Desperately Need Buffing Advice

[melhawaii]

I need to get more confident in my buffing technique. Part of my work involves wet-sanding, either light scratches or just-painted bumpers, then buffing them to a shine. No one ever taught me the proper way to buff, so I lose a lot of time. Problems include: 1) slinging the compound all over the place, which means I have to spend time wiping it up; 2) afraid to buff "too much" because I might burn through (which I have done); and 3) not buffing near the edges of panels because I feel I might burn through the edges or the adjacent vertical panel, i.e., on bumpers where a flat surface meets a vertical surface.



We use a waffle foam pad. How should it be cleaned and how often?

[jeremyp111]

melhawaii,



click on this link for some buffing techniques.

http://www.autopia.ws/articles.php?articleId=24





I use contoured lake country pads because it minimizes the product slinging. Because of the exact reasons you mentioned, I bought a PC.



Good luck,



JP

[F 355]

In addition to the above line:



1. Slinging - A contour pad helps or apply product to pad, then put buffer on car and spread product with buffer off. Then turn on.



2. Depends on what product you are using. If 3M you work product in pretty well, wipe off, rub with alcohol to check your work. If Megs, you work it in all the way until it almost disappears because the product is made to gradually get finer and finer as it is worked in. I would use a random orbital buffer which can not hurt the paint until you mastered the technique, then a start using a regular orbital.



3. Yes, the edges can burn. Again, a random would prevent this. If you are using a 6" pad it should not be a problem to stop short of the edge or using regular masking tape in the cracks. When I do a hood, I open it and place towels around it, then shut it to keep from running over and keep product out of door jams, etc.



Finally, I`m not sure but you may be using the wrong pad. The only waffle pad I`m aware of is the black one made by 3M and it is a very fine pad used for final top coat wax, not buffing.

[TortoiseAWD]

F 355,



3M makes white waffle pads that are for compounding as well as the softer grey polishing pads.



Tort

[melhawaii]

Jeremyp111,



What is "PC"? Also, what is the proper way to care and maintain foam pads?

[jeremyp111]

PC is the Porter Cable 7424 Dual Action Polisher and the tool of choice of a lot of autopians. It`s the best random orbital polisher on the market and extremely safe to use.



Caring for foam pads is easy. When your done using them, just wash them in a bucket of soap and water and rinse them out in a bucket of clean water and wring out the water and let them air dry.



Jeremy

[melhawaii]

I can get access to a Cyclo dual head polisher. How does that compare to the PC in terms of polishing out 1500 grit scratches and general polishing?

[fidelfs]

I have never used but I think is this one (http://www.cyclomfg.com) or something similar.

It is an orbital polisher therefore it is a safe tool to use. I can not say if it is better than the PC or not but you have it handy use it.

I think all recomendations here for the PC could apply to the dual head.

:nixweiss

[Accumulator]

Originally posted by melhawaii

I can get access to a Cyclo dual head polisher. How does that compare to the PC in terms of polishing out 1500 grit scratches and general polishing?



Long-time Cyclo user here. *I* prefer it over the PC UNLESS you`re doing a car whose curves make the Cyclo impractical. The flexible, larger pad of the PC lets you get into areas that you can`t reach with the Cyclo, despite its smaller pads. But *I* find the Cyclo more user-friendly and so do most of the people *I* know who`ve used both. Less vibration, for one thing, and easier to use one-handed. BUT, this is all personal preference territory, so YMMV.



*I* consider the Cyclo to be more aggressive, even with its slower (fixed) speed. You *WILL* need yellow cutting pads, available (only?) from TOL. It`s not a miracle tool any more than the PC, but *I* like it better and consider them to be complimentary as opposed to a one-or-the-other type of deal.