This polishing tip can save detailers HOURS!

[@jonathanmelendez23]

When Todd speaks... one should focus and listen! Thank you sir!

[@Esotericdetail]

Thank you kindly!

[@KrispyKarl7]

Wow I actually never thought about that. Just doing a whole side on the car before you go back and make sure everything is good assuming you did a test spot and all was good there too 👍🏼 great tip Todd, probably could saved me a couple hours the other week 😅

[@Esotericdetail]

Glad to be of assistance!

[@bluestonemetallic7]

A rush detail job is one of the reasons that I rather take care the detail job/project myself, as some of professional detailers in my neck of the woods want to rush the job each time and every time using “average at best” products and charge high-end price. My main focus is high quality of the job/project as I am considered a very discerning customer due to the fact that I am a car enthusiast.

[@KamiruNusbaum]

There is a big diffrence between rushing a job, and doing it quick. When you rush your job, you are basically cutting some corners here and there, but working quick is about doing your best in small amount of time. Couple tips I have on working quick with the polisher - do not lay it on the floor - Invest in some form of little table on wheels, or workshop stool that can roll around the car with you. When you are done with the section, lay it on that table/stool so you wont have to bend down to pick it up. I have a D-handle on my Rupes rotary, so I rarely even put it down. Second tip - keep your compound/polish in a small bottle, that you can fit on your belt/pocket - same thing - less time wasted picking it up. Third tip - when working on lower parts of the car, either lift it up, or buy yourself that kind of workshop stool that can be unfolded flat, so you can roll under your car - that way you sit on it and roll around the car - less time wasted on standig up/crouching Fourth tip - ear protection. Machines are noisy, the more noise, the bigger your exhaustion, and we all know that when working tired, we are sloppy, and slow. The best earplugs for me are the ones with rigid headpiece around your head, so you can keep them on your temple when you dont use them, and they are more comfortable than full-on ear muffs. Fifth tip - kinda what Todd said - apply your compound/polish on a panel, but be careful when "picking" it up with your machine, so you don't sling it. Sixth tip - make your workspace ergonomical. By that I mean have enough, well lit space around the car, so you don't feel cramped when working on it. Seventh tip - Long cords on your machines save time otherwise wasted on plugging it in the other outlet - use extension cord, modify your machines or go wireless if that option is viable. Long cords come with a caveat of tangling, but when you bundle it correctly, it wont happen too much. That's all from top of my head for now.

[@jkroemer2685]

And to add to it if a detailer is just doing it as a business and income only ,not passionate or an enthusiast those kinds really rush it and aren't concerned with the best quality of products or outcome, (I use to work with someone like that). In my business it's a 1 car focus, high-end products that perform consistently, high-quality machines and research & experience going into it.

[@MyDraw]

Great tips todd, also I'd like to mention other good one if you have a phone/recorder you can record ur 'typical' day paint correcting or detailing and you will see what you waste time on aswell. if its pulling ur pants up every couple mits or reaching or pulling the extension cord reel or constantly shaking a compound bottle that is almost empty that you need to refill. I've found it helps a lot seeing what you spend time on.

[@doriansorzano]

What helps my is my phone's camera. If the camera is good enough you will see defects faster than your eyes can. U ever went to take a picture or video of your work and defects pop up? Use it to your advantage! Aim the camera!

[@davestewart9146]

Great advice, love the challenger behind you 👍😁

[@Jefferson11169]

Wow some extremely simple and helpful advice! Working on my second full paint correction for a customer and looking to make myself more efficient

[@Esotericdetail]

Thanks, and have fun with it. You should be learning something new on every single car you work on...

[@bqss11]

so simple but still blew my mind!

[@Esotericdetail]

Thank you!

[@carlosavila-roman9319]

I felt the same way! It’s so true I just never connected those dots! Wow just wow

[@Bull1the1Great]

Very true . It took me a whole day to one step polish a car because of all the things I did every single time .

[@detailmax]

Thanks for the great info Todd!

[@Esotericdetail]

Thank you!

[@Anienee]

So true... well said. Thanks for the advice.

[@Esotericdetail]

Thank you, and you are very welcome.

[@Sims746]

That was my struggle, inspecting every single time, takes hours of polishing 🙈i was like how do they do that🤷‍♂️ Thanks Todd👍

[@Igor-fg1dr]

It's nice when you can do test spot... In Serbia every car panel is at least two times repainted... Every car painter uses different clear coat so I have to test every panel with different pads and compounds...

[@DmDetails]

Thanks for sharing this info !

[@Esotericdetail]

You're welcome!

[@Hobbz786]

Great advice!!!

[@Esotericdetail]

Thank you!

[@dhruvhere4you]

Perfect sir !

[@Esotericdetail]

Thank you!

[@bryanpieper2333]

Hi Todd, this would definitely save a lot of time doing a whole side at one time. I used to do this years ago when I was young and inexperienced with Polish, but from what I can remember the Polish was very difficult to remove by letting it dry on the surface. Is that no longer the case with today’s polishes? The Polish I used way back when was a consumer Meguiars liquid polish. About 15 years ago.

[@Esotericdetail]

I like to say that with good polishes, it's not an issue! :)

[@daarionaharis3675]

Haste makes was--- I feel the need for speed!!!

[@tundrawhisperer4821]

If I’m working with an AIO polish, with foam pads. What is ultimately the best thing to do, blow out the pad with compressed air before each panel or should I change the pad for each panel or at least each side? With a truck, changing the pads out, that would be a ton of pads I need on hand for sure. Thx

[@Esotericdetail]

Change out pads frequently! In detailing, pads and towels are your two biggest expenses because you need plenty of fresh ones on hand at all times.

[@dennishill6742]

Todd - Any advice on polishing a car with PPF that has some exposed edges? Specifically how to handle the PPF edges.

[@Esotericdetail]

Just tape them up well!

[@AmirAbdullah]

Now I’ve done this before and noticed even some polishes can get hard to remove. You guys using a prep to come back and wipe off the polish ?

[@Esotericdetail]

No...we use polishes that aren't difficult to remove!

[@Voiceofreason99ify]

He Todd Thx for this and I hope you are good. Quick question - I have followed the one step with Sonax Perfect Finish using yellow pad with DA. But after adding Polish angel ( using white pad on DA) I still get haze / swirl marks on my Audi . Why do you think ?? Much appreciated . Best C

[@Esotericdetail]

A one-step isn't going to get everything...it's not designed to. So the question is if you're seeing this after polishing, or after your secondary step. And what PA product are you referring to?

[@iandadon1757]

Hi, I recently used a new microfibre pad on a blue car that had alot of touch up paint. I got some paint on the pad, its throughly washed but still has blue on the pad. Is the pad ruined or can I still use it? Tia love the tips and channel 👍

[@Esotericdetail]

Thank you. If it's been thoroughly cleaned, then it's no problem. It's just like polishing old single stage cars...the pads will assume the color of the car that was polished.

[@iandadon1757]

@@Esotericdetail cheers thank you.

[@tariks6167]

Some pads need time to cool down or the brake down ...

[@Esotericdetail]

If you're simply doing a one-step, you shouldn't be overheating pads. If so, you're most likely using too high of a speed.

[@ImHedgess]

Do you not need to use a pad brush on the pad after each small section to get rid of the dust buildup on the pad? Or am I overworking the polish or using a bad product?

[@Esotericdetail]

No, you do not need to do that...

[@ImHedgess]

@@Esotericdetail ok thanks for the reply I have ordered some sonax perfect finish and rupes yellow pads as my setup was dusting a lot! Have you used the meguiars extra cut microfibre pads they claim to cut 20% faster than the ones you use?

[@Esotericdetail]

@@ImHedgess They don't work well with curvature. You need the padding that the Cutting Discs provide to help keep consistent pressure and contact with the panel.

[@janasourav90]

I've seen lot of detailers applying Meguiar's yellow carnauba wax on top of a 3M cream wax. Does that make sense to apply wax on top of a wax?

