Hi All, Hope I chose the right section to post this.... Firstly, I have so much respect to all of you that can spend hours and hours working on a car and straining your body to have a car achieve perfection. I'm just a weekend warrior and I only spend a few hours and I have aches and pains the next day. After hand polishing, one arm is bigger than the other, the joints on my fingers are hurting and of course, the back pain. All worth it of course after seeing the results on the car Besides using stools, and pads, and a beer, are there any other exercises, stretches, tips or general ergonomic advice for detailing? Could you please share how you preserve your back, knees, and muscles? Thanks so much.
Well detailing is hard on the body, so I'm now trying to use appropriate tools to make detailing less stressful on the body. Things such as using a rotary that feels good on my hands (I use the Metabo) also I've purchased a soft floor mat, so when I have to kneel down my knees are not directly on the concrete/floor, this helps allot. As for polishing lower panels, it's always good to use a low stool/chair. The ideal tool would be a lift, to raise the vehicle up and work on the lower panels but like I said that would the ideal situation, regrettably lifts come with a price but if you can afford it and have the space for it it's one of the best tools for detailers, mechanics..ect..ect..ect. Well just sharing my :2cents: hope this helps.
I agree about the aches and pains. some things can help, like a good polisher, etc. I just picked up a stool to sit on for working on lower panels, and need to get a nice kneeling pad. Getting stuff like brushes for various area cleaning (like wheels) can make things a little easier on your hands as well as help save time. getting a good routine down, will help save time and energy, and Im sure some aches and pains. Find things that work well for you. Each person is different, so one technique or trick will work for some, but not all. Good luck.
I was two cars this weekend back to back and decided what I needed was a stand to put the soap bucket on so I did not have to bend down to rinse out mitt. It does not need casters -- it needs to be higher.
I agree with the above posts. Having the right tools ( not neccessarily expensive ones ) will make things a lot easier on your body. I think my most important piece of equipment is my kneeling pad. Its a 2'x2'x1.5" thick square of dense foam, not one of those half inch thick things for gardening. And as michakaveli said, core training will make an unbelievable difference.
Does the foam absorb water? I want something I can place on damp concrete but does not wick the water as you work on the car (polishing or doing wheels). It has to be padded but needs to be washable too like with APC in case it gets something on in (polish, wheel dressing, etc). I saw a plastic foam pad for garden use (like for weeding, planting) that I may try to find again. It seemed durable, washable, and did not absorb water. The key for me is to learn to squat or sit on ground (pad) rather than bend.
I know this sounds kind of dumb, but what I use is foam play mats for kids. You can pick up a pack of them at Walmart for like 25 bucks. They come in a pack of like 4 24" x 24" interlocking squares. I lay them end to end along the side of the vehicle I'm working on. Standing on these relieves my back pain (standing on concrete for extended periods is tough on your back), and they make kneeling/sitting to work lower panels a lot easier too. EDIT: Here's a link for similar ones. Mine are not all the same color. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2603666#ProductDetail
I went shopping today. I picked up a dual bulb Xenon light and stopped by Home Depot and saw the foam pad I remembered. I will look at Lowe's to see if I see something better.
Core Strength training & standing with one foot behind the other, not together while polishing will help tremendously.
i'd try to find a way to be comfortable while polishing especially on the vertical panels. Doors and roofs are the worst for me partly because I'm short and like to work on lowered cars.
Stretching exercises and core strength training used to help me a lot. Best tool I ever brought was a scissor lift
Too many people to thank Thanks all for your helpful advice. My back and knees owes you a debt of gratitude.
Great info thus far. The effeminate yoga stretches allow me to touch my toes with straight legs at 65 and not get stiff back aches (and do some other stretches / positions that the GF appreciates )
Usually I welcome your information with open arms. I never thought I'd say this but, that was too much information.:
