Time Lapse of Ceramic Install

[shane@detailedreflections]

We finally got around to working a bit on my own car this weekend.  We have the first layer of three down for coating.  Out of curiosity, I decided to take a time lapse photo of just the ceramic install process.  It's my first attempt at this type of media.

 

We use three of us to install the product since high spots need to be taken off slowly with a rotary and compound, or wet sanded down.  Two of us lay the ceramic and buff with three towels.  And one of us runs around rebuffing the entire thing over and over.  

 

Anyway, not my finest work on the camera and time lapse, but check it out.  Ask questions if you'd like.

 

Two more coats to be done today of the top coat.

 

 

[RayS]

That came out pretty good for the time lapse.  My first question is what was the duration from start to finish that you were taking pictures?  

 

I gather from the number of people who wore or at least started with a sweatshirt on, that it was rather chilly out, which brings me to my second question.  While LED's don't put out a lot of heat was the product sitting on the LED on the right side to keep it warm?  Have you found that the temperature of the product makes a difference when applying and hows does that relate when the ambient temperature is hot or cool?

 

Thanks for sharing Shane.

[shane@detailedreflections]

24 minutes ago, RayS said:

That came out pretty good for the time lapse.  My first question is what was the duration from start to finish that you were taking pictures?  

 

I gather from the number of people who wore or at least started with a sweatshirt on, that it was rather chilly out, which brings me to my second question.  While LED's don't put out a lot of heat was the product sitting on the LED on the right side to keep it warm?  Have you found that the temperature of the product makes a difference when applying and hows does that relate when the ambient temperature is hot or cool?

 

Thanks for sharing Shane.

 

The start to finish was just over one hour. And I’ll preface that by saying if you’re not used to working with coatings, don’t strive for time or even compare them. We have the advatanges of training, experience and three guys focused on the application at one time. 

 

Two people you catch glimpses of are buddies who dropped by to visit while we were working. It was actually probably in the 50’s or so last night. The clothing was just in response to the activity of the coating. 

 

The LED lights don’t put out much heat at all. It was just a convenient place to put the bottle as we were all grabbing it. I still don’t like having multiple bottles of coating open at once. Particularly that one which is serialized for warranty purposes.

 

As far as temperature, the warmer it is the faster the cure. If it’s hot out, to slow the curing time and let us have a good open working time, we will put the bottle in a cup of ice and always return it there after loading the applicator. The cooler product stays open longer providing us with a bigger application or more time to buff it clean.

 

This is with the first of two top coats down. Trim coats and one more to go!  Then some wheels, final touches and let it fly!

 

[Velvethelmet]

 I'm sorry I'm new to ceramic coating and still debating whether I want to go that route. But. 

 

 Are You applying three coats of ceramic on the paint? Is that typical for ceramic applications? At what point is the diminishing returns? Third coat? Fourth coat?

 Does the second coat apply easier or more difficult than the first?

 

 Sorry for all the questions just curious. Thanks

[shane@detailedreflections]

Ask all the questions you'd like answers to.  It's the only way to get them.

 

The video shows a single layer going down.  The following day we did two more of a top coat product.  

 

The question on layers varies with what coating we are installing.  Adam's typically goes on in a single coat.  This one requires three.  Some require two.  Some require more.  There is a point of diminishing returns, but it changes with the product being used.

 

Like I repeat frequently, when doing a coating...the result is a product of the prep more than the product you use.  I chose this coating for my vehicle since it's our most durable rated at nine years and it's our top end offering.  One of the benefits of owning the business is I get to pick what I want on our vehicles.  This one's a great product.

[shane@detailedreflections]

And I thought it would only be fair to show the final product!!!  So here it is...protected for nine years.

[falcaineer]

Cool way to watch the process and shine come alive. Thanks for posting @shane@detailedreflections!

[shane@detailedreflections]

One of these days I’m going to shoot a time lapse of the whole thing. 

 

Prep

Correction

Interior

Wheels

Paint

Trim

[vdub]

Great video Shane

[rseward]

Very cool time lapse, thanks for sharing, and the car looks great!

 

Wow, 9 Yr. Coating!  Just out of curiosity... from a customer prospective, what's the cost difference to have a long life coating such as this installed vs. a lesser (or consumer grade) product like Adams. Seems like the work involved is very similar (if not identical), so is the cost of the product dramatically different, and if not, why would anyone opt for a lesser option?

 

 

[shane@detailedreflections]

19 hours ago, rseward said:

Very cool time lapse, thanks for sharing, and the car looks great!

 

Wow, 9 Yr. Coating!  Just out of curiosity... from a customer prospective, what's the cost difference to have a long life coating such as this installed vs. a lesser (or consumer grade) product like Adams. Seems like the work involved is very similar (if not identical), so is the cost of the product dramatically different, and if not, why would anyone opt for a lesser option?

 

 

 

You ask some good questions. The cost difference isn’t necessarily small; but it’s not huge. It’s all about perspective. Our coatings start at $800-1000 depending on options and go up to $1500 and beyond.

 

The cost difference in having us do it is obviously labor plus the business needs to make money. Why would someone choose our lower coatings instead of our highest end?  That answer varies. If someone is protecting a leased vehicle, they don’t need the 9 year durability. Sometimes it’s a money issue (meeting a budget). If a vehicle is a bit older it might not make sense for the top tier. 

 

The work is similar. The material costs change based on the products. The time lapse you saw only saw us install one layer of three. Adams is a single layer product, so the time saving is considerable. Working with the product we were working with requires a lot of diligence in buffing since high spots come off with a rotary or wetsanding. It’s not a quick knockdown like a consumer coating. Knowing that, it makes the install process a bit slower. 

 

There are a lot of factors that come into play when deciding what coating and what level of protection you’re looking for. We are beyond happy with our “professional” grade coating.