Industry Technological Improvements

R

RAG

New member
Just got me to thinking on how much progress our industry has made in the last 3 or 4 years - it's truly been amazing! I just finished reading up on (and ordering) the M105 compound :) Most of of now realize that the most important part of a detail is the polishing and compounding (I know NOOBs want to come on and start talking waxes...but wax isn't a "difference maker" like polishing is)...and we've made huge leaps in bounds in paint polishing products. The only area that I can think of that we've taken a step backwards in is clay...due to opti-clay patent infringements.



Along with all around better buffing knowledge and technique, Ultrafina or PO106FF for a polish, SIP for a strong polish, and now (M105) for compounding...we have effectively cut major paint correction time in half. And do you realize how hard it was to buff soft black paint via a rotary using old school foam pads and products like #80, SSR1, or any of the old 3M stuff and not get halograms (used to take multiple steps just to remove the buffer marks caused by old-school compounds)...and with with good foam pads and 106FF or Ultrafina it's cake. My friends, this is huge.



Edit: In sum, we've made huge leaps and bounds in the tools of our trade where it really counts - paint polishing.
 
I got to agree with you on that Ryan. I remember the first time I used wool and powergloss on a vette, I just thought how the hell am I going to get all of that out. Now its almost too easy. ;)
 
RAG said:
Just got me to thinking on how much progress our industry has made in the last 3 or 4 years - it's truly been amazing! I just finished reading up on (and ordering) the M105 compound :) Most of of now realize that the most important part of a detail is the polishing and compounding (I know NOOBs want to come on and start talking waxes...but wax isn't a "difference maker" like polishing is)...and we've made huge leaps in bounds in paint polishing products. The only area that I can think of that we've taken a step backwards in is clay...due to opti-clay patent infringements.



Along with all around better buffing knowledge and technique, Ultrafina or PO106FF for a polish, SIP for a strong polish, and now (M105) for compounding...we have effectively cut major paint correction time in half. And do you realize how hard it was to buff soft black paint via a rotary using old school foam pads and products like #80, SSR1, or any of the old 3M stuff and not get halograms...and with with good foam pads and 106FF or Ultrafina it's cake. My friends, this is huge.
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What do you mean by compounding?
 
Scottwax said:
We are not complaining, right? ;)
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No way my friend. I'm happy that we can now accomplish in 5 hours what used to take 10 (and charge for 7 so everybody's happier) :up
 
I agree. Plus add the 3M Trizact finish sanding made for orbital sanding and it gets even easier to take out orange peel, paint defects, and deep scratches within a short time. Oh ya, it even cuts compounding time down too.



105 does cut fast, but what I like about it, is it stays the same grit throughout the whole job, so you get a perfect even cut. Older compounds that broke down to fast gave an uneven job and to work them perfectly, you had to spend time and spread them evenly over the whole panel at a low speed before you worked them in. That was a time loss right there.



Paint correction has really gotten easier and to make it ultra glossy has gotten fun.
 
We owe a lot of this progress to more fierce competition over the years. No longer is it a decision just between Meguiar's, 3M, and a bunch of other feeble attempts. We have a lot of big players and thus more options which makes competition more fierce, gives more incentive to adapt and get better, and best of all gives everyone more options. Without a fast growing market, there is little incentive for improvement.
 
I went from 5 steps to 2 on bad cars... and the gloss is noticably better. The difference between the M105-UF combo and Powergloss/wool x2-Powergloss-foam-IP-foam-FPII foam is really amazing timewise.
 
themightytimmah said:
I went from 5 steps to 2 on bad cars... and the gloss is noticably better. The difference between the M105-UF combo and Powergloss/wool x2-Powergloss-foam-IP-foam-FPII foam is really amazing timewise.
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Your right Tim. 105 and UF is going to be the hardest combo to beat. Now if megs would just make an incredible finish polish like UF, then I will be more than impressed.



I am very impressed with M105.
 
Things were slow 60-80's then the 90's things started to pickup and in the last 3-4 yrs it has took a giant leap for detailers, i wonder what's in store in 5 yrs from now?
 
I have been detailing only three and a half years and still notice this. I started out using the meguiers red pad, and piII, and damn I got holograms every step of the way. Had to go 5 steps at least on dark color cars. Now I have switched to the Menzerna Polishes and the CCS pads, what a pleasure. i used to literally dread going to work on days when I had to detail a swirled black Lincoln Nav.
 
zoomzoom mazda5 said:
Things were slow 60-80's then the 90's things started to pickup and in the last 3-4 yrs it has took a giant leap for detailers, i wonder what's in store in 5 yrs from now?
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At least in the 90's I had non voc Presta compounds and polishes which were amazing.



I put together my own wetsanding/polish/pad system and always had the best looking cars at car shows. I had no competition back then and it was boring as all hell.:D I got tired of the same old questions..."what wax did you use?":shocked



I never gave away any secrets back then.



If I wanted to talk product, I had to talk to myself. Nobody knew anything about correction back then.
 
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