Taping trim before Polishing w/PC

T

texas328ci

New member
So, in David's guide (e-book) he mentions it's a good idea to tape off black rubber and plastic trim prior to PC polishing. I have a couple of questions about this.



What about metallic trim i.e. around windows etc?



What about headlights and turn signal plastic?



How about taping off the "BMW Logo" plates like as seen in my avatar pic?



Should I just use regular masking tape, painter's tape (don't know if this would be "sticky" enough) or any other suggestions?
 
Don't use regulare masking tape.:nono Go to loews and get 3m Scotch #2090 blue tape. It won't leave any residue. With the rotary normally I tape off all emblems, creases and rubber parts.
 
when i tape off trim, i usually only tape off trim that could get hurt. No point in taping off trim that won't get effected by the PC or the products.



Vernon
 
L33 said:
Don't use regulare masking tape.:nono Go to loews and get 3m Scotch #2090 blue tape. It won't leave any residue. With the rotary normally I tape off all emblems, creases and rubber parts.
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Thanks L33, will do! David could have been a bit more specific about that in the e-book ;)
 
vdog0531 said:
when i tape off trim, i usually only tape off trim that could get hurt. No point in taping off trim that won't get effected by the PC or the products.



Vernon
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Thanks Vernon, but I guess my question was more aimed at which of the above mentioned trim could be damaged by the pc and polishing products?:p I should have been more specific about that I guess.





Also, L33 - very nice black bimmer! Do you use a rotary, pc or both? Do you need to be careful on the side panel with a pc (the middle part that juts out from the car a bit) or do you need to do this piece by hand?
 
Thanks Tex,

I use both the rotary and PC on it. Normally i try to avoid this piece with the PC so i don't get any polish in the cracks, its a pain to get out.
 
L33 said:
Thanks Tex,

I use both the rotary and PC on it. Normally i try to avoid this piece with the PC so i don't get any polish in the cracks, its a pain to get out.
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So do you do it by hand, or just don't touch that piece with polish at all? The reason I ask is one of my door dings is directly on that piece:angry
 
Just a quick note that if the car's a "keeper", it might be smart to tape trim that *appears* to be impervious to PC-type damage. After 19 years, the trim on the XJS is getting pretty over-polished, even the pieces you wouldn't expect to be affected by such stuff. Should've taped it...
 
Prob. very good advice for all Accumulator. The ol' "better safe than sorry" adage. When in doubt, PROTECT :xyxthumbs



Tape is cheap anyhow ;)
 
Lowes does not sell the 3M painters tape. They sell some brand with a duck on it and it is horrible tape. Home Depot and Wal-Mart have the 3M.



Tape off all rubber and plastic trim. Better to be safe than sorry (though I do not tape emblems).
 
L33 said:
Don't use regulare masking tape.:nono Go to loews and get 3m Scotch #2090 blue tape. It won't leave any residue. With the rotary normally I tape off all emblems, creases and rubber parts.
Click to expand...



absolutely, 3M's #2090 blue, it claims to be 14 day no residue removal, the white tapes are 1 to 3 day no residue removal, like #2020 (1 day) or #2040 (3day).



I use a rotary buffer on everything, never orbital, so any surface you don't want to run the risk of smoking, it's always better to mask it/them off.



The money I charge for my work allows time to remove certain parts of the car and actually saves time in the long run, removing turn signals, marker lights, emblems, license plates and frames, etc., are all items that can be done by hand off the vehicle by the less expensive employee's in the shop. Most of these items are easier to remove than to mask off.
 
Tex,



Personally, I would rather spend 5-10 minutes removing wax residue from plastic trim as opposed to 30-60 minutes masking.



Polishes and waxes should buff right off very easily on chrome or metallic trim. No need to mask.



As for headlights, most polishes and waxes will not harm these materials. In fact, they will help protect them from pre-mature oxidation and yellowing.



If you decide you need to mask, use the neon green 3M body tape commonly found at auto parts or body shop supply stores.



Regards,



Mike R



BTW, "Hook 'em Horns!" See ya next year OU
 
What are you masking that takes 30-60 minutes to mask?



The only thing in 10 years that took me over 30 minutes was a tour bus.
 
Plus its not necesarily the painted or chrome surfaces themselves but the surrounding creases which is a major PITA to remove.
 
Have you ever tried to "pop out" the turn signals on a 3 series bimmer? What a PITA! I think I'll try the taping first :) It almost takes magic on my bimmer to pop out the lights.
 
Lowes does not sell the 3M painters tape
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Well, they do in Central Indiana...



The PC really isn't going to cause harm to much in the way of trim... the precautions are really for HIGH SPEED rotary/wool pads.



The product that you use WITH the PC can cause problems, such as Turtle wax, and many polishing compounds.



Jim
 
The weatherstripping around my sunroof is some sort of cloth. Almost like felt. The roof itself is painted metal and not glass, so the whole roof needs to be polished. I am afraid the tape will fray the material when I pull it off. Also it is only 1/8" or so thick. How would you protect that?
 
pcar 930 said:
The weatherstripping around my sunroof is some sort of cloth. Almost like felt. The roof itself is painted metal and not glass, so the whole roof needs to be polished. I am afraid the tape will fray the material when I pull it off. Also it is only 1/8" or so thick. How would you protect that?
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3M #2090 blue should not pull the "fabric", the adhesive on the tape is low strength and doesn't get extra gooey when heat is applied.



If the fabric is recessed you might try 3/8" fine line tape, work one edge in the reveal and use a non-marring insturment to work the other edge of the tape in the reveal, but leave a portion of the tape exposed, and stuck to itself, so it will be easier to pull when you're done.
 
The 3M tape will not pull off this material around the Porsche sunroof (the BMW has similar "felt like" materials surrounding the sunroof). In fact, you will have a difficult time getting it to stick in that area (ask me how I know).





As for taping off the BMW. I have to agree with the original poster. The E46 BMW's are a PITA to tape off and polish for that matter. So many creases moldings, trims, lines, etc. They look good when done and are a pure joy to drive but to detail they suck.



EDIT: For missing words that effected grammar
 
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