Why do some detailers use the side of pads

N

Nitrous115

New member
I was at a detail shop and I noticed that one of the guys was using the edge of the pad on a rotary buffer. I have noticed a couple other people doing this also. I would think this would build heat really fast, so maybe you would use it to get deep scratches out. But the guy was doing a whole panel using the side of a pad. Does anyone know?
 
I also want to ask the same question. I once saw a detailer tilting the machine to close to an almost 90degree angle to be able to work around the edges of the windshield washer nozzles. What baffled me though is that he'd rather do that risky technique (IMO) rather than simply remove the windshield washer nozzles (which was rather easy to do on that car he was working on).



The common sense issues I see here are:

1) There's typically little to no product on that portion of the pad

2) Safety issue - balancing the machine tilted that extremely coupled with the possibility of distributing a signifcant amount of weight on a rather small contact surface.



Any opinions?
 
Yep.....this can be a tricky AND risky manuever because it can build heat up quickly and introduce swirls....deep swirls.



This technique though can be advantageous when buffing around emblems, door knobs and washer nozzles.



This is even more dangerous if a cutting pad is being used because they can generate alot of heat in a quick time which can lead to burned paint or krinkling the paint. This is what I call getting the paint hot, not hot enough to burn it but just enough to "bubble" it.



Some pads are designed to be used at a slight edge, take for example the pad by Lake Country called by that very name, the "EDGE" pad. It can be used around lenses and emblems with no real problems as long as it is not used dry.



Hope that helps,

Anthony
 
<----- curious too. :confused: I saw a promo video someone linked here at Autopia a while ago and saw someone doing this. The machine was at about 75 or 80 degrees....



EDIT: Once again, I've responded too late! :o Thanks for the repsonse Anthony, but the video I saw showed the guy doing this along the hood! :nixweiss
 
Ummmm....my vote would be "YES"...but more hurried and in a rush than stupid.



The big place to get your car done in myneck of the woods is a place called the wash tub and they hire high school kids, put a buffer in one hand and a squeeze bottle of cleaner/wax in the other and let them go to town on a car.



I ate lunch the other day watching this guy buff out a BLACK suburban with a wool pad in about 15 minutes. The edge is used because it is quick, distributes the product over a larger area, thus saving product, and because most detailers have never been taught proper form and technique.



No one should be using the egde to buff out an entire hood let alone the entire car. I detailed a Metallic Blue M3 today and it took me almost 5 hours on just the paint and I could have easily spent another 2 hours on it if the owner had not called saying he would be by around 7 PM to pick it up.



I take anywhere from 30 to 45 min. for each panel, so in the time it takes me to do just one fender, hack detailers are doing complete vehicles. This though is the real sad part about that, they brag about how fast they are but have no clue or concern about the results. If you see a detailer buffing a hood down with the edge of the pad for no good reason....be affraid, be very affraid.



Anthony
 
Anthony Orosco said:
The big place to get your car done in myneck of the woods is a place called the wash tub and they hire high school kids, put a buffer in one hand and a squeeze bottle of cleaner/wax in the other and let them go to town on a car.
Click to expand...
:shocked :shocked :shocked



Thanks again for the info Anthony. It's really really too bad that rotaries have to fit into the evil cycle of time and money and cost. As you've said there are lots of hacks out there and all you can do is go by word of mouth... just like with mechanics. I have to shake my head and groan silently every time I see a "detailed" car with the distinctive tell-tale ripples of rotary marks. :( :down
 
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