Managing/controlling compound residue when using compressed air

[mwoywod]

Hey guys, from my personal experience, using a compressed air gun is the best way to clean my pads (both foam and microfiber) when I'm working on a correction job. Since I work on mostly single stage paint by the time I'm finished I'll have compound residue the color of the paint all over the floor. I lay down a large terry towel and attempt to blow most of the residue onto the towel but I've realized over the years that there is still a ton of spent residue that goes everywhere. I work in a pretty clean automotive museum in kansas city and I'm at the point where I've realized I need to figure out a better way of collecting my spent compound/polish residue.

My residue dilemma and thoughts about finding a solution are....

1. I do not feel like the method where you hold a towel against the pad and turn on the polisher. I just do not feel it's able to remove the residue as efficiently as a compressed air blow tool
2. I'm not interested in a pad washer because even a slightly damp pad on a rotary will sling water everywhere
3. Detailer's are creative so I'm hoping that there's someone out there who has found a solution. I was thinking I could just blow my spent residue into a 5 gallon bucket which would be an improvement in the amount of residue I am getting on the floors and cars, but it certainly isn't going to catch everything.
4. My final thought was maybe I could get a cheap shop vac and instead of blowing out my pads, I could for instance turn my rotary polisher on at about 1000 rpms and run a vacuum nozzle over the face of the pad to collect some of the spent residue....if anyone has tried this I'd be interested in hearing what your experience was.

Thanks in advance for those of you willing to take the time to help me resolve this problem!!!

[Eldorado2k]

You're on the right track with the 5 gallon bucket idea... I'm not sure exactly where I saw the "hack" but it involved a 5 gallon bucket along with some sort of spray along the walls of the bucket which allowed it to become sticky enough to grab hold of all the dust and hold onto it so it doesn't blow out of the bucket. I wish I could remember exactly where I saw it because it worked perfectly.


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[mwoywod]

ahhh, I'd didn't think of that but what great idea!! I'm gonna give that a shot tomorrow. Thanks!

[FUNX650]

•Since you don't use the:
"Cleaning pads on the fly" method...
-It sounds like you need more pads.

IMO:
•It'd be easier to change-out the
pads more often...(and then wait
to clean the dirtied-ones up when
you're away from the museum)...
-than having to take the extra time
and efforts to clean up any messes
before you leave for the day.

After all:
It's been said that time is money.


Bob

[Eldorado2k]

•Since you don't use the:
"Cleaning pads on the fly" method...
-It sounds like you need more pads.

IMO:
•It'd be easier to change-out the
pads more often...(and then wait
to clean the dirtied-ones up when
you're away from the museum)...
-than having to take the extra time
and efforts to clean up any messes
before you leave for the day.

After all:
It's been said that time is money.


Bob

I strongly disagree with that.^
If you've ever buffed a vehicle out and had the option of having compressed air by your side you immediately find out how much better it improves your polishing experience.. Instead of cleaning on the fly with a brush, towel, or both you can simply blow your pad [foam or microfiber] nearly 100% clean after every section pass and it only takes seconds to do. There's no other way that even comes close to working as clean as that. It's such a better way to do it.

The only thing that would beat it would be to change out to a brand new pad after every section pass.. And I don't know anyone who's got that kind of time or OCD.

[Moon]

A video featuring Kevin Brown showed a contraption he devised using a small plastic office-type trash can. A hole was drilled in the bottom the same size as the shop vac hose and the hose was sealed into the hole with duct tape. Turn the trash can on its side, flick on the vac, then with the polisher inside the trash can, blow out the pad with compressed air as normal. Shop vac sucks in all the residue which is contained by the trash can. He was in the same type of environment you are, surrounded by other high-end cars and he couldn't afford to be blowing residue everywhere. Hope that helps.

[dlc95]

My compressor is a noisy beast and I hate using it.

I'll brush my microfiber pads out for dry compounds, and wipe them off with a microfiber towel for wet products.

Once they give up the ghost, I retire them for the project, and wash them once home, kind of like Bob mentioned.

[Setec Astronomy]

A video featuring Kevin Brown showed a contraption he devised using a small plastic office-type trash can. A hole was drilled in the bottom the same size as the shop vac hose and the hose was sealed into the hole with duct tape. Turn the trash can on its side, flick on the vac, then with the polisher inside the trash can, blow out the pad with compressed air as normal. Shop vac sucks in all the residue which is contained by the trash can. He was in the same type of environment you are, surrounded by other high-end cars and he couldn't afford to be blowing residue everywhere. Hope that helps.

