How long to work #91?

[LongGone]

How long do I need to work #91?

I'm working on my 34' gelcoat motorhome, trying to remove yellowing and oxidation. I'm using #91 with a W7006 cutting pad on my PC.

I'm trying to follow all of the techniques I've learned here (using the right amount of product; speed setting 5; slow arm speed to let the pad/compound do the work; cleaning pad on the fly every 2nd application...etc). I generally work a 2x2 section about 2-3 minutes, until I start to see that the pad is starting to "shine up" the area.

Sometimes I get "lucky" and I work the right amount of product the right way, and it comes off very easily with a microfiber.
Most times, however, the remaining product appears to have dried too much, and is extremely difficult to remove.

I don't worry about it too much since I'm going back over with #49, which removes any left over 91. But it works right sometimes, and I can't figure out what I'm doing differently those times. I can't figure out how to "read" the compound to know when to stop. I want to work it as much as possible to get the maximum benefit, but it seems that too much makes it hard to get off.
Also, is #91 really intended to be used with a rotary? Maybe my PC/pad combo isn't really powerful enough to properly work the product?

Pat

[Mike Pennington]

Re: How long to work #91?

Hi Pat,

Sounds like you are doing pretty well already but keep in mind when working on an oxidized surface it is always a challenge because the oxidized surface is not uniform. This tends to cause the product to not work as consistently as you may think. You may notice as the surface gets or is less oxidized, you will see a much more consistent experience with all products.

Just remember, work the product it until it is almost gone/disappeared. We refer to this as "wet buffing". If you work a product too long you run the risk of swirling, sticking, etc... if you see the surface running out of product or drying up, simply apply some additional product and keep working. Just keep in mind the wet buffing technique and you should be ok...

Hope this helps.

Mike

[LongGone]

Re: How long to work #91?

Thanks for the info, Mike. Unfortunately, I just can't seem to get the hang of the #91. It's so thick to begin with, and within 30-45 seconds it's already too dry. I don't have the same problems when I use the #49 - I can work it for 60-90 seconds before it starts to dry.
I even tried an experiment - I tried using the #49 first, and then came back on that same section with the #91, since much of the oxidation would have been removed and the surface would be cleaner, but it did the same thing.
I'm probably still doing something wrong, but I'm just about done now.

Pat