This blows chunks

[GregC]

Old timer/newbie here, I used to detail back in the 80s. Put some of my new toys to the test today. Flex 3401, LC Orange pad, Mckee's 37 Fast compound on a 9 year old black Scion. Washed and then decontaminated the car with Iron X and Clay. Then dried it and put 3 large dabs of compound on my pad which I spread around on speed 1. Turned it up to 4.5 and slowly made passes. First round went great, the paint already looked much better. 2nd round on the second pass I got large white chunks flying off my pad. Stopped and wiped the car down and put some more compound on. First pass ok again and then large white chunks again. Wiped it down and spritzed the pad with Ultima waterless wash and that seemed to help although I clearly had some liquid on the surface of the paint as I was making passes. I wiped it down and while the paint clearly looked much better I don't know what I am doing wrong. I have postponed going over it with Mckee's Polish and Jeweling wax until I figure this out.

[DBAILEY]

You maybe using too much compound. 3-4 dime size blobs of compound are usually enough.

[GSKR]

Are you using to much pressure, try to use it on higher speed and keeping the pad flat . Then before you start again prime product into pad then 3 small pea sized drops onto pad.make sure the surface is cool also.Is the pad relatively new.

[Setec Astronomy]

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/tricks-tips-techniques/28755-why-s-important-clean-your-pads-often.html

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/20135-how-clean-your-foam-pad-fly.html

Wow, those links really didn't come in the way I wanted them.

[JeffM]

Too much product. Sounds similar to Adapt which will gum up with too much product. Use 3 smaller drops to start and then try 2 pea sized drops after. Buff until it turns clear.

[Desertnate]

I was thinking too much product as well.

After priming the pad, I typically only use 3~4 pea sized drops per section.

[expdetailing]

Also, try putting the drops closer to the center of the pad.

[Mike Phillips]

The chunks you see flying out is called,

pilling

Think of a "pill", like an asprin. These chunks are a collection of excess product rolling into a ball called a pill. It's usually a sign of using too much product and/or using too much product and not cleaning your pad.

After buffing a section of paint you need to take a nylon brush and scrape off the gunk on the face of the pad.

I wrote an article about this in 2010 - 6 years ago. It's also in all my how-to books.


Why it's important to clean your pads often... (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/tricks-tips-techniques/28755-why-s-important-clean-your-pads-often.html)

When you're buffing out a car it's important to clean your pads often. By cleaning your pad often you will work faster and you will enable your pad and product to work more effectively. Be sure to have both clean terry cloth towels on hand and also a nylon pad cleaning brush. It's also a good idea to have plenty of pads so as a pad becomes wet with product you can switch over to a clean dry pad. Dry pads work better than wet pads.


ANYTIME you're abrading the surface whether you're using an aggressive cutting compound of an ultra fine polish, you have two things building up on the face of your buffing pad...


Spent product
Removed paint



You need to remove both of these substances from the face of the pad and the panel you're working on before you apply fresh product. If you don't,


You increase your chances of leaving micro-marring in the paint.
Adding fresh product to spent product and removed paint adulterates the fresh product, it also dilutes it.
Buffing with a dirty pad will be more difficult.
The product will cake-up on the face of the pad.
The product will become gummy on the paint and hard to wipe off.



How to clean your pads and other options to make buffing clean again...


You can scrub the face of the pad with a nylon brush like a pad conditioning brush or even a nylon toothbrush
If using a Dual Action Polisher or a Rotary Buffer you can clean your pad on the fly (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/20135-how-clean-your-foam-pad-fly-when-using-porter-cable-style-da-polisher.html) with a terry cloth towel
You can wash your pads in a bucket of water.
You can wash your pads in a sink under running water.
You can wash your pads in a pad washer.
You can switch to a clean, dry pad.
You can switch to a brand new pad.
You can used compressed air to blow off residue.



That's the whole idea behind cleaning your pad on the fly... you can remove a majority of the spent product and removed paint and then get back to running the buffer... buffing out an entire car already takes a l-o-n-g time... stopping to do some kind of pad cleaning procedure that isn't quick and easy keeps you from buffing on the paint.



Fast methods include,

Pad Washers
Cleaning your pad on the fly with a terry cloth towel
Using a nylon pad conditioning brush
Using a Spur if you're using a wool pad on a rotary buffer



Slow methods, (they might work well but they take you away from buffing on the car)

You can wash your pads in a bucket of water
You can wash your pads in a sink under running water


How to clean your pad with a nylon brush


Here's how to clean a pad with a nylon brush.

NOTE: you do this with the polisher turned OFF.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2290/1967_Mustang_Fastback_Autogeek_Mike_Phillips_056.j pg


:)

[GregC]

Thanks Mike and everybody! I only did 2 sections so it didn't occur to me the pad needed cleaning already but being such an old car that does make sense. This is my practice car before I move on to our new cars.

[KneeDragr]

Not laughing at you in particular or anything, but the image in my mind of an old timer wrestling with a PC and chunks of compound flying everywhere made me chuckle a bit. Dont worry, we've all been there. Nobody figures out perfect technique the first time.

[GregC]

Not laughing at you in particular or anything, but the image in my mind of an old timer wrestling with a PC and chunks of compound flying everywhere made me chuckle a bit. Dont worry, we've all been there. Nobody figures out perfect technique the first time.

Well it was quite frustrating. Had to stop what I was doing and try to figure things out plus clean up the mess. I also figured out I wasn't getting the Flex completely flat, it's quite difference then the old 10" low speed orbital polisher I use to have. It eventually turned out quite nicely though with the Mckee's 37 Compound, Fine polish and Jeweling wax. Unfortunately after it was smooth and shiny it became obvious that the highly angled hood had taken a lost of punishment from rocks over the years. As I said though this is really just practice before I touch my new Viper. I still feel like to much of a newbie to even touch it right now with anything other than a microfiber towel and detailing spray.