[@tier1detailcompany]

It won't hurt, just detailers preference. Sometimes layering enhances depth of shine. Most commonly detailers will layer a wax over a sealant for increased shine and durability.

[@Esotericdetail]

Personally I don't think it does, and it's not something we do very often here at our business. You get minimal gains at best.

[@glumdogtrillionaire]

I don’t agree at all with the suggestion that once you have your combination from the test panel, you just do the whole car. Fine if you’re working a perfectly clean shop with repainted and new vehicles. But for the rest of us in the real world there can be 2 or 3 different paint systems on a vehicle, meaning 3 combinations. You have to check each panel.

[@Esotericdetail]

No need to do test sections on each panel. If one is going to react differently, you'll know right away and make your changes from there.

[@glumdogtrillionaire]

@@Esotericdetail what I mean is, you can’t just roll through the whole side of a vehicle then wipe off at the end. You might have corrected through two paint systems and half your job on that side needs to be redone. Panel by panel checking is practical with unknown paint systems when you want to achieve the best result.

[@Esotericdetail]

@@glumdogtrillionaire Out of thousands of cars, I've never run into that when doing a one-step polish or lighter, which is when you would use this method. Different paint systems typically show issues when doing compounding and / or finish polishing. And if you wanted to check during your one-step, you'd simply check the first section on each panel, and continue from there. Chances are that if the first section of a panel works, then the rest of the panel will react the same.

[@glumdogtrillionaire]

@@Esotericdetail my last three vehicles were an example of this. Each having three paint systems due to accidents or smart repairs over their life. These cars only came out well by checking each panels first section to confirm and adjust if not. Once adjusted, I could find the next panel or next three may need a different pad/combination to finish down to the desired level. Once you’ve established a desired final result, a one step on one paint system (say the hood, a common initial test panel) could end up a two step on other parts of the vehicle to achieve the same result. A new car with the same paint system, sure, do a whole side or the whole vehicle before wiping off. But in my career, I’ve rarely found that to work unless it’s off the factory floor. Do you have any specific tips for these scenarios to improve efficiency? Because efficiency is at its absolute lowest with vehicles like the ones I describe.

[@Esotericdetail]

@@glumdogtrillionaire You have to ask yourself what the level of expectations are relative to the discussions with the customer, and the price agreed to. If you're selling a one-step as "it gets what it gets", then there's no problem. If you're doing a true multi-step, and charging accordingly for it, then yes...you need to re-evaluate each panel, and this process does not pertain to it. You also might want to try a different combination of pads, polishes, and technique for your one-steps that isn't so particular about paint types. With our yellow Rupes polishing pad and Perfect Finish as a one-step, we rarely see any variances at all from one panel to the next.

[@Fantic1980]

How to save hours ... don't buy a BMW. That paint is hard as glass!

[@ZekeMagnum]

mercedes is worse. matte white mercedes is your worst nightmare

[@Esotericdetail]

But you're not polishing a matte white...

[@ZekeMagnum]

@@Esotericdetail solid white is what I meant, sorry. non metallic

[@FrankBleau]

To be honest all german cars have hard paint, so does Tesla actually, but BMW is a hard one if not the hardest..... coming from McLaren Montreal's lead detailer.. to me NOTHING beats a JaguarLandRover tho... medium hard, tons of play room once u know them....

[@matthewgibb2640]

Every panel on a car can be different. Granted its a rarity but does happen.

[@Esotericdetail]

True, but when dealing with a one-step, it usually doesn't matter as the goal isn't for perfection.

[@DatDudeDEnd]

Want to save time polishing? Master the rotary.

[@Esotericdetail]

When polishing / finishing fully, rotary is no quicker. This is coming from somebody who did indeed master the rotary.

[@DatDudeDEnd]

ESOTERIC wow really interesting reply from you sir. A lot of Detailer claim to save time by using rotary due to correcting defects quicker than a DA

[@Esotericdetail]

@@DatDudeDEnd Those are probably the same ones that put a huge line of polish on the car, and "correct" half the hood all at one time!

[@Tintdaddy88]

Get good, scrub.