Hand waxing, ill never do it again

[quietpeen]

Yea but after you buy the equipment your only cost is materials so your on the cheeper side also,We got more than a few people at work [upper crust] that pay any where from 80- 125 for a detail and that's not bad for several hours a car if you can do 3 or 4 a day that's a nice payday if you like doing that for a living, me I'll do my own till I can't cause I don't like doing it but I don't like payin worse!!

you would ****, i have seen it cost close to 200 for a exterior detail for a big truck like a ram, and then even more for exterior and interior clean

 

[Alex]

I have read thru this post and on the last page realized that [with exceptions of some] older guys hand wax their trucks and the younger guys resort to powered polishers to do the same job. This does not include the ones old and young that pay??? someone big dollars to detail their trucks/cars. I have come to my own conclusion [remember this is my opinion] and here it is, us old guys are not afraid of doing a little work just the gleam of the paint makes it worthwhile and the risk of destroying the paint is slim which proves that our younger generation is getting lazier and lazier. My sons are the same way they go to the local pay as you go car wash and wax with a spray detailer. I take my truck to the car wash area where I live and hand wash it then hand dry it then hand wax it, did it today took me around three hours!!!! Just don't get it with the younger generation [and don't use the excuse I don't have time] your vehicle is an investment that your paying for taking care of it yourself is cheaper and gives you a sence of pride plus that little extra when it comes time to trade it or sell it. RANT OVER THANK'S!

Not sure if that was aimed at me or not, but I just want to say that I've never actually paid anyone to clean my truck, I don't even like it when people get too close to it. Anything that is done to it, be it modding or cleaning or whatever, is done by me. I won't even let someone else pump my gas. The gist of my post was that I wish there was someone near me that could teach me to do this stuff myself because I don't trust myself to eff up the paint, however unlikely it might be. Just sayin

 

[shibby927]

I don't think it makes you lazy if you spend your money on a polisher. Whatever trips your trigger. I'd like to try a polisher once just to see how much less effort it takes versus doing it by hand. If I could get the same or better results while having to exert less effort then I'd jump on one in a heartbeat. I was out hand waxing a customers vehicle a couple of weeks ago. It was nearly a hundred degrees out, and I had to park the customers vehicle in my back yard so as to find some shade so I could effectively wax it. Believe me, if having a polisher would've made my life less miserable that day I'd of loved to of had one.

I also don't believe that paying someone else to detail your car/truck makes you lazy. Some people aren't into detailing. For me it's a passion. That's why I don't charge outrageous prices and I try to do as close to a professional job as I can. For me the thrill is seeing the look on a customers face when they get their car back and it's cleaner than the day they bought it. I hardly think my customers are lazy.

For the record I spent 10+ hours on a minivan interior a few weeks back, and two weeks ago I spent a good portion of two days doing the interior and exterior of a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. I did the Equinox at my car price which is $100 but the trade off was the customer wasn't getting clay bar done at that price. The customer is a smoker and I can tell you there was so much ashes in the interior of this Equinox that if I could've piled them up into one spot, I could've laid in them and made ash angels. The interior reeked of smoke. It was quite the project.Some people think $100 or $150 is expensive for detailing but for how much time, dedication, and blood sweat and tears I put into my detailing you're getting a lot of work for only a little money.

 

[sullivan]

Ok so I guess I should follow up, last night was the first time using my porter cable on my truck. And man did it save me a hell of a lot of time! I spent most of my time fully washing the entire truck by hand.

Then I split up the truck in two sections, I started with the bed and I will do the front end tomorrow. I clay bared the entire rear end of the truck. Then went over the whole thing with a meguires ultimate polish and the orange pad from adams. And then I went over it all with ICE wax with the white pad. And then wiped it to a shine with a cotton terry cloth and then wiped to a shine with a micro fiber towel.

The buffer saved me so much time, and to top it off, my arm isn't tired nor are my shoulders. I can't wait to finish up the rest of the truck tomorrow, and then detail the inside. My new floor mats from weathertech come Wednesday, super excited about those!

I have some adams swirl remover and paint sealant that I haven't tried yet. I will use the clay bar, then the adams swirl remover tomorrow on the front and and the ICE wax after that.

The rear end right now looks like glass!

 

[AdamsPolishes]

you would ****, i have seen it cost close to 200 for a exterior detail for a big truck like a ram, and then even more for exterior and interior clean

If you think $200 would make him ****, then what I charge would make YOU ****!!

 

[AdamsPolishes]

Ok so I guess I should follow up, last night was the first time using my porter cable on my truck. And man did it save me a hell of a lot of time! I spent most of my time fully washing the entire truck by hand.

Then I split up the truck in two sections, I started with the bed and I will do the front end tomorrow. I clay bared the entire rear end of the truck. Then went over the whole thing with a meguires ultimate polish and the orange pad from adams. And then I went over it all with ICE wax with the white pad. And then wiped it to a shine with a cotton terry cloth and then wiped to a shine with a micro fiber towel.

The buffer saved me so much time, and to top it off, my arm isn't tired nor are my shoulders. I can't wait to finish up the rest of the truck tomorrow, and then detail the inside. My new floor mats from weathertech come Wednesday, super excited about those!

I have some adams swirl remover and paint sealant that I haven't tried yet. I will use the clay bar, then the adams swirl remover tomorrow on the front and and the ICE wax after that.

The rear end right now looks like glass!

Welcome to the world of machine polishing, my man!

May your paint always be perfect and your shoulders never sore!

