In our workshop we have over 200 light sources (both fixed and portable) \u2013 but they are not all the same, and we use different kinds of lights for different purposes.\u00a0 In this month\u2019s blog we\u2019ll talk about what lighting we use, how we use it, when, and why.\u00a0\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\tLet\u2019s gloss over the history lesson, it\u2019s 2022 after all.\u00a0 Thanks to advances in LED technology, we now have many modern, cost effective, and efficient detailing lighting options that were not available in the days of halogen and fluorescent lamps.\u00a0 It\u2019s a bonus that we can arrange these lights in attractive patterns for Instagram, but I want to focus on their practical purposes (and, in particular, the ways that correct lighting can help detailers achieve better results).\u00a0\t\t<\/p>\n
Without specialist lighting, we are working blind.\u00a0 If we take a swirly\/dull\/scratched used car, and we carry out a basic enhancement process (without specialist lighting) to increase the gloss \u2013 let\u2019s say a single pass with a finishing foam and a gentle polish, or all-in-one product \u2013 then \u2018Average Joe\u2019 walking past the car on the street, especially on an overcast day, will be able to see a big improvement, and have a big smile on his face.\u00a0 We know that much of the improvement will be from the fillers in the product, but don\u2019t get me wrong: there is a perfectly decent, honest market for that kind of quick and cheap service.\u00a0 However, if we want to \u2018get good\u2019 and truly remove those defects permanently, we need to look closer\u2026<\/p>\n
Detailing lights reveal flaws and defects (well, most do, but we\u2019ll come back to this later) so it should be self-evident that we need them to highlight the surface flaws that we\u2019re working to remove.\u00a0 This is how we check on our progress and show the transformative results.<\/p>\n
But, detailing lights reveal more and, in doing so, they set the bar for correction higher. Now, our primary goal as detailers buffing a car is to improve the appearance of paint flaws, so perhaps it seems counter-intuitive to deploy the ultra-scrutiny of specialist detailing lights; if we can achieve \u2018good-enough\u2019 results (for \u2018Average Joe\u2019 at least) without looking too closely, what\u2019s the point?\u00a0 I\u2019ve had first-hand experience of pro detailers shying away from letting inspection lights anywhere near their work, precisely because it makes the results look average.\u00a0 In their view, \u201cwhy would we intentionally make our lives more difficult, when under most circumstances our clients (such as \u2018Average Joe\u2019) are unlikely to be so critical or replicate those conditions themselves?\u201d\u2026 right?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Wrong. For at least two reasons.<\/p>\n
Firstly, that big ol\u2019 yellow thing in the sky is one heck of a detailing light, with the added kick of being able to degrade any compound oils and fillers too.\u00a0 Like a giant spotlight in the sky (which also moves around to the sides during mornings and evenings), the sun can reveal remaining flaws in the paintwork that you might have missed (or hoped to get away with).\u00a0 Garages and workshops are naturally quite dark places, so having detailing lights on hand \u2013 especially portable ones that allow you to check vehicles from multiple angles \u2013 are a key tool in assessing our work.\u00a0 Just as importantly, something I learned many moons ago is that what may look good indoors in the workshop could look TERRIBLE the moment the car goes out into daylight.\u00a0 As much as I\u2019m about to explain and demonstrate why it\u2019s important to use specialist detailing lights when you\u2019re polishing a car, the fact is that their bright reflections can also distract you from obvious errors such as compound build-up in edges, ceramic coating high spots and more.\u00a0 So, as well as using many detailing lights from start to end, at our workshop we double-check our completed correction details by talking a walk around the car outside before calling it \u2018finished\u2019.<\/p>\n
Another thing to bear in mind, particularly if you\u2019re taking on paid paint correction work, is that you never know which clients actually ARE able to replicate your dazzling studio conditions.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t happen often (in my experience) but remember \u2018Average Joe\u2019 isn\u2019t usually paying for your top-dollar correction services, and there are detailing fans out there with their own inspection lights at home, impressive garages that look like studios, and an extremely keen eye for detail.\u00a0 If you give them back their car and they spot something that you missed\u2026 that\u2019s not a good look.<\/p>\n
There are three dominant styles of lights that detailers use today: spot, strip, and square.\u00a0 Each style\/shape has its benefits and drawbacks.\u00a0 The thing to understand about lighting is that all of these light sources can be used to either highlight or hide paint flaws – which may sound counter-intuitive, but hear me out\u2026<\/p>\n
https:\/\/youtu.be\/5b7gV0j1WAY<\/p>\n
https:\/\/youtu.be\/plnus2ve364<\/p>\n
https:\/\/youtu.be\/6M_4DsVWEY8What\u2019s more, some defects even require the right light at the right angle to see properly, and this is why chasing perfection can be such a challenge.\u00a0 Before joining Lake Country Manufacturing, Kelly and I posted a video about exactly this subject which is extremely illuminating.\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/GQoJQW0-jME\t\t<\/p>\n
