February, 2009 BCRN Newsletter Blog

We’ve completed all of the information needed for the award and mailed it to Tomorrow’s Technician. We’ll have to wait until April to hear who the national and regional winners are. To see all of the schools that made it to the top 20 finalist visit Tomorrow’s Technician. I would like to thank all of the auto tech and collision repair students for providing all of the needed information.  Our division Dean, Jim Edwards, and Devin Olson’s mother, Karen Ottaway, also helped by writing a letter of recommendation.  Whether we win or not, I appreciate all of the help to meet the deadline.

First Year Students

The first year students have already completed damage analysis, bolt-on panel alignment, auto estimating, and are now in paint refinish.  Last semester the students completed body repair and plastic repair. We’re now using those projects to prime, block, paint, and clear coat. They are learning about safety, equipment, spray guns and adjustments, and spraying techniques. They have also been color sanding and buffing the parts that they paint. I have to admit, there is a lot of talent in my first-year class.  

The second year students are currently learning an in-depth class about color matching, tinting, and blending.   Blending is the process of using a color close to the original finish and blending (or layering) it into the original color. While there may actually be two shades, blending fools the eye into seeing only one color.  Most of the shop owners that I talk to say they blend most jobs.  Some of the metallic, pearl, and tinted clears would make it too time consuming to panel paint without blending.

Focusing on the Focus

Both classes have been working on the Focus project. This project started out to be used for replacing skins; however, after hooking it up to our Shark measuring system and removing some of the skins, we found quite a bit of hidden damage. Layer-by layer, we remove the damaged parts. Luckily, we have another Focus that have most of the parts needed.   It takes a little time and skill to take weld-on parts off of one car to be used for another car. Care must be taken not to damage the parts during removal.   Here is a short video of the work in progress of the Focus.

 

Instructor Training

Instructors must become students to stay properly trained. This month I attended the Nuts & Bolts of Estimating in Galesburg, IL. This was an excellent class. Learn more about the class.

Ted Powe Scholarship Memorial Skate

There was a skating event at the Carousel Skate Center in Wichita, KS this month. The event was in memory of Ted Powe and benefited the Ted Powe Scholarship. Read more about the event. 

Blogs and videos found in the media.

I found one video and one blog post on Tomorrow’s Technician magazine

Ted Powe Skating Event Video
history in the making, IT’S ALL IN THE HP

You can watch all of our videos on our  YouTube BCRN channel at www.YouTube.com/ButlerCollision

BCRN in other places

Join us on FaceBook.  We have a group for all collision repair schools, students, and technicians to network. Join this group

For more information about the Collision Repair program contact:

Donnie Smith
Lead Collision Instructor
(316)323-6890
asmith73@butlercc.edu

For more information about the Auto Tech program contact:
Jeremy Carlson
Auto Tech Instructor
(316)322-3287
jcarlson5@butlercc.edu

================================

Collision Repair Tip
Anytime that your using the frame machine, make sure that the chain is a STRAIGHT 90 degrees to the tower and also have the hook pointing to the floor. You’ll have less of a chance of it coming loose from the car.
~Mark Lapes – Automotive Forums

Fact
Butler opened in 1927 and now enrolls over 8000 students.

Quote
“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude”
~Zig Ziglar

Question
In your opinion, what is the most important step when refinishing a vehicle?

===============================