I see some validity in parts of this article, but some of it is just offensive. What do you guys think? Properly equip your detail shop
Scanned through and big on ele buffers and what not i think is rubbish, i have not seen anyone use a air rotary...not saying it is not done but not the optimal method IMO. I do see the issue about small bottles, if you are doing high yield detailing using a gallon sprayer would be alot better for items like APC and wheel cleaner.
I think this only applies to high volume detail shops, but even with that being said it does come off condescending. Kinda like the guy is the end all be all of detailing knowledge. I personally do just about everything on his list of things not to do, and I stay in business so...
I did not "Know" that my variable speed rotary's could not be "Feathered" is that not what the trigger does?........... and DA polishers work just fine over cracks and tight spot's plus they can be used mobile with NO COMPRESSOR needed(FYI I have a 150 gallon compressor in the shop). Yes it does sound like high volume as I fill my spray bottles maybe once a day, but if you charge menu pricing as opposed to hourly............... then your crew has to work at lightning speed to get finished "With the quickness"(lol).
I'd love to see him take a look at how a detail shop like Phil's or Ken's or even Paul D.'s handles business. I think he'd get a major brain fart.
You'd trip over electrical cords but not over airlines? What an ass. Its ok to recommend things that work for you, but don't slam what other people are using because you don't agree with it. Even with my electrical cords and portable equipment, my shop is still very organized. If you're a disorganized, sloppy person, the type of equipment you are using won't fix that.
I used air tools when painting professionally back in the middle 70's on, and while it was nice to use an air powered D/A and an Air Grinder to fix what the body guys messed up, we still chose to use electric buffers, because they were easier to use, and I dont believe I ever saw pads or backing plats made for air powered buffers anyway back then. Everything was made for electric rotary buffers, with 3m and Schlegel making most of the pads we used. Oh, and we did not SWIRL paint either - Also agree, he must be referring to big production shop environments, which is something I will never do, because I fix their mess-ups all the time. I have seen alot of Detail Shops in my life and have never seen what he describes, has anyone seen his idea of a shop ??? I get all the stuff about being organized, and already have that part worked out, because you think about how to improve your stuff when you are not working at it, right ? :giggle: He has written some good articles, and I have read many at attentodetailsdotcom, where Renny Doyle lives, etc.. He is in Portland, so I may have to see him sometime, whenever I really want to hate driving, because driving through Oregon is like the worst thing I can ever imagine having to do. : Dan F
I find it ironic that he speaks of "low-level technology" when his website dates back to 2006, a Web 1.0 website... very low-level technology if you ask me.
I don't think what he's doing really applies to any one of us here. He's going on about large multi-bay businesses that would imo, care about about profit than satisfaction. His shop would be the type to churn out products where my friend brought his 350Z into, "looks good from a distance, but get anywhere closer than 10 meters you realize it looks like shit." Directly from his mouth.
What Bud had in mind might be OK for a large city high volume auto auction prep shop . For a high end shop , quality takes precident over the get it out quickly at all cost mode. I guess his article adresses the car wash crowd more than the average forum member.
