Dry buff + centered pad

[BartonGink]

Hope no one minds me asking about every little question that pops in my mind as I gain experience. MikeP - you RAWK dude.

When they say "dont dry buff" they're talking about the product drying out and clumping up a bit... it becomes thick and clumpy, and NOT about a lack of product as it becomes absorbed int he pad or slung off... right? I notice this happens after a while... can I just spray a bit of water on it for lubrication and keep going? I realize the issue with diminishing abrasives but anyway...

Is tap water ever a problem with any detailing operation (does distilled water have a place or does it matter)?

How important is it to center the pad on the machine (rotary)? I usually have it off by a tiny margin and it likes to bounce and skip a bit, it's hard to center it perfectly.

[Beercan31]

When using "some" products they have a time period of use or life expectancy like #85. #83 and some polishes also. When the product has worked its course the product will coagulate on the pad and will cause the "hopping/ jumping effect" you experience. When using cleaners and polishes you should clean your pads often to insure that you are using fresh product on the surface.
Cleaning your pads often will eliminate the chance of contaminates causing any defects later on.
To clean the pads some of us put the pad on a "rotary" and spin them while using a light brush to remove the excess old material from the pad.
Using a orbital polisher or PC, I have seen some use a slightly harder brush and swipe the pad from center to the outer edge. Note of caution "DO NOT" free spin your orbital polisher, this will cause early bearing failure and you will be chasing your pads through the yard, then they will need to be thoroughly cleaned after the run around.

I have found that sometimes you can use a spritz of water to get the product going again but you should be careful doing so, as stated above you don't want to over work the product past it's life expectancy.

Hope this helps, we are all here to learn together.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Dry buff + centered pad

Originally posted by BartonGink
When they say "don't dry buff" they're talking about the product drying out and clumping up a bit... it becomes thick and clumpy, and NOT about a lack of product as it becomes absorbed int he pad or slung off... right? I notice this happens after a while... can I just spray a bit of water on it for lubrication and keep going? I realize the issue with diminishing abrasives but anyway...

The term, don't buff to a dry buff means don't run your buffer on the finish until the product becomes dry on the surface. If you do, you have reached the point where you will begin to swirl the finish because you have lost all lubricity between your pad and the paint, thus friction will increase, etc. etc. etc.

Don't buff a product till it's gone. There should always be at a minimum, a wet film of product on the surface.

Is tap water ever a problem with any detailing operation (does distilled water have a place or does it matter)?

You can use water as the 80's series is water based. You an also spray on a little quick detailer such as Quik detailer, Speed Detailer, or Final Inspection.

How important is it to center the pad on the machine (rotary)? I usually have it off by a tiny margin and it likes to bounce and skip a bit, it's hard to center it perfectly.

It's important to center the pad on the backing plate as perfectly as you can. With practice, you'll get better.