The $665 Question
What’s dirty paint work cost you each month?
Prime, Featheredge, Fill…The Lost Steps
It takes 12 steps to prepare a repaired panel for paint prep. If you’re not vigilant, you won’t get paid for seven of them – costing you hundreds of dollars per repair.
Pearl Tricoat: Refinishing Made Easy
The problem: You don’t know how many coats of pearl the OEM applied at the factory. The solution: Make a letdown panel.
Spotting Trouble: Arbitrary Changing of Paint Times
Been asked by an adjuster to change the paint time on a panel? If insurers would pay for the prep and want a spot paint – and as long as the hours equal the full time – shops might embrace the procedure. Since that’s not happening, shops need to learn how to justify their estimates.
Roll With It Baby: Save Labor Time, Use Less Product and Get Build in Fewer Coats.
Sound good? Even if you use roll-on primer on only one car per day, you’ll still save roughly $3,000 a year.
Dry It, You’ll Like It
Interested in making more money and saving time?
Then dry sanding might be for you.
Innovative (and Cool) Stuff for the Paint Shop
During the recent NACE show in Las Vegas, I made the rounds of the paint manufacturer’s display booths. (It’s nice to have them back at NACE, by the way.) My topic for this article is new paint technologies, and I was able to speak to someone knowledgeable at each of the booths. I simply asked
Finding Flaws Before the Booth: Prep Procedures
Time wasted in the booth and on redos doesn’t pay the bills. Save time and money by establishing proper prep procedures.
Get Buff
When, why and how to color sand and buff.
Blending Paint Right the First Time
Because nearly every repair ends up needing blended, you need to get it right the first time or you can kiss your profits goodbye.
Pinchweld Flanges: The Weakest Link
Because glass installation has become a specialty area in the collision industry, it’s often handled by an outside installer or a specialist inside the shop. And it seems natural to separate this operation from other steps in the repair.
Becoming the Mask Master
When I started in this business, I couldn’t wait to pull the masking paper off that “flawless” paint job that I’d so meticulously laid down on that well-massaged custom. In fact, you’d often find me tugging on the tape and ripping paper before even cleaning my gun. What I lacked in sense I made up
