Multiple Step Paint Correction

Pats300zx

Pats300zx

Super Moderator
I thought I would just throw this out to the pros to see how you guys do it. When doing paint correction on your details and having to do multiple steps of polishing, do you go by panel or do you do the entire car?



For example, if you were doing Menzerna IP then FP would you do both per panel or do the whole car with IP and return and do it again with FP.



Just curious to see your process.
 
Pats300zx said:
I thought I would just throw this out to the pros to see how you guys do it. When doing paint correction on your details and having to do multiple steps of polishing, do you go by panel or do you do the entire car?



For example, if you were doing Menzerna IP then FP would you do both per panel or do the whole car with IP and return and do it again with FP.



Just curious to see your process.
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I usually would do IP the whole car and then FP... I would think switch pads so much back and forth would slow me down... But I don't know. I would like to know also :)
 
I've tried a bunch of different approaches, and the one that I've found to be fastest is compound the whole car with a wool pad, don't bother to wipe down each panel after it's done (I do it for a test spot so I know what'll work, but once I get moving I just leave the residue on), wash with the foamgun paying particular attention to cracks, doorjambs and windows where any splatter is really noticeable.



Usually I dry it with a leaf blower then (trying to keep from rubbing abrasives around with a towel), then go over it with a finishing polish. I do wipe down and inspect after each panel with the finishing polish, it pays to fix any technique or product problems that cause slight holograms before you do the whole car (I *hate* doing that free extra step with the PC).
 
Do the whole car with a product, say IP, then go on to doing the whole car with the next product, say FP.



Once you get your compounds and technique (speeds, pressures, etc) down for the particular job its easiest to keep on doing what you're doing until moving on to the next step.
 
Last car i did, each panel got the compounding then polishing approach. Dont know why i didnt just compound the entire vehicle then polish. Its just the way of the world.
 
I try to optimize my process and in doing so it reduces my cycle time to do the entire vehicle with one step before I progress to the next (after doing a test spot to see what will work the best).



In addition to reducing my cycle time it also prolongs the life of my pads...less removing/fastening of the pads = less likelyhood of the glue that holds the velcro on failing
 
Why would you do each panel separately? Why risk getting compound spatter/dust on your already polished panel? Imagine all the time wasted just switching and spurring your pads.
 
David Fermani said:
Why would you do each panel separately? Why risk getting compound spatter/dust on your already polished panel? Imagine all the time wasted just switching and spurring your pads.
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Sorry to offend your wisdom...It was a simple question...:grrr
 
Well I dont really know why i did it too. Its just something that i did at the time. Nothin big. But i'm sure it would have saved me some time by compounding then polishing.
 
For me, it depends on the vehicle. I am not a pro, but I do a lot of cars for family and friends. The last car I did for a friend, I did panel by panel. The reason was that this car was a total mixed bag. Some panels needed 4 rounds of polishing with the PC, and other panels only needed 2. Something in my brain just made me want to get each panel perfect, before moving to the next. I did set up a little "tent" around each panel with a drop cloth of sorts to keep compound from splattering on the panel I had just finished - and this worked well.



Now on the other hand, if the car is consistently in the same condition all the way around it, I will apply a step/product to the entire car before moving to the next.
 
I tried doing the whole car multiple times but just don't like it

So the one panel at a time thing is probably slower but that's just how I like to do it

Very rarely do I get any polish residue/splatter or dust on just finished panels.



Couldn't bare going around the car three to five times.

Since time doesn't matter in my shop due to working on show cars and high end prestige stuff, it's not a problem.
 
I guess it comes down to efficiency. Personally, if I am at the mercy of the clock, I compound the entire car, then finish polish. However, If I am not in any sort of rush, I go panel by panel using a rotary with a pad, and follow with the PC to finish, this way I can keep working a panel to perfection before I move on.



For me, its a hobby, not a push out the door production environment, I find it rewarding to sit there and perfect a panel, then move on to the next.
 
yes that's me too. I never want to be a production line detailing operator.

If I do then I might as well stop detailing. My goal is paint perfection not quick machine cut and hand polish like all the other monkeys in my state.
 
I do one panel to completion so I can see what I am aiming for.



If I am using a rotary I will IP the rest of the car, swap pads (I spur them after each panel) then FP the entire car, swap pads and apply sealant before finally hand applying a paste wax.



If the trouble is with doing a panel at a time is you are constantly swapping pads and the more often you do this the more the hook n loop wears faster and loses grip on the backing plate. Removing the pad once as against 13 times if you do a panel at time has got to improve pad life.



Cheers

Dave.
 
SVR said:
I tried doing the whole car multiple times but just don't like it

So the one panel at a time thing is probably slower but that's just how I like to do it

Very rarely do I get any polish residue/splatter or dust on just finished panels.



Couldn't bare going around the car three to five times.

Since time doesn't matter in my shop due to working on show cars and high end prestige stuff, it's not a problem.
Click to expand...



SVR said:
yes that's me too. I never want to be a production line detailing operator.

If I do then I might as well stop detailing. My goal is paint perfection not quick machine cut and hand polish like all the other monkeys in my state.
Click to expand...



I find it almost impossible to be able to buff a panel without overlapping into the adjacent one unless you are taping off each panel to work it (lots of wasted time)? The edge of your pad (no matter what size) won't make full contact with the edge of a panel without touching the one next to it. So, if you're compounding a panel next to one that is completely finished, you're flawing your finished work?

Whether you're a high volume shop or not, doing things that save time has a direct impact on your workflow and profit. There's nothing wrong with achieving perfection faster. It could mean you're a wiser shop owner?
 
Thanks Dave, your pretty much spot on. I use 4 inch pads alot and get awy with it sometimes.



The other reason I do it my way is because I find each panel has different levels of damage and sometimes I need to change what I use to suit

For instance - this showcar I'm working on now has quite nasty damage and I fixed most panels up with same gear but the doors required different products and stronger pads to rectify. they needed edge black wool and Menz PG whereas others got LC foamed wool and SFX 1.



I'll give the other method a go again and see if I can get used to it.
 
I've noticed that if different treatments are needed on panels the horizontals may need one treatment while the verticals need another...with unique occasional spot treatments on each. If so, that's how I break it...horizontals 1st, then verticals and as stated unique occasional spot treatments...
 
1 valuable thing to do when doing proper paint correction is to examine the finish on the complete vehicle before starting it to determine your method of correction. If there's an area/panel that needs special/extra attention, you could do it 1st so that you could have an "even playing field" for the next step. I always tend to do an extra step on the horizontal panels because they tend to stand out more. They also get another coat of LSP too. Just a thought.........
 
The only times I do multiple steps on a panel before moving on are a) when I'm doing a vehicle piecemeal and/or b) when doing spot-correction (e.g., RIDS), where it often takes me a *LONG* time just to find a given flaw- I want to keep working the problem area while I'm focused-in on it lest I have to spend forever finding it again. When doing it this way with the rotary, I always use some kind of protection (e.g., towels) to keep sling/etc. off the areas I'm not working.



But normally I find it both quicker and easier to do each polishing step to the whole vehicle before switching to the next step.



I approach the level-playing-field method a little differently- I do the first pass with the approach that's most suitable for the whole vehicle. *Then* I go back and get more aggressive with the areas that need it. Just a personal preference; I've often found that nasty flaws are actually better/worse than I first suspected, and an intitial pass seems to give me a better take on what's really called for.
 
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