In practice, spotlights are the main go-to in our detailing workshop.\u00a0 They highlight the most common (popular?!) kinds of defects that our clients have noticed (swirls\/holograms), making handheld detailing spotlights the most useful defect detection tool under most circumstances.\u00a0 Our recommendation would be to hold or position your handheld detailing spotlight at least an arm\u2019s length from the paint surface in order to reveal as much as possible, without making it difficult for your eyes to adjust to the extreme brightness.\u00a0 Moving the light around often reveals defects that can be easily missed by a static light source, and having that motion is especially helpful when pointing out rotary holograms, which appear to dance and sway on the paint surface as the light source moves around.\u00a0 Spot lights will also, of course, show up your own leftovers.\u00a0 What I mean by that is they will show any haze or dullness caused by your polishing efforts.\u00a0 To counter this, and reach a pure gloss that looks great even under spotlight scrutiny, the chances are you\u2019re going to need to spend longer refining your polishing and\/or use a softer finishing pad (with an even finer polish).\u00a0 This might mean you\u2019re doing an extra stage at the end; or, it might mean simply replacing your old style of polishing stage with this finer one.\u00a0 I\u2019ve found that my favorite polishing pads (such as our Black HDO Foam or Black or Red Force foam pads) can actually remove quite a heavy microfiber cutting haze, and refine all the way to perfection, all in one go.\u00a0 Give it a try.<\/p>\n
Strip lights have a different set of uses altogether.\u00a0 Their advantage is their straight-edge which, in reflections, will demonstrate where the paint surface is anything other than dead flat.\u00a0 Surface imperfections such as orange-peel, clearcoat runs, silicone fish-eyes, sinkage and dents will distort the straight-edge of the light in a reflection. That\u2019s why it\u2019s helpful to mount strip lights above the vehicle you\u2019re working on, but even better to have them alongside too.\u00a0 Thanks to strip lights, being able to demonstrate a clear and often surprising change in surface texture quality \u2013 whether that be the immense \u2018smoothing\u2019 effect of sinkage removal which can be achieved with a simple cutting stage, or the more extraordinary glass-like reflections you can create by sanding and polishing to remove orange-peel \u2013 is a \u2018next-level\u2019 way of creating an impressive paintwork finish in ways many people wouldn\u2019t even realize is possible, proving your expertise as a detailer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finally we come to square lights, which photographers adore for their diffused glowing ambience. Commonly grouped together in the ceiling \u2013 as seen at many professional detailing \u2018studios\u2019 worldwide \u2013\u00a0 these gentle lighting panels seem to drape vehicles with a specular quality that almost looks like something from a video game. Without singular points of origin, banks of square lights illuminate the contours and curves of bodywork making them seem delicately enhanced, with subtle highlights and shadows falling in ways that really show off the lines and shapes of the car beneath. These lights are, however, utterly useless for detailing purposes. When you see the reflection of a square light panel on a car\u2019s surface, it has the effect of neutralizing \/ hiding the surface flaws on that area of the panel. Instead of the surface flaws, you see a \u2018white-out\u2019 zone where anything but the most major scratches and chips all but vanish. This is why square light panels are a very poor choice of detailing light.\u00a0 And yet, we have them in our workshop\u2026.. but why?<\/p>\n
Speaking from personal experience, we have a zone near the entrance of our workshop where a range of spot lights, strip lamps and square panels are mounted around a car. Each type of light is wired up separately on a remote clicker, meaning I can turn them on and off instantly, and I have used this to educate countless pupils and customers of their effects. It never fails to amaze people when I light their car up under the square lights, making them look artificially quite good, and then suddenly switch to the spotlights. If only I could capture the look on their faces when the true horror of a million swirls and scratches and etchings and other problems \u2018magically\u2019 appear. I compound this by changing from spot lights to strip lamps, and now rather than the swirls we\u2019re faced with ripples of orange-peel, and texture of sinkage\u2026 It is a stunning \u2018party-trick\u2019 routine that never fails to impress my customers with its visual impact, but it also leaves them appreciating the fact that they are now better informed, and more confident in my knowledge and abilities as a detailing professional. \u00a0<\/p>\n
https:\/\/youtu.be\/XPProi7_ZFo<\/p>\n
This brings us to the final and most important point of this rather long blog.\u00a0 Detailing lights are not just necessary for effectively detecting and highlighting defects.\u00a0 As much as we use them in our workshop to point out surface flaws and check on our progress, they prove equally as useful on handover day when they are brought out to highlight the absence of defects.\u00a0 Whether you\u2019re polishing cars for yourself or clients, being able to confidently inspect or present your work under critical detailing lights is like a slam dunk, a home run, and a mic-drop all in one.\u00a0 It\u2019s a bold move that demonstrates irrefutable proof of your skills, the value in your work, and the integrity in your services.<\/p>\n
Specialist detailing lights add value to what we do, because with them we are better able\u2026<\/p>\n
To learn more about paint correction, please stay tuned to our social media channels and feel free to email us with any questions.\u00a0 We may even address yours specifically in a video response!<\/p>\n
Until next time,
Jay @ LC
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