but the tone of those replying that "it`s only $100" & "If I can afford it, anybody can (Zesty - you`re 16 & still living at home - lucky you!!), just has me riled . . .

Originally posted by Jngrbrdman
. . . this just isn`t the hobby for someone with a thin wallet.

While maybe I could swing the "just a $100" for a PC, I realize that is just the initial investment, and that I will need pads, backing plate, etc. So quickly that $100 grows to $200, and that is just out of my budget right now. I have other expenses which must take priority right now.

I thought I had found an activity which I could enjoy with my 17 year old son and teach him some valuable "life lessons" which his father won`t be around to teach him. But now you`re telling me that my wallet is "too thin" to be allowed in this elitist group. Well, phooey on you, Jngrbrdman!

I will continue to enjoy the time with my son, and even when he is not out there with me, and I`m working alone, I find some peace & solace in the "hand" work. I may not achieve the "ideal" results possible with a PC, but I can still look with pride on what I have accomplished.

I hope that I have not offended anybody, merely opened a few eyes. Thank you for allowing me to vent!

[bigron62]

i see we have some differences of opinion here. many of us here are detailing for money & we have some money tied up in our equipment ..some our simply obsessed with getting the most out of there paint job & many are somewhere in the middle .. im detailing for money and ive spent some money on equipment this year . many people use certain products & i dont know what the heck they are talking about . i use p&s . they are a west coast company that sell to dealerships &pros .. it doesnt matter .. i think that most people here just want to be helpful & the pc polisher is quite a machine .. if you dont really want one thats cool ..but many of us talk alot about it so we can learn to get the most out of it without learning the hard way by ourselves .. if i find a new way ,or pad , product combo that gets great results im going to share it so someone else can use it to get cars done faster, better .thats all ,some people here are a little tightassed but i igmore it .. i read the stuff that is helpful to me .. good luck & take what ya need & leave the rest behind .. good luck

[perry]

I got one of those cheaper Craftsman buffers for Christmas a couple years ago and have been making due with that until I can afford the PC.. Didn`t know the PC even existed until recently!

The PC has a stronger motor.. My Craftsman bogs down as soon as I even turn it towards the car. The PC accepts those nifty foam pads with variable "strengths" to them.. I`m stuck with one type of foam bonnet to use for everything. I just use it for polishing my car, sealants and waxes are done by hand. Even with the polishes, I don`t think it really does that great of a job :dunno You`d eventually, probably sooner rather than later, become annoyed with the cheaper buffer and wish you had just saved that money and put it towards the PC.

Detailing is a hobby (profession for some folks here) so it should be fun.. If you have a few extra bucks to throw at your hobby then go ahead and do it.. But without all the fancy tools and a thick wallet, you can still have fun :up

Besides, by not having a PC and having to spend more time doing things by hand, you`ll get to spend more time with your son

[JaredPointer]

Maybe Detail City should add a forum for "hobby" detailers or people who are not so much into detailing that they do it for money. This could allow people with similar interests and experiences to share with each other their methods for doing things without all the equipment. Eventually some of these guys may move up to using more advnaced techniques. When anyone starts out in any sort of hobby they always can`t start out with the best. So, instead of conveying the message of "hey you can`t ever have a perfect car without a PC" why not convey a message of encouragement and try to help poeple who are new to detailing their vehicles. I`m not taking sides, I`m just offering an opinion.

[CharlesW]

Originally posted by JaredPointer
Maybe Detail City should add a forum for "hobby" detailers or people who are not so much into detailing that they do it for money. This could allow people with similar interests and experiences to share with each other their methods for doing things without all the equipment. Eventually some of these guys may move up to using more advnaced techniques. When anyone starts out in any sort of hobby they always can`t start out with the best. So, instead of conveying the message of "hey you can`t ever have a perfect car without a PC" why not convey a message of encouragement and try to help poeple who are new to detailing their vehicles. I`m not taking sides, I`m just offering an opinion.

