All egos aside, how far has your detailing education progressed?
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Rate Your Skill Level
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Rate Your Skill Level
175Ph.D. - Highly proficient with rotary buffing and wet/damp/dry sanding12.57%22MBA - Proficient with rotary buffing, but little to no wet/damp/dry sanding experience18.86%33BA - Proficient with D/A polisher, but little to no experience with rotary buffing43.43%76High School Grad - Work mostly by hand, just getting started with D/A polisher25.14%44Michael Stoops
Senior Global Product & Training Specialist | Meguiar's Inc.
Remember, this hobby is supposed to be your therapy, not the reason you need therapy.
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Re: Rate Your Skill Level
I have a couple hundred hours into DA polishing and have used a dozen different polishes/compounds and 7-8 different types of pads from Chemical Guys and Lake Country from their red/blue finishing pads to purple hybrid foam/wool Kompressor pads.
I have not gotten into rotary buffing or wet sanding paint yet.
With that said, I gave myself a BA ranking.
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Re: Rate Your Skill Level
I've been painting and detailing cars for nearly 40 years. When I started a rotary and wool bonnets were all we had to work with. Wet sanding was done by hand for the most part and 800 wet/dry paper was about it.
Through the years there have been marked improvements in equipment, sanding, and chemicals which has caused the trade to literally explode! Slow-start variable speed rotary's to DA polishers are incredible additions.
Foam pads are another great discovery. Learning and knowing what pad to use with which chemical at what speed takes time but give the user a tremendous amount of flexibility when correcting a fiinish.
I tried damp sanding a clear coat which uses 3000 grit wet/dry paper on a DA sander with a few squirts of water. It sand so slow and finely I was really surprised.BobbyG
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Re: Rate Your Skill Level
My guess would be right between MBA and Ph.d iam very good at polishing but i havent taken the time to realy do wet/dry sanding, iam moving into that area tho, i just ordered the full line of Unigrit papers and backing plates.Nelson Zapata - Advance Detail - Detailing and Auto Reconditioning in Santiago Chile.
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Re: Rate Your Skill Level
BA (Below Average)...
I'm fairly good with the DA, but I haven't mastered it yet. With the number of combinations of pads, compounds and paints, you could spend years refining your techniques with the DA alone.
I still have to try a rotary and wet sanding. I'm looking forward to the experience. Perhaps next year in the Spring.
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Re: Rate Your Skill Level
I'm between HS newbie and a BA. I'm not as proficient with the DA as I'd like to be but I'm past the point of doing everything by hand. Although I still do some things by hand, I'm past the point of being comfortable with the DA. My ultimate goal is to be proficient with the rotary and sanding skills.For those who fought for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.
736th GunTrucks "Bakersfield to Bagdad"
Wife say's I'm "obsessed"!
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Re: Rate Your Skill Level
I forgot to add my skill level.
Based on my experience through the years, I'm experience lacquers, metal-flake, enamels, acrylic enamels, urethane hardeners, DuPont Imron®, single stage, and 2 stage color coat - clear coat finishes. I do not have any experience with the latest water based finishes but a close friend has been spraying them for about a year now and said they're pretty good.
Finish wet sanding included and some damp sanding I'll rate an MBA.BobbyG
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Re: Rate Your Skill Level
I used to think I was a Ph.d, having 35 years of experience in the new and used car business with a rotary. After spending a few months here soaking up information from both pros and dedicated enthusiasts, I've downgraded my current status to something closer to high school freshman.
Bill
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Re: Rate Your Skill Level
Originally posted by BillyJack View PostI used to think I was a Ph.d, having 35 years of experience in the new and used car business with a rotary. After spending a few months here soaking up information from both pros and dedicated enthusiasts, I've downgraded my current status to something closer to high school freshman.
Bill
(p.s. I recognize the humor in your post)
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Re: Rate Your Skill Level
I too will have to say I'm in between a MBA and a PH. D. I have wet sanded defects but I still feel I need more experience in that area. Otherwise I am proficient with the rotory. So I chose MBA.Jesse
2009-2014 Meguiar's/Car Crazy SEMA Team
www.ShineTechAutoDetail.com
Facebook www.detailing.com
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