Flawless Image gives a new life to an 07' Trailblazer!

[Bostonsfavson]

This is a place to learn, share some info, and cool cars, and to better the meaning of "detailer".

Ostensibly, yes

 

[beaurogel81]

Nice work Beau, especially for the short time you've been in the biz ! I do have to say though that you've left out a couple of important steps... IPA wipes (maybe you did that, dunno) and final polishing/jeweling. The polishes you use may leave the paint looking as if it's finished because of the oils in it and the final polishing/jeweling ensures that those fine scratches left after compounding are removed. Just some constructive criticism, not bashing ! Keep up the good work! BTW, you're wife's a hotty, props!

thanks apollo. I do not use IPA Wipes.. what are they? and what would you recommend for final polishing/jeweling. I am always open to suggestions and CONSTRUCTIVE critisism. I do not, however, tolerate someone questioning whether or not i EVEN did the work myself.



I learn something new on every job.. Call it cockiness or whatever, but i think i am quite a bit better than most were at the 5 month period of business. I have made enough profit to pay off the truck, trailer, equipment (even with alot of upgrades), and save quite a few bucks.. I do not mind help, but dogging on me and my work is not going to get anything but retaliation..



I have noticed several of the site veterans ganging up on new guys. for example, the 18 year old kid that wants to start detailing.. some of the replies were just not necessary.. correct me if I am wrong here..

 

[beaurogel81]

Nice job. I was curious to know if you used a paint thickness guage before deciding to wet sand. I invested in one last year, and use it everytime I do a full detail, just to be sure of what I have to work with.

no, i do not. I have yet to go 'too deep' with the paint..

 

[Boston Man]

thanks apollo. I do not use IPA Wipes.. what are they? and what would you recommend for final polishing/jeweling. I am always open to suggestions and CONSTRUCTIVE critisism. I do not, however, tolerate someone questioning whether or not i EVEN did the work myself.



I learn something new on every job.. Call it cockiness or whatever, but i think i am quite a bit better than most were at the 5 month period of business. I have made enough profit to pay off the truck, trailer, equipment (even with alot of upgrades), and save quite a few bucks.. I do not mind help, but dogging on me and my work is not going to get anything but retaliation..



I have noticed several of the site veterans ganging up on new guys. for example, the 18 year old kid that wants to start detailing.. some of the replies were just not necessary.. correct me if I am wrong here..

IPA wipedown aka isopropyl alcohol wipedown. Many use a 50/50 mix of IPA and distilled water. It is used to remove the polishing oils left by the polish. The polish oils can fill in swirls, making the surface look perfect. Once the oils wash away, the surface wont look as good. So many wipe the surface down with the mix to make sure the surface is actually perfect and not just filled in.

 

[Bostonsfavson]

no, i do not. I have yet to go 'too deep' with the paint..

But you very well could have when you wetsanded that TB. In the future, you may want to avoid wetsanding vehicles with OEM clears unless you use a PTG. Although it's a matter of personal preference, you're living dangerously by sanding OEM finishes with no prior knowledge of the clear's thickness. You can probably get away with it 99 times, but it's that one time that can really screw you.

 

[Barry Theal]

Flawless I'll be the first to admit if I'm wrong. I'm sorry you took some of the things I said the wrong way. For that I do apologize. Please Understand these words without getting upset. It was just five months ago you came on here saying how you were making all this money washing cars and you had some gig that made you all kinds of money. now your doing Paint correction. When before you bashed us who were doing it. There area so many talented detailers on this site who can tell whats going on by a few pictures. You don't need to prove to any of us that your a good detailer. Im not saying your work isn't satisfactory. the hood shot on the blazer is amazing. its a perfect sun shot. now look at the fender there is holograming present from a rotory use. now you said clearly you only used a cyclo. a cyclo will never produce hologramming like that. now to clarify something those holgrams could have been there from someone else's work prevoiusly, but when you wetsanded that much and used a cyclo to work it out. I'm almost 100 percent positive there would be no hologramming.

next you went from a very heavy compound to a machine wax in your first statement. now your telling us in a second post you went from a heavy compound to swirlx which is a polish, then to a machine wax then to ardex topaz then to a sealent. Do you see a pattern of here of things not making sense. its almost as if you are changing things as you go. im not trying to doubt your integrity here. Im just stating the facts. Maybe you forgot to put the polish down in your first set of posting? im not sure. Now as far as you working 75-90 hours a week thats awesome. that is what you call passion, passion in this business will take you very far. Trust me on this ok. Im not where im at today because i do things my way. im where im at today because I have listened to those who have been before me and taught me these things. Even after 11 years and detailing thousands of cars literlly.. Im not the best, Yes i am a good detailer. There is someone i call often and here lately we have been talking on the phone a lot. last night i talked to rydawg for 1 1/2 hours on paint polishing and compounding. and other stuff. he has taught me so much its insane. The reason im learning still is because i listen. a lot of guys on here are so smart in so many ways. Look at david fermani his interior work is one of the best i have ever seen hands down. look at apollo years ago he was working at a saturn dealership and now look at him his work is incredible. rydawg for example his polishing abilities are off the charts. its crazy to look at what he can do. todd helme look at his detailing ability ( attention to the littlest thing) the list is so long. yolu can learn alot from all these people. which i see you have by the looks of that sun shot on the hood. Beau Im done rambling on Good luck on your detailing adventure. I wish you the best! oh and it takes more then five months of practicing to be in my league! you'll understand someday:nana: God bless ya



