You are beginning to bore me know. I appreciate the hard work put in to obtain a good finish but it takes the **** when some detailer then claims that it takes 60 hours. That is the bit which is without doubt complete bollocks. If he used the correct tools and materiasls instead of fannying around then I wouldn't have any reason to laugh would I.
OK, you're not bored or you wouldn't have posted back. But what is apparent is that you haven't read the thread in question. So, to summarise for you, that 60 hours included:
4 Wheel refurbs (Tyres off)
2 new tyres
Full carpet shampoo (seats out)
Leather seats re-connolised
Full engine bay clean (properly, not just spraying silicon everywhere)
Full body sand and polish
3 coats of wax.
Now, you can see from reading my previous posts that I have already stated quite openly that the price was ridiculous, but that's based on an hourly rate no doubt. So if we remove cost from this, 60 hours is probably about right to get it all to that standard.
If you understand as much as you say you do then you will know that your comment about p38 in polish is humorous. Car body filler in polish, really. You are obviously referring to my earlier post about custom shops burying cars in filler before they paint. This is a common practice in the states when restoring cars and this is where the detail bit started to come about in the late 50's. The filler in compound and polish is added to keep them in suspension and the secondary effect is to give false gloss when polishing.
Oh, I fully understand the difference between body fillers and the synthetic polymer fillers used in certain car products, the example I gave being Autoglym Super Resin Polish, the name of which is an oxymoron anyway. It is a protectant, not a polish. However, the vast majority of detailing products don't contain the fillers, and my personal choice (Menzerna) certainly don't. So I reiterate, any "detailer" who uses products with fillers to hide swirls and marks is actually a Valeter.
I will stand by what my opinion is. Anyone can valet a car without training or understanding what they are using. Painting takes a great deal of skill and dexterity which can't be learned in a day.
Yes, it's a free world and you are entitled to an opinion. I still don't have to agree with it though. Detailing is a skill, not one learned overnight as you already acknowledged with your recognition of the skill needed to use a rotary polisher. Spraying paint is also a skill but as you will already know, the real skill which forms 90% of the end result is the preparation, right?? Doesn't matter how talented the painter, painting a crap surface gives crap results every time. However, spraying was much more of a skill back in the days of cellulose paint, no ovens and much lower tech equipment.
Note that I am referring to straight painting stuff like cars. I still consider custom stuff like big metal flake and airbrush art like you see on trucks etc to be a lot more specialised. But that's not what we're discussing here.
What do you do professionally because I paint and just happen to be a director of the company. I don't do this as a hobby.
Yeah, plenty of things. A short resumé then.
1981-84. Chemistry degree. Supported myself by working in a paint shop, amongst other things spraying stainless trims for Delorean cars. This is where I learned to spray.
84-91. Lab Technician. Major chemical company.
91-97. Chemical Process Engineer. Another major chemical company.
97-01. Works engineering designer at a large chemical plant. Implementing CNC into chemical engineering works
01 to now basically. Business Process Engineer. Tier-1 Service Provider in I.T. End client is petro-chemical company as you might have guessed.
In 02-06 I also did another OU degree, a masters in Business Studies.
So those are the jobs, very abbreviated.
Now I also own 40% of a classic VW restoration company and yes, I still get down and dirty if I have to. Still capable of painting if required, and spannering, oh and even welding if I really cant avoid it.
My detailing hobby (to use your word) was a natural spin off from the VW stuff for one or two customers who wanted concours standard. It pays well enough although not to 6 grand levels but that's not really why I do it. Seeing silverware, and there has been quite a bit of that, the quest for perfection etc, that is the passion, not the numbers.
Whereas if it were my profession then every job is only going to get as much attention as is being paid for, a far more mercenary approach, as you would know being a company director. After all, the books have to balance, which is the achilles heel of just about every bodyshop. It is a business 1st and foremost, the daily grind, it pays the bills, has to be done, whatever. Detailing is more about passion and how some people choose to spend their free time (hobbies) which is why the quality is invariably higher. Very few people make a living from detailing, it's a lot easier to do that from valeting.