mathews31

I thought about getting a cart like I saw at Adams showroom but the slope on my driveway is just enough that I end up chasing my roller seat enough as it is.  But yeah, getting old sucks and I have bad knees.  I would like something like a work desk but something mobile.

I probably just miss the reason you have a towel on the floor in the second part of that video but I really think the way you shoot these videos is cool.
Also have you thought about getting like a table? The other day I was doing some work and had my stuff on a table for the first time and it made the session a lot less harsh on my body

Don't forget to put the license plates back on after your finished. You'd be amazed how fast you get pulled over!!

I was going to town with the visco clay bar and then realized, umm....
 
There is a plastic protector on both sides of the clay bar (just removed it on one side). When I was done I had some beautiful swirl marks to show for it
 
The good news is that the Adams Correcting Polish works as advertised and I was able to remove the damage quite easily.

Get a long enough extension cord....nothing like bragging about how great the stuff is and walking out with the extension cord to get stopped about 5 feet short of where you are working......you look REALLY smart when that happens lol. 

I actually have a tip for this,
 
Don't wash your car in pants with rivets unless they are completely covered.  Learned this many cars ago... SCREW YOU LEVIS!

Don't bite off more than you can chew.
 
Take breaks! Going full tilt for 12 hours is a big mistake. You will hurt for the next few days.

Don't move the vehicle until you have completely removed the hose slides.....

Except in cases where I drop the clay (then it is garbage), I will keep clay around to use on glass after I feel it is no longer safe to use on paint.  Not sure if other folks do that, but I've not had any issues doing this.  Now eventually it breaks down or gets too full of contaminates to use even on glass.  Then it gets trashed.

I never thought that I would ever in a million years take sand paper to my car. Well yesterday I did.
So starting from the top. I had finished my morning Church services early and decided to head to the Home Depot to pick up some sand paper. I never thought that 1500 grit paper let alone 2000 would be so smooth. When I went home I left the sand paper in a water bucket for about a half hour, then I went to town. I used a foam block from Adam's because I didn't have a sanding block and then I eventually transitioned to a more complex piece of cardboard.
I started out doing an inconspicuous spot on the roof in a corner. I did an 8 in x 8 in square starting with 1500 grit and then 2000 grit. After I felt I sanded enough, I used the microfiber pad with the compound to buff out the scratches. That put most of the shine back into the dulled paint. Then I used an orange pad and polish to buff out a little more. Finally I sealed it and that was that. For my first time I definitely think I did okay. I saw a little orange peel left, but I thought it was better than before.
 
I then proceeded to try a more orange peeled area, the trunk lid. I was a little excited so I kept going. I got the 1500 grit and went for a piece about a foot and a half x 8 inches. It was a little large to do by hand and I had to do extra polished because I forgot the 2000 grit and after polishing, I went back to do 2000. Overall I felt like it was a good experience.
Also I always do this but I'm not a 100% sure which are the before photos. 
 
Now for a few questions
1) What would I need to sand using the SK 15 mm? 
2) Has anyone else seen a difference going the extra 3000 step? because I barely saw a difference going to 2000
3) Also Where do you guys buy sanding disks and foam backing plates for the SK 15?
Any advice is appreciated. 

I would say you nailed it good!
I've tried sanding 3 times, 2 strike outs (repaint) and One ok.
It can be a crap shoot as far as I'm concerned.

I finding finishing with 3000 makes for a lot less buffing time.

Pictures would help. Are you talking about a haze after the heavy compound? If so, that's normal depending on the paint.

in the Midwest, we get a green mold on the north side of things like houses and vinyl trim. My house has white vinyl clad windows that were getting the green crud at the bottom of the trim. I cleaned them with APC then rinsed and applied VRT. They are holding out nicely compared to my "control" window which had APC and no VRT. the control window has tinges of the green crap coming back, but VRT windows are still bright white.

A few things come to mind for small business ownership.  A couple of which I still struggle to do myself.  These don't necessarily apply to the process of detailing, but business related.  So my apologies for the sidetrack.
 
1. Don't include services the client didn't pay for.  Your pricing is based on a model of how long it will take you to complete the work and priced accordingly.  If you start to add services they didn't pay for two things happen.  First, your profit gets sucked away.  Second, you train your customer that they don't have to pay for all of the services.
 
