Critique My Technique ***Video Included***

[MaksimumAutoDetailing]

Critique My Technique







This is a 2008 Dodge Charger that I was detailing last night. I could not remove any of the scratches from the paint with M105 and a yellow pad. What would you have done differently?

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Evaluate My Technique *video*

Work a smaller section longer, push down as hard as you can but while still maintaining a fast rate of rotation. Put a black mark on the back of your foam pad and backing plate to better see if the pad is rotating or not and how fast or slow.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Evaluate My Technique *video*

Break the top of that wing into halfs, or even thirds if halfs don't work, that is shrink the size of the area you're working downward.

Also move the polisher slower over the surface.

Use plenty of product, an X pattern or circle of product over the face of the pad for each section.

We don't offer any pads smaller than our 6" pads but there are small pad options available through other sources which you might consider. Part of the problem with buffing components like wings is you have a hard body line or edge, if you apply too much pressure on the edge it will tend to stop the pad from rotating. Any high point or raised area will increase the amount of pressure to a smaller section of the face of your foam pad and this can and will kick in the clutch and stop the pad from rotating. It's a safety feature you don't find in a rotary buffer but it also limits how aggressive you can get around high points, edges and sometimes even curves in a panel.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Evaluate My Technique *video*

How to apply product to the face of your foam buffing pads

Below is how to apply fresh product to the face of you foam buffing pad when first starting out and your pads are dry. After you break you buffing pad in by working this initial amount of product over a section of paint, you can cut down on the amount of product you're using as the pad will be less likely to absorb as much product as it will become damp with product.





Remember don't turn the polisher on until the face of the foam pad is in contact with surface of your car's paint.

Quickly spread the product out of the surface you're going to work then slow your arm speed down and begin to use overlapping motions to work the product.

After working an application of product, wipe the leftover residue from the worked area and inspect, if the results look good move onto a new section overlapping a little into the previous section. Continue this procedure until you have finished a panel or the entire vehicle.

Remember to clean you pad on the fly and and to do this often. This insures the best experience while machine cleaning and polishing as excess product build-up on a foam buffing pad can cause gumming up.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Evaluate My Technique *video*

And if you haven't already, read through this...

How To use: G110 - G220 - G100 - PC/Porter Cable - UDM
If you're moving up to machine polishing, be sure to read the below thread before starting...
Tips & Techniques for using the G110, G100, G220 and the PC Dual Action Polisher
(These are all similar tools)



You didn't mention the speed setting?

It should be on the 5.0 speed setting.

[MaksimumAutoDetailing]

Re: Evaluate My Technique *video*

5.0? Gotcha. I was playing it safe with 3.0. Mike once again, you are the man.

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: Evaluate My Technique *video*

A minor detail and it probably doesn't make a difference, but your pad appeared to be off-center on the backing plate

[Chop]

Re: Evaluate My Technique *video*

It should be on the 5.0 speed setting.

So with M105/M205 is the general recommendation of speed 3 to spread and 5 to polish still holds. Or should one just start out with the 5 to maximize cutting before product gets worrked too long.

[Ivan Rajic]

Re: Evaluate My Technique *video*

I'm with Mike... apply a bit more product and make the mark on the backing plate to see how fast/slow the pad is rotating... from the video, it seemed like you were doing absolutely nothing, which just confirms your results... go to speed 5 as recommended and make slower passes...

As for pads, excel detail has some nice 5.5" flat pads and Lake country makes ccs 5.5" pads... those will work great with M105 on the G110

[Ivan Rajic]

Re: Evaluate My Technique *video*

So with M105/M205 is the general recommendation of speed 3 to spread and 5 to polish still holds. Or should one just start out with the 5 to maximize cutting before product gets worrked too long.

You don't need to spread M105/205 as much as a diminishing abrasives polish, especially if you prime the pad well with the polish... so I'd say a quick pass a speed 3 to get polish onto the panel then keep polishing with speed 5.

[10degreesbtdc]

Re: Evaluate My Technique *video*

That's cool how you posted a video of yourself working. I'm wondering how you did it and how you optimized it?

I've tried to find in the past a reference as to how fast or slow "arm speed" should be. Or as I refer to it, how fast you travel the buffer across the surface. Recommended buffer speed is readily available.

I found that using either the Flex or a DA I usually travel across the surface at a rate of approx. 1 to 1 and a half inches per second. Fastest when using a high speed setting and slowest when on a low speed setting. Sometimes I will stop and go back and forth on a particularly damaged area, but be careful with that! Also, probably not recommended for beginners, is tilting the buffer slightly on edge for more cut, but be very, very careful with that too! Especially on/near edges or raised body lines.

Your arm speed is way too fast in the video as members have said. Try slowing down to about 2" per second on speed 5 and see if defect are being removed. You'll probably have to travel slower than that. You can test with a ruler and the DA off. Start counting and slide the buffer across the ruler.

Guys, does that sound about right?

[Ivan Rajic]

Re: Evaluate My Technique *video*

That's cool how you posted a video of yourself working. I'm wondering how you did it and how you optimized it?

I've tried to find in the past a reference as to how fast or slow "arm speed" should be. Or as I refer to it, how fast you travel the buffer across the surface. Recommended buffer speed is readily available.

I found that using either the Flex or a DA I usually travel across the surface at a rate of approx. 1 to 1 and a half inches per second. Fastest when using a high speed setting and slowest when on a low speed setting. Sometimes I will stop and go back and forth on a particularly damaged area, but be careful with that! Also, probably not recommended for beginners, is tilting the buffer slightly on edge for more cut, but be very, very careful with that too! Especially on/near edges or raised body lines.

Your arm speed is way too fast in the video as members have said. Try slowing down to about 2" per second on speed 5 and see if defect are being removed. You'll probably have to travel slower than that. You can test with a ruler and the DA off. Start counting and slide the buffer across the ruler.

Guys, does that sound about right?

Yes

[Carfire]

Re: Evaluate My Technique *video*


The Pad looked off center.
Push Harder, and Work it in more.

[Andy's Pro Detailing]

Re: Evaluate My Technique *video*

This was already mentioned but it's very helpful IMO. Grab a marker and make a small line in the backing plate. In this way you know if the pad is rotating properly, so you basically need to apply more pressure, but keeping the pad rotating all the time.