bcrn march newsletter blog

This is a newsletter blog that will be posted once a month to highlight news, other blog posts, videos, events, and other things going on in the collision repair program. You can also listen to it on our podcast.

School of the Year Update

Butler’s Auto/Collision programs were recently selected by Tomorrow’s Technician and Chicago Pneumatic Tools for being the Top Auto/Collision School of the Year. Allthough Butler did not make it to the top 4 finalist, I still consider Butler winners for making it to the Top 20 and for being the only school in Kansas to be selected as a finalist. I am grateful for that and feel that is a big accomplishment. I want to thank TT and CP for selecting us as the top 20 and for all they do.

First Year Students

The first-year student have been busy performing minor body repairs, block sanding, priming, paining, clear coating, and buffing. They have been doing complete panels; however, they were slightly discouraged when they watched me put deep key scratches in their painted, cut and polished panels. First, they need to learn proper spraying techniques and overlap patterns. Painting and clear coating the entire panel is excellent practice to learn these skills. However, many times, a technician will not paint the whole part. They will repair the damage and paint only the damaged area and blend into the panel or adjacent panels. Then clear coat is applied to the whole panel. The key scratch will give them feather edging and blending practice.

We’ve also have started discussing how to measure unibody and frame damage. We went over vehicle construction, the different types of frame, (body-over-frame, unibody, space frame) and different methods of how to measure them. We’ve covered tram gauges, mechanical, computerized, and sonic systems. We will not actually get into pulling methods until we return in August. These students are well on their way to becoming well rounded technicians.

Second Year Students

Second-year students are on the downhill slope and have almost completed the program. However, this program is not simple to complete. It takes a lot of knowledge and dedication to make it this far. So I commend the students that have worked hard and made it to this point. They will have a strong foundation to become a professional technician; however, I make it clear to the students that the training will not be over. Cars are becoming more complex and training will be an ongoing process. I certainly do not want any of them to enter the work industry with an “know-it-all” attitude. A good attitude and willingness to learn is the key of being a top performer in the collision industry.

In their class, we’ve been discussion sectioning procedures on structural parts. Building inserts for rails, rocker panels, etc. Once we’re through this class we will learn more about paint problems, detailing, final inspection after the repair have been completed, and giving the vehicle back to the customer in it’s pre-accidental condition. Then it’s time for them to enter the “world of work.”

BCC Student Wins Trip to WIN Conference

BCC Student wins an all expense paid trip to attend the 2009 Women’s Industry Network (WIN) in Dallas, Texas. This is an organization for all of the women involved in the collision repair industry. To learn more about WIN and the conference, read Jenni’s post.

New Advisory Board Members
I would like to thank our new collision repair advisory board members. New members are Arlie Ovreton from Arlies Paint, Body and Glass in Marion, Kansas; Brian Hollis from Xtreme Motorsport Inc. in El Dorado, Kansas; and Mitch Speck from Auto Craft in Wichita, Kansas. The time they volunteer helps us produce superior technicians in the collision industry. Thanks for your support!

Instructor Training

Jeremy and I attended Vision Hi-Tech Training and Expo in Overland Park, Kansas. There I attended some I-CAR classes over water borne paint, drivability issues, and steering. Jeremy attended some automotive classes. We were in different classes, so I’m not sure what all his classes were about. I believe that he has been doing some hybrid training.

Looking Forward

It’s That Time Again – Enrollment for Fall

It’s hard to believe it is that time again. However, if your interested in enrolling in this program, you better move fast. In order to provide you the best training experience, the collision repair program will only accept 15 students. Once the program is full, you will have to wait another year as we only enroll in August for this program. Don’t be left behind, take control and get enrolled. Enrollment starts Monday, 4/6/2009. For more information about enrollment and to determine if collision repair is right for you, visit enrollment POST.

Skills USA

Collision Repair and Automotive students will be competing in the SkillsUSA later this month. I am new to this competition, so I’m not sure what to expect. We’ll let you know how it goes.

Blogs and videos found in the media.

Butler’s Bid on Tomorrow’s Technician

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

Contact Information

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
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Collision Repair Tip
It is important to plan your work before beginning repairs. Just jumping in and pulling a frame without proper planning is a plan for failure. So here’s your tip. Plan you work, then work your plan.

Fact
Butler’s Auto/Collision programs were named among the top Auto/Collision 20 schools by Tomorrow’s Technician and Chicago Pneumatic Tools.

Quote
People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing-that’s why we recommend it daily.
~Ziglar, Zig

Question
(1) What is the first type of frame damage that usually occurs in a front-end collision? (2) Why does that happen first in most cases? (3) Why is this important to know? If you know 1 or all of the answers, I invite you to leave us a comment.

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