2. While I'm a huge fan of Adam's, there are a couple of other suppliers that I utilize for various things.  I owe it to myself and my business to make smart purchasing decisions.  If I can use a similar product for less money, it allows me to make more money without having to impact the client (either in price or quality).  That being said, I enjoy my relationship with Adam's and tend to look there first.  I tend to price things out by volume when making buying decisions.  For example, an 8 ounce bottle of polish versus a 32 ounce (or even gallon) elsewhere.  If the savings is significant and it doesn't affect quality, guess which one I choose?
 
3. Know that some jobs you just aren't going to make all the money you planned on.  You'll estimate a three hour job and it'll take four.  You can't go back to the client and upcharge at that point.  You simply absorb the difference and move on.  There's going to be a job that comes along that you will plan four hours for and get done in three.  That will balance it out.
 
4. Consider getting a partner/employee.  I have one guy I work with who does amazing work.  He's far better at interiors than I'll ever be and the two of us can work quickly and efficiently together.  At the same time, his availability helps to make our scheduling easier.  He's capable of tackling a vehicle by himself.  Some jobs you'll get simply due to availability. 
 
5. Constantly evaluate how your business is doing.  Are you charging enough?  Can you make smarter purchasing decisions?  Can you become more efficient?  We will travel, but primarily work out of my garage.  I invested in a mid rise lift to make it more comfortable for us to work and to make "wheels off" jobs more efficient.  It was a decent investment that I plan to recover over time through business and personal use.  The biggest thing we've noticed is we find more spots that are easier for us to give attention to and we aren't so bent over so our backs don't hurt.  Big up front cost, but will pay off in multiples over time.
 
6. Know that there's going to be a curve to getting the work coming in.  My business is relatively new as well, but it's picking up slowly.  The more work we do, the more referrals we get inquiries from.  Not all inquiries will turn into business.  In fact, most won't.
 
7. Value your own work.  Don't cave into the "X will do it for this much" argument.  That customer is just that...a customer and not a client.  Explain why your work is valued where it is and let them decide.  If price is their driving factor, they may not be the customer you want.  If you don't value your own work, why should the customer?
 
8. Know that there's going to be a learning curve for you.  Not just in terms of the processes you use, but the business end of things.  You'll spend time calling or emailing hoping to obtain better pricing from vendors.  Don't underestimate this process.  You need to do it in order to maximize margins.  Write everything down.  Quotes.  Agreements with vendors.  Everything.  It's great having notes to refer back to. 
 
9. Most of all, enjoy the experience.  Small business ownership isn't the source of my household income.  It does provide a unique challenge though that I've enjoyed along the way.  Understand you'll make mistakes.  Learn from them without dwelling on them and look ahead. 
 
Best of luck!

I only have pad stall or slowing on contoured panels. I can hold zero pressure and it will stall. I'm really hoping it's my technique and not the machine. Surely I didn't get a defective polisher right out of the box. I hope not.

Adam's version of a goo gone. And maybe a more dedicated bug guts remover. Love bug season in Florida is beyond brutal.

It works really well, just make sure you don't spray it heavily or it will be harder to buff off with streaks. If it does streak don't try to buff it off with too much pressure. Hit it with some detail spray and it'll look amazing.

Yes, it can be used as a standalone sealant (silica based), and yes, it goes on and off easily with a couple MF towels. I talked with Dan(@Adams) recently and he confirmed this can even take the place of HGG, if you so choose. Smells like pistachio, by the way.

Very cool!! Does it go on and buff easily?
I just checked the website and video too. For some reason I always overlooked this product because hey, I dont have a ceramic coating. Haha. But as it seems, I need to place another order.

This probably sums up my greatest fear of using a ceramic coating

Nobody is saying anything about this.  I guess we are all just shine freaks....
 

Let's do something about that trim coating for you.
 
Further, why do you still have 3 16oz. G&G? Use this as a drying agent every wash and you'll notice the benefits. Use it on glass, trim, paint, wheels. Everything!
 
If you're not satisfied with G&G let's swap them for something else for you.

Call me crazy but I like that garage more than I do the car.

Who wants a merino wool mitt? Pamper your car with the best!