Spending Less Can Cost More
Our jobber meant well, but when he said we could save $100 per gallon on a cheaper clear, we actually ended up losing $2 per gallon.
Make Way for Waterborne
The use of waterborne paint by body shops will soon be mandated in California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District. The technology is likely to reach everyone some day, so here’s what you need to know.
No Scuff ’n Shoot Here
The mindset that car refinishing is easy seems to be spreading throughout the industry. But there are no shortcuts to perfect paint jobs, and thorough prep work is essential to a lasting, quality repair.
Blend vs. Full Paint
“Why is blend time 50 percent of the time as full paint time?”
Quest for Metallic Control
Though most painters don’t like to admit it, they struggle with metallics. But if we slow down a little and anticipate problems before they arise, those redos will be few and
far between.
Your Lungs, Your Skin, Your Life
Many collision repairers still aren’t properly protecting themselves from isocyanates. It’s time that changed.
Charge for Paint and Materials
Our suppliers don’t hesitate to raise prices or add “fuel surcharges” to compensate for increasing expenses. It’s time we shop owners do the same. Insurance companies pay $22 to $25 per hour for paint and materials in our area, and these rates have been basically the same for the past seven years. We all know
Perplexed by Paint
Turns out this topic is much like the famous Bill Clinton quote: “It depends on what the meaning of is, is.” Paint brand popularity and exact market share are touchy subjects among the refinish paint companies. No one wants to be quoted in print as having less market share than the next guy, and there’s
Show Me the Savings!
Insurers are writing for partial paint times on repaired panels, claiming it doesn’t take as long to apply color to part of a panel as it does to the whole panel. We all know this is bogus.
Matching Tricoat Pearls: Think Groundcoat
Making a let-down panel doesn’t solve the problem of matching tricoat pearl color. There’s got to be a better way – and there is: an invisible foundation-coat repair. If an automotive painter were asked what he did for a living, it would be fair for him to say that he’s a master illusionist. Citizen Jane
Quality Is Not Subjective
So what if the guy down the road will do the repair the wrong
way for less money? Don’t fall into the “locally acceptable quality” trap.
Life in The Fast Lane: Shop Manager Devised Method to Take Back What Was Rightfully His
Fed up with losing work to faster competitors, this shop manager devised a new method to take back what was rightfully his.
