Buffer Damage?

[wifpd4]

My wife and I washed our cars Saturday and I discovered what appears to be buffer damage on the driver's door edge. Of the many feet of tape I seem to use on client's cars, I've never taped my own door seams. I guess I'm paying for being lazy.

[greg0303]

Re: Buffer Damage?

I caught some parts couple times with a polisher as well trying to save time and not taping. It backfired me too.

Especially with high speed rotary buffers it's smart to use masking tape.

[wifpd4]

Re: Buffer Damage?

If it were someone else's car, I would have thought it's the door banging on garage walls or other cars, but I know better.

Being a noob, I still should know a DA orbital will cause this kind of damage. I'm still surprised I didn't see it when I did it. I mean white stripes on a black door, hard to miss.


(Greg, like your new Avatar - he/she is trying to will the car into gear!)

[Tuck91]

Re: Buffer Damage?

Thats okay Dave.

I am sure you will learn to live with it.

My work truck has its fair share of imperfections.

[greg0303]

Re: Buffer Damage?

(Greg, like your new Avatar - he/she is trying to will the car into gear!)

Thanks, David. He likes car rides a lot.

He's a great detailing companion as well.

[rcktpwrd]

Re: Buffer Damage?

sorry to see that you caused some paint damage! but at least it wasn't on a customer's vehicle...
do you know what caused the damage? was it the hard edge of the DA backing plate getting into the edge or did the paint just get worn off from too much pressure on the thin paint on the edge of the door?

[wifpd4]

Re: Buffer Damage?

sorry to see that you caused some paint damage! but at least it wasn't on a customer's vehicle...
do you know what caused the damage? was it the hard edge of the DA backing plate getting into the edge or did the paint just get worn off from too much pressure on the thin paint on the edge of the door?

I'm not sure what specific incident caused the damage. I do experiment on this car, but I'm aware it is delicate paint and I do not use a lot of pressure, nor overly aggressive products. I tape the trim, but not the door to door joints.

The edges of the damage look jagged, which I would have thought would have been rounded and smooth if buffer damage.

I've very sure it isn't backing plate damage. I use nice thick pads, nothing thin that would expose the plate.

Yes, better my car than a client's.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Buffer Damage?

The paint on the edges of a panel is very thin relative to the rest of the paint, due to the paint tending to flow away from the edge while it's still wet. With a rotary buffer, and especially with a foam cutting pad, you can knock that paint off in the blink of an eye and not even know you did it. The Ferrari 550 Maranello we worked on for the Marconi Museum had this kind of damage on the passenger door before it came to us. Very sad to see.

The edges of the damage look jagged, which I would have thought would have been rounded and smooth if buffer damage.

I've very sure it isn't backing plate damage. I use nice thick pads, nothing thin that would expose the plate.

A jagged edge would seem to indicate contact with something hard or coarse, and not a buffing pad. With the Ferrari mentioned above the damage was as smooth as could be. And really, it might not take much at all to cause this damage, especially considering how thin the paint is on the edges. But impact damage will often fracture the paint and create something like the equivalent of a chip, albeit a long chip, with severe cut offs on the edge. Buffer damage usually takes the edges down very smoothly. From your picture it's a bit hard to tell what the very edge of the missing paint area looks like - can you elaborate a bit for us, David?

[rst08tierney]

Re: Buffer Damage?

since the damage is on the edge, a nice even coat of factory touch up will make that door look better then it already is.