barry

heading back over to detail his F150 limited in the morning (sunday). I will be sure to take pictures with me, the SS, and my truck and trailer.. Anything else? Need a pic with a newspaper or something?



Let me get this straight.. What am I doing that is not a good example of a professional detailer? The fact that I have found my own techniques and still do amazing work? Or the fact that I have been doing this for 5 months and you have been at it for 11 years and im just about caught up to you??



I have put in alot of time and research into what I am doing. Alot of trial and error or dozens of body panels that I picked up from the salvage yard. I am averaging 75-90 hours a week, out there busting my *** to be the best at what I do.



I started off with taking whatever jobs I could, but now the demand is so high for FULL DETAILS, that that is the ONLY thing I offer anymore! Nothing but the full package. And yes, I am booked up for 2 to 3 weeks in advance. Word of mouth is my greatest advertising and the season is just beginning!



So as i said, are you saying my work isnt satisfactory as a 'professional' detailer? Or are you saying that the work isnt even mine?? Im confused.. Please clarify..

 

[Got Wax]

Let me begin by saying this is in no way an attack, assessment or critique of your work. But, you should chill a bit and not take the input by others as an attack. If you review your post, your methods did change up as the thread moved on. And, frankly, your process seemed a bit skewed to me. Maybe you just keyed it in incompletely or out of order. Whatever! But, becoming defensive at every reply to your post is not going to get you anywhere on this board. You will not get praise for every post you make.



The mere suggestion that you have "Caught up" in five months with the level of experience of someone working for eleven years is, well...ludicrious and kind of offensive. Please sit back and take the comments as they are intended: suggestions to help you further your experience/ability. You post, people reply, WE ALL LEARN! If you post your details on this forum, on the B&A thread; you should be prepared for praise as well as critique. I'm sure I could look back at some of your previous posts and discover that you are doing a fair job. Maybe even a really good job/ "Amazing" may be a bit of a stretch??



Last week, I was flown out to Calif. to perform a detail on a $600k Ferrari. After several years in this business, I was on the phone with Bob @ Auto Concierge asking his guidance on this car. Not that I was uncomfortable with the job. But, this was the first F40 I had done. So, I wanted some input from someone I know had first hand experience with these cars to ensure I had read things right and to validate the process I had mapped out. And, NO WAY would I have even considered putting a rotary on a $600k car after working only five months!!!



You describe your attitude "Cocky". I view it as plain old reckless and a little bit ignorant. You may be good but, you're not that good.



Don't read between the lines here. This is just my view of this thread. You have received a number of "Thataboys" from most everybody who has replied. Apollo, Bud, David, Barry...all of these guys have posted numerous threads on B&A. Look at the cars they are posting - Ferraris, Porsches, Lamborghinis, the list goes on. I have only just recently joined here and have even more recently began posting on the B&A. For me, these posts are not for bragging rights as much as they are for feedback, suggestions and crtique. So, just relax and enjoy these people taking notice of what you're doing. :chill:



Go ahead and begin your flaming.:grrr

heading back over to detail his F150 limited in the morning (sunday). I will be sure to take pictures with me, the SS, and my truck and trailer.. Anything else? Need a pic with a newspaper or something?



Let me get this straight.. What am I doing that is not a good example of a professional detailer? The fact that I have found my own techniques and still do amazing work? Or the fact that I have been doing this for 5 months and you have been at it for 11 years and im just about caught up to you??



I have put in alot of time and research into what I am doing. Alot of trial and error or dozens of body panels that I picked up from the salvage yard. I am averaging 75-90 hours a week, out there busting my *** to be the best at what I do.



I started off with taking whatever jobs I could, but now the demand is so high for FULL DETAILS, that that is the ONLY thing I offer anymore! Nothing but the full package. And yes, I am booked up for 2 to 3 weeks in advance. Word of mouth is my greatest advertising and the season is just beginning!



So as i said, are you saying my work isnt satisfactory as a 'professional' detailer? Or are you saying that the work isnt even mine?? Im confused.. Please clarify..

 

[LouisanaJeeper]

Why didnt you start with clay on an overspray job?



glass cleaner for wetsanding? I would use a carwash:distilled water spray, the same used for claying



I am guessing, with claying and a med/fine cut compound & cutting pad wetsanding would not have been required, except for some major scratches.

