taping the car prior to machine treatment

G

Glozz

New member
I'm thinking about getting a Portar Cable 7424, however I am not discounting getting a rotary buffer instead.



The final factor will be what grit scratches the Portar Cable will remove (taking into account what type of compound will be used). I am wondering if the Portar Cable will handle 600-1000 grit scratches? Cats have left scratches on my wifes 4Runner and I want them GONE! or at least blended into the surrounding paint.



If this is the case, I'd order one right away. But if it will not, then a rotary may be the one for me, however that scares me, due to what can happen if I make a mistake!!!



Feedback would be great!
 
Random Orbitals will leave less swirls for the un-experienced user than a true buffing wheel.



Have you tried some of the products people talk about on here to remove the scratches first? Search scratches and see what comes up. You would be amazed.



you may want to try it by hand. If you do it by hand you may not kill the cat because you can expend some energy.



Good luck
 
could one of the more learned member of the forums point me in the direction of either an article on how to properly tape the car prior to use of the PC let's say for paint correction. i mean i think i get taping off the emblems and non paint trim but do you have to tape the edges say of the hood, trunk or doors? is that unnecessary? i understand that for some sealants, waxes you might need to tape of the trim so it isn't stained by the product. if there is not a post on the forum regarding this topic, a few of the finer points would be appreciated. thanks Da Rules!
 
Pmdureska -

Alot of taping of cars for detailing is for professional, etc., detailers that are trying to do a great job quickly, and dont want to get product in the nooks and crannies of a vehicle, that they have to later clean out.
With a PC, you wont necessarily have the same needs, but could, depending on what you are using for material and where you are buffing/polishing on the vehicle.
I never tape door edges, hood edges, trunk edges, etc., unless I know the paint is very old and worn down or previously buffed down to a dangerously low level to work with.
I sometimes tape rubber seals around door handles, etc., so I dont accidently hit them with, say an agressive compound using my Rotary buffer.
Same with some emblems, you dont want to hit them with something spinning really fast, like a Rotary buffer.
A PC on the other hand is very very easy to control and with say a smaller pad, even easier to get close to things and not hit them.
So my advice would be to think about what you are going to do, where you might need to put some tape on, to be safe, and then just tape those things.
As you get more practice and feel more comfortable using the PC, you will tape less things off.
One thing I will always tape when using a Rotary or PC, is any type of PinStripes, painted or vinyl, or the edges of all parts of a ClearBra on the hood and fenders of a vehicle, and possibly the mirrors too.
As you gain more knowledge and try more products, you will find that some for sure will stain or change the look of some vinyl or rubber on vehicles if you accidently hit them, and some products will have not effect on vinyl or rubber, so you are safer.
Good luck with your project, I dont know if you have told us exactly what you are going to do with what products and what machine, so if you tell us that, we can always be able to better assist you in tips, and things that we might have found possibly detailing the exact vehicle, color, etc...
DanF
 
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