IMO, the purpose of DC is to allow people to share whether they do or do not have the latest products and tools. Hobby or professional should all be welcome.
As far as a special forum, DC already has the Professional Detailers Corner, Mobile Auto Detailing, Mobile Auto Detailing Business, Mobile Auto Detailing Service, Mobile Auto Detailing Trailer forums.
Encouraging others take care of their vehicles should be, and I think is, a major part of this board.
If it ever gets to where we have to take sides, then I won`t be here to see the outcome.

Charles

[norahcrv]

Charles,

As always, you are the voice of calm reason in the storm. Thank you!

I enjoy reading the posts in ALL forums on Detail City, and have learned a LOT from them. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge. I understand that some forums are aimed at Professional Detailers, and are way beyond me and my limited means. But I still am interested in bettering myself and my car. I truly admire the work done by the professionals, and their results. Having spent a couple of weekends in the garage with our cars and my "Poorboys Arsenal", I really applaud those that do it for a living - it`s hard work! Rewarding, but hot, sweaty, really hard work, none the less!

I was not trying to stir up a hornet`s nest, to the point of "taking sides", but I just found some people`s attitudes a little irritating, and maybe I was not having my "best" day, so I sounded off. Once again, if I have offended anyone, or been a divisive influence, I apologize.

Norah

[JaredPointer]

Sometimes it seems that when people who ask opinions or have little knowledge of detailing, marketing, etc. they get cynical, sarcastic, or sometimes even rude comments. Maybe this is just me, and all I am trying to say is that not all of us detail for a living. I have learned a lot from reading the stuff here at Detail City and hope to continue to do so. No offenses intended!

[tguil]

Mookie,

I`m an "old guy" like Charles and I tend to agree with him. However, I used an orbital buffer like the Craftsman for 14 years (an 11 inch Waxmaster). I applied an removed just about every product imaginable with it. I went through dozens of terry bonnets. I didn`t discover the wonderful world of Detail City and pc`s until a year ago.

If you work the right product long enough, an orbital buffer will remove swirls and scratches. I know it works. I`ve used mine on four black trucks over the 14 years that I`ve had it

If you have a few bucks try one of the old fashioned orbital fuffers. Lots of folks still use them. I used mine to remove NXT from my wife`s siver Tacoma just last week. The darned thing still works and is faster than doing the job by hand. It`s certainly not a pc, but what the heck.

I very much agree with the folks who have suggested sticking to detailing by hand. There are lots of products out there that lend themselves to that. My suggestion would be to buy some Mequiar`s Medallion Premium Paint Cleaner and some Medallion Preminum Paint Protection and go for it. Total cost less than $30. If this is a little much, I think that the consumer line of Meguiar`s cleaner/wax (burgandy bottle) can`t be beat for ease of application and removal and at the same time giving a good amount of shine and protection. I`ve applied and removed this stuff with my cheap orbital buffer as well as by hand.

Have fun. It doesn`t take big bucks to have a good looking vehicle.

Tom:cool

[rabbi]

Tguil! You should`ve told me this 1500 dollars ago!

[Jngrbrdman]

Originally posted by norahcrv

That said . . .I will apologize now for the following rant, but the tone of those replying that "it`s only $100" & "If I can afford it, anybody can (Zesty - you`re 16 & still living at home - lucky you!!), just has me riled . . .

While maybe I could swing the "just a $100" for a PC, I realize that is just the initial investment, and that I will need pads, backing plate, etc. So quickly that $100 grows to $200, and that is just out of my budget right now. I have other expenses which must take priority right now.

I thought I had found an activity which I could enjoy with my 17 year old son and teach him some valuable "life lessons" which his father won`t be around to teach him. But now you`re telling me that my wallet is "too thin" to be allowed in this elitist group. Well, phooey on you, Jngrbrdman!