 

[Got Wax]

I figured he just made an error in his post. I've never heard of window cleaner as a clay lube??

Why didnt you start with clay on an overspray job?



glass cleaner for wetsanding? I would use a carwash:distilled water spray, the same used for claying



I am guessing, with claying and a med/fine cut compound & cutting pad wetsanding would not have been required, except for some major scratches.

 

[beaurogel81]

thanks for the advice fellas. its well taken.. but yes, it was my work and yes, the list of steps is what i actually did, in that order. feel free to let me know where i went wrong. I certainly dont want to mess up the next car..



And yes, ALL i use is the Cyclo. I dont even own a rotary anymore..

 

[Got Wax]

Don't know that you went wrong. Work turned out good, customer was happy and you made some jack on the job. Think you could have saved yourself a bit of time by reducing a few stages. But, you already touched on the point that you were low on supplies and your regular supplier is a ways out .



It's all good!!





Andy

 

[beaurogel81]

thanks andy. just finished my morning job and headed out the door to Louisiana to meet my Ardex supplier

 

[DetailnByDustn]

I have noticed several of the site veterans ganging up on new guys. for example, the 18 year old kid that wants to start detailing.. some of the replies were just not necessary.. correct me if I am wrong here..[/QUOTE]



Haha I know your feeling haha Nice work 2 by the way!

 

[DetailnByDustn]

Look at the cars they are posting - Ferraris, Porsches, Lamborghinis, the list goes on.



No offense but its in the eye of the beholder! I have no interest in Ferrari or Porsche or Lamborghini, it would be cool to detail one but to me there just worth a lot of money!! I would rather work on the under $80k market, including the new corvette of course haha

 

[imported_Jakerooni]

Wow first time I'm actually seeing this post... I'll be blunt... Beau you screwed up here. Product choice and steps are off the wall. It's been almost a month since this has been posted. I would love to see some current pics after everything has washed off that detail there. Sometimes people are too nice about things. But frankly the only way you're going to learn is if someone actually tells you what you did wrong. Why on earth would you put sealant on top of wax? Sealant touches the paint.. Wax tops everything. Can't switch that up no matter how much you want it to work. (for the very reasons already stated) You used fillers. So for the moment it looked very nice. However like all hack shops and volume guys once the fillers go bye bye so does that nice finish. Never be afraid to fail once in awhile. We all do it. Don't get defensive about it... learn from it and make yourself better. I really don't expect you to know everything at 5 months. You shouldn't assume you do. But do some basic research and figure out what the proper steps to take are and WHY they are in the order they are Obviously both parties in this were happy (if even for just the moment) But you did it wrong and it's been pointed out to you by a lot of top guys already as to what and why. Get it down because I garuntee you do that to a high end exotic or special car and your insurence had better be up to date big time.

 

[craigdt]

Well Flawless, I still remember giving you advice about ditching your powerball



Just keep your mind open and don't view us as attacking you. There are ways you could improve your process to speed things up a little. And IPA wipe downs are vital to see if your really achieve the finish you want.

 

[Envious Eric]

steps should have been:

wash

clay

spot wetsand

compound - 105

heavy polish - sip

light polish - 106

sealant - 845

wax - nuba



product choice are what I would have used, but substitute for your own...



There is no way you can possibly go from something like a heavy compound to a wax! I have fixed many cars for people whose previous detailer tried...the results were night and day!!!

 

[dan46n2]

I do not use IPA Wipes.. what are they?

IPA wipedowns are the basics, no such thing as a pro detailer that doesn't know what they are.

 

[beaurogel81]

Wow first time I'm actually seeing this post... I'll be blunt... Beau you screwed up here. Product choice and steps are off the wall. It's been almost a month since this has been posted. I would love to see some current pics after everything has washed off that detail there. Sometimes people are too nice about things. But frankly the only way you're going to learn is if someone actually tells you what you did wrong. Why on earth would you put sealant on top of wax? Sealant touches the paint.. Wax tops everything. Can't switch that up no matter how much you want it to work. (for the very reasons already stated) You used fillers. So for the moment it looked very nice. However like all hack shops and volume guys once the fillers go bye bye so does that nice finish. Never be afraid to fail once in awhile. We all do it. Don't get defensive about it... learn from it and make yourself better. I really don't expect you to know everything at 5 months. You shouldn't assume you do. But do some basic research and figure out what the proper steps to take are and WHY they are in the order they are Obviously both parties in this were happy (if even for just the moment) But you did it wrong and it's been pointed out to you by a lot of top guys already as to what and why. Get it down because I garuntee you do that to a high end exotic or special car and your insurence had better be up to date big time.

and i do appreciate the advice jake.. i have since switched up my steps. i admit that i was wrong with the sealant after the wax. I was mis informed by someone but was corrected on this site. I am always up to learn!