I was going to suggest the old hold the vacuum hose between your knees, or clamp it down to a bench or cart, but the "vacuum chamber" sounds better and just like something Kevin Brown would come up with.

[AutowerxDetailing]

Using a tornador blow out gun works really well and helps contain the dust to a significantly smaller area because most of it ends up stuck inside the cone.

[AllanS]

A video featuring Kevin Brown showed a contraption he devised using a small plastic office-type trash can. A hole was drilled in the bottom the same size as the shop vac hose and the hose was sealed into the hole with duct tape. Turn the trash can on its side, flick on the vac, then with the polisher inside the trash can, blow out the pad with compressed air as normal. Shop vac sucks in all the residue which is contained by the trash can. He was in the same type of environment you are, surrounded by other high-end cars and he couldn't afford to be blowing residue everywhere. Hope that helps.

That's basically what I was thinking. A vacuum (or if you want larger - an exhaust fan - with cleanable filter) & make a mini "spray booth" exhaust system. It doesn't have to vent to the outside though.

If you move cars to a detailing bay, that would be easiest. If it has to be portable, then size DOES matter!

HTH!

[mwoywod]

Thanks for the responses. Unfortunately I definitely don't think i could work efficiently if I'm switching pads after every section pass, which is mostly because I like making sure my pad/backing plate are aligned perfectly so it takes me too much time. Eldorado2k is right that blowing a pad clean is truly the fastest and most effective method when trying to work clean.

Thank you guys for referring me to the Kevin Brown video. That is EXACTLY what I have been looking for. I really feel like Kevin could design and patent a residue management system that is designed specifically for professional use. Or actually I wouldn't put it past any of you guys to create something that would reinvent the way we treat residue control. As someone who looks up to you guys and follows as closely as possible, if someone from the forums had the creative genius to invent it, I would say for certain it would be one of you guys.

Anyway, thanks for all the responses and suggestions. I am going to do my best to recreate the old "kevin brown trash can duct tape and a shop vac method" The oldest trick in the book. ha!

[Eldorado2k]

I tried to find the video where that dude sprayed something inside a 5 gallon bucket that held onto the pad residue but I couldn't find it... It was a small tip in the video and not the main subject.

Any ideas on what the spray could've been? What's sprayable liquid and sticky?


Sent from my iPhone

[DBAILEY]

I use my vacuum on my pads all the time. I always start by vacuuming the clean pad. There is always some dried dust still in the pad from washing and this cuts that down the little dust storm on that first panel. I use a brush, wipe with MF towel and then use the air compressor. Using the brush and MF first cuts down on the amount of polish that get blown out. After a panel is completed I will add a vacuum step in there before the next panel.

That contraption using a office garbage can or even a bucket with the vacuum hose attached to a hole in the bottom sounds like a good idea. Maybe its something that could be fashioned to fit the underside of my wheeled polishing cart.
I've got 25' of hose on my garage vac, but maybe one of the those small wet vacs would be a good option. One that could fit under the cart too with the bucket 'shroud'. So that it is only the small wet vac power cord that is being dragged around the car with me.

[fightnews]

•Since you don't use the:
"Cleaning pads on the fly" method...
-It sounds like you need more pads.

IMO:
•It'd be easier to change-out the
pads more often...(and then wait
to clean the dirtied-ones up when
you're away from the museum)...
-than having to take the extra time
and efforts to clean up any messes
before you leave for the day.

After all:
It's been said that time is money.


Bob

ya plus make them by the extra pads. what about the cleaning on the fly plus a pad conditioning brush?

[fightnews]

I strongly disagree with that.^
If you've ever buffed a vehicle out and had the option of having compressed air by your side you immediately find out how much better it improves your polishing experience.. Instead of cleaning on the fly with a brush, towel, or both you can simply blow your pad [foam or microfiber] nearly 100% clean after every section pass and it only takes seconds to do. There's no other way that even comes close to working as clean as that. It's such a better way to do it.

The only thing that would beat it would be to change out to a brand new pad after every section pass.. And I don't know anyone who's got that kind of time or OCD.

do u even want it that clean? i thought u were supposed to have product priming the pad?