I have been called a lot of things in my life, but being called `elitist` is a new one. Read my site at ocdetails.com and tell me if that sounds elitist to you. My whole focus is on educating and helping people learn how to do the job so it looks as good as possible. You made a big investment in your car when you bought it. Maybe even tens of thousands of dollars. Why wouldn`t you want to invest two or three hundred bucks into keeping it looking good? $100 for a PC isn`t that expensive when you consider the value of the object you are using it on.

The reason that I say that this isn`t a hobby for the thin wallet is because after awhile you will want to try out new products. And then you`ll hear about something else and want to try that out. Ask anyone here how much money they have spent on car care products and you`ll see what I`m talking about. Trying new stuff becomes habit forming and once you try some of the things you can`t get locally, then I am sure you will get hooked. You already demonstrated that you understand that principle by your comment about how once you get a PC you`ll want to get better pads. Trust me... once you get better pads then you`ll want to get better polishes. And then you`ll want better towels. Then you`ll want better waxes. It happens to all of us.

If you are content to shop at WalMart for your detailing supplies then that is fine. You can get a lot of good stuff at local stores. But once you start reading forums like these, you may realize that there are a lot of other products that aren`t on the shelf that you want to try out. If most of us sat down and added up all the money we have spent on car care products over the years, it would probably stun us. I know people who aren`t out detailing cars for money that can easily go through several hundred dollars a year just in trying out new products on their own cars. Not all of us here do this for a living. Many of us are just obsessive about detailing our own cars.

My tone wasn`t that of someone saying "if I can afford it then so can you." I understand about how other priorities take precedence sometimes. I`ve got a family and I don`t get to spend as much time detailing as I used to because its not as much of a priority. I`m not saying that you should drop the money on it. I`m just saying that when you are considering getting a $40 buffer at WalMart, think about saving up for a tool that will last for a lot longer and really give you results that you want. If this is going to be an activity for you and your son then I would think that you would want to use something that will last. I think it would be more fun to make a list of the things you want to get and then save up for it so you can get them. Why settle for something less when saving money is always an option?

Who says you have to eat the investment either? Get the right products and you and your son can learn how to do the job right. Then let your son learn the value of starting a weekend business detailing cars for the neighbors or for his friends. Teach him how to pay back the investment. There are lots of ways you can turn that into a learning experience if that is your goal.

I`m not saying that this is an elitist club that you have to be rich to be involved with. I`m just saying that if money is tight for some people, then getting involved in a hobby like this may not be the best idea. If you are able to save up and get involved, then more power to you. I would just hate to see people bouncing the rent check so they could buy a jar of wax. My comments were more directed at the lady someone was talking about rather than to everybody.

[bigron62]

if this is an elitist club IM IN ... NO OTHER RESPECTABLE ORGANIZATION IN TOWN WILL TOUCH ME.. YOU GOTTA FIT IN WHERE YOU CAN ... i sing the praises of NU FINISH & everyone thinks im cool .. im staying here forever.. SERIOUSLY i think some of these threads get a little carried away although im guilty of responding .. lots of times ill type responses to crazy threads & end up not posting them .. sometimes ill jump right in the frenzy ... i guess i couldnt help myself this time .. really i think this one is getting real stale.. can we KILL IT

[tguil]

Originally posted by rabbi
Tguil! You should`ve told me this 1500 dollars ago!

Rabbi,

Counting the purchase of a pc and accessories, microfiber polishing cloths and towels, and a bunch of new "exotic" products, I`ll bet that I have spent close to $1000 in the past year on detailing suff. This is for two trucks. That`s why I work!:lol

To think I used to be happy with just a can of good quality cleaner/wax a sponge applicator and a terry polishing cloth.

When I finally get through this Obsessive Compulsive Disorder phase, I may just go back to the cleaner/wax. :lol

Tom:cool

[The Fuzz]

Originally posted by bigron62
really i think this one is getting real stale.. can we KILL IT

Finally! I was just waiting for someone else to say it. Buy a PC if you can afford it. Save up if you can`t. I think that is the message here. Ciao.