 

[PX8]

Yea, I'm wondering about showing up at a junkyard and practicing on some broke stuff.

 

[WhiteExpress]

I just Hand Washed, Meguire's Ultimate Polish, JetSeal'd and Waxed the bed of my truck.
Talk about some work!

Honestly, the only thing I'd want a DA for is the polish.
The JetSeal and the Wax are both on/off in no time. I spend almost as much time getting the pinch rails and little hidden spots as I do on the large panels.

This evening hopefully will be the roof.

 

[audio1der]

You probably applied the wax too thick; most people do.
I used a paste wax, applied and buffed off by hand, in about 40 minutes yesterday. It shouldn't take long. It's the PREP which can kill you
A few minutes more with an old, soft toothbrush and a microfibre ensure there are no white crusties hiding under door handles or the bed rail topper, etc.

 

[Sybil]

Yea, I'm wondering about showing up at a junkyard and practicing on some broke stuff.

That would be a good idea. Hope you have a cordless one or a really long extension cord!!!!

 

[crroberts]

My sophomore year of high school I took my moms black 2007 3500 dually to prom. Washed it at the car wash the day before and parked it in the shop and waxed it that night. It took forever but it was well worth it.

 

[Cruizer]

I just waxed my 2010 Sport Crew last week and my wife's Jeep Commander last night. That's with an orbital buffer. Still wore me out. Wasn't so much the applying wax but the taking it off that kills you. Have to hit the black trim on the Jeep tonight. I'd much rather clean on the trucks than do yard work though, so it's all good. I need to get some better equipment and chemicals though.

 

[AdamsPolishes]

If you are struggling to remove any type of wax, it's very likely that you applied too much. A thin layer of wax (even the "cheap" stuff) will remove fairly easily if you apply a thin coat and remove it with a quality towel.

 

[snarky]

hand waxing is what to do on a sat.your ram your favorite music and a 12 pack of beer.it is just what you do.

 

[bloombloom88]

^^what he said

 

[Cliff p]

No way! Porter Cable with a six pack of brew on a Saturday morning, and you're done by college game day kickoff

 

[Slidder]

Tired of waxing

My arms and legs are sore, waxing a truck is major labor. I think its time to buy a polisher. how long does it take to usually wax a truck with one of those bad boys.

I have been detailing my three rigs and other vehicles for people for the past 9+ years. First, these machines are not called a polisher. Common name for them is a buffer and there are many on the market. For a first time user, check on the Porter Cable. You "can not hurt the paint" while using this machine. It is a slower machine but again, totally safe.

To do a thoroughly "buffing" job on a truck you first have to wash it, clay it, maybe wash it again, check the entire surface for any swirl marks or light scratches. If there are some then you will need a buffing "pad" that basically goes with the product you are going to use. Completely strip the old wax off using a 50/50 mixture of alcohol and water.

When the vehicle has all of the above done, tape off a 2x2x2x2 test area. This will determine if you are using the right buffing pad and product.

More to tell but to answer your question, it should take you about six to eight hours to buff your vehicle. Ensure the temp is not to cold or hot. Have plenty of light in your shop or garage. If not, try to find a Brinkman detailing light. With that, you can check your work as you go. You can also back the vehicle out into the sun light to see if you are removing any of the swirls or scratches. If not, go back to the original test area and perhaps change over to a different buffing pad, one that will cut through the swirls.

If you want, you can e-mail me and I can go into a lot more detail (pardon the pun) so you can learn how to "enjoy" detailing your vehicle. If it's nothing but hard work for you then maybe you might want to take it to a good detailing company and let them do the work for you.

either way, good luck.

 

[Slidder]

Don't expect to take a buffing machine and think you are going to thoroughly detail your truck in one day. I just posted "buffing" a vehicle will take about 6-8 hours. There is a lot more prep work to be done before you pick up the buffer.

Make sure you purchase GOOD quality detailing supplies. Don't buy from any auto store. Buy from a detailing company that is online. And be prepared to spend money because you want the best products available. My first order when I first got involved with detailing, I spent over $5,000. NO, you won't have to spend that much. I just went ahead and got the full meal deal, knowing I was going to get serious about detailing.

 

[Slidder]

$150.00 detail

Damn I would kill to find someone around here to do it for $150. Only wax I've ever used is one time with Fukken, need to find someone who really knows their stuff to teach me this stuff. Just don't trust myself not to screw up the paint

Go to www.adamswax.com or Google it. He has about 10 video's on detailing, starting from the basics and working up to getting the best shine possible.

A GOOD detail ~ interior/exterior will run you from $175 to $200 plus. As I posted earlier. Buy a Porter Cable buffer. You can not burn the paint even if you put your arm on the machine and press it down with all your weight. Been there, tried it. It is a slower machine but safer. E-mail me if you think I can give you some advice. This goes for anybody else that would like some help.

 

[Slidder]

Trust me. If you buy a good buffer, it will take you half the time to get "better" results than if you were doing it by hand. By hand, you can not take out some of the deeper swirls or scratches. And a suggestion. ONLY ~ ONLY buy and us the best Microfiber towels. And not the ones that have the little square tags on them. Want to get the wash water off in a hurry so you don't leave water spots? ~ buy a "detailing blower" or you can even use a leaf blower from a store. That will get water out of all the smaller cracks where you can't see it until it's to late. There is the right way and the wrong way to detailing. You can't learn it overnight but you can go on Youtube and watch some of the video's or e-mail me and I will do what I can to help you.