trouble with my truck

[mrasmussen]

I purchased a used truck and the paint was a mess (it's a 2018). I have the Rupes BigFoot (180MM pads) and I have a Rupes Mini (100MM). I also used the Rupes foam pads and product. I went over the entire truck with blue (course) and it definitely took out many of the scuffs and webbing in the paint but, I still see spiderwebbing in the paint.
My question is, should the blue step (step 1) remove all spiderwebbing or do they decrease as I move from course to fine?

[Mike Phillips]

My question is, should the blue step (step 1) remove all spiderwebbing or do they decrease as I move from course to fine?




Great question and a lot of factors involved into how EFFECTIVE you or anyone is at 100% defect removal. Here's a few,

1: Experience - HUGE factor.
2: Depth of defects you're trying to remove.
3: Hardness or softness of paint.
4: Product.
5: Pad.
6: Technique - I've met people that run their tools at low speed, only make a few section passes with light pressure and don't understand why they didn't remove all the swirls and scratches.


As of this morning, Monday, June 15th 2020 I have over 641 how-to articles on the AG forum,

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/715/how-to-articles.jpg


Here's two that might help you,

While I original wrote this before your tool was invented, in fact, about the only tool readily available besides the rotary buffer, the Cyclo and the TOB was the Porter Cable dual action polisher, the PROBLEMS I list and the SOLUTIONS I share all apply except downward pressure.

With long stroke tools you only use a little more pressure than the weight of the tool,

A: So you don't stall out the pad rotation.
B: Because the LONG STROKE that moves the abrasives over the paint is more effective at removing paint than a short stroke action and thus you don't need as much downward pressure.


Me? I use gear-driven orbital and plow through cars.



:)


DA Polisher Trouble Shooting Guide (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/37769-da-polisher-trouble-shooting-guide.html)

What it means to remove a scratch out of anything... (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-mike-phillips-your-detailing-questions/104333-what-means-remove-scratch-out-anything.html)


:)

[Mike Phillips]

There's also this,

When to stop buffing - Or - How far should you go to remove swirls and scratches? (https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-to-articles-by-mike-phillips/125038-when-stop-buffing-how-far-should-you-go-remove-swirls-scratches.html)


:)

[Mike Phillips]

And to be frank and honest, you should have figured out what the results were going to be for the ENTIRE truck BEFORE buffing out the ENTIRE truck by dialing-in your TEST SPOT.


The two reasons WHY you should always do a Test Spot before buffing out any car (https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-to-articles-by-mike-phillips/124202-two-reasons-why-you-should-always-do-test-spot-before-buffing-out-any-car.html)


I NEVER buff out an entire "anything" without first dialing-in my results via a Test Spot.

Otherwise, I may find out I wasted all my time.



:)

[Mike Phillips]

And....

When using FOAM pads you need to use a LOT of foam pads anytime you're doing correction work with a compound, polish or AIO.

Why?

Because as foam gets wet, saturated or soggy - it STOPS cutting or correcting. Again - you're wasting time and this shows up as the swirls and scratches are still there.


If I were to buff out a normal full size truck with paint in BAD condition use a free spinning random orbital polisher and the goal was 90% defect removal I would be using approximately 8 foam cutting pads.


One pad for the roof.
One pad for the hood.
One pad for the driver's side fender
One pad for the driver's side door.
One pad for the driver's side bed - might need 2?
One pad for the passenger side bed - might need 2?
One pad for the passenger side door.
One pad for the passenger side fender.

I'd use one of the pad that wasn't too soggy for the tailgate.

Not only will a DRY foam cutting pad cut better it will ROTATE better and if the pad is not rotating on a free spinning random orbital polisher you are wasting time because you or more specifically, the pad/tool/product combination is NOT doing anything.

There use to be some big time detailing "personalities" that would argue that on a free spinning random orbital polisher that the pad does not need to rotate. They would claim and state that just having pad oscillation would remove swirls.

Here's the deal with what they were saying, when using a free spinning random orbital polisher and the pad is NOT rotating and thus all it's "supposedly" doing is oscillating - the truth of the matter is it's not doing either.

The pad ends up simply vibrating or jiggling against the paint.


These detailer gurus have all disappeared. At least they've stopped trying to argue thier point or make others believe that a free spinning random orbital polisher can remove swirls without pad rotation on this forum.


:buffing:

[mrasmussen]

Thanks a bunch. I just watched one of your videos about claying, dialing in your solution before proceeding to the rest of the vehicle, etc, all makes perfect sense. As for where I go from here, i am going to:

inspect the paint with some sort of light.
Spend time in one section inspecting and compounding until I get the results I want.
Use that same pattern over the rest of the vehicle.

After watching your videos I noticed I am using the correct speed (slow steady movements, let the tool do the work), but I wasn't doing 6-8 passes over a section.

[Mike Phillips]

but I wasn't doing 6-8 passes over a section.




This is key.

If you think about it, in order to LEVEL the paint you are abrading it and it takes a certain amount these buffing TIME to remove or level the surface to the lowest depths of the defects you're trying to remove.

Time - passes


Recently, like in the last month or two, we had a new guy join and share a similar experience as you shared. I'm pretty sure I shared the same type of info I shared above.

After I shared the DA Troubleshooting Guide he came back and stated he was only doing 2-3 section passes and then stopping. He was scared of burning through the paint. This is normal but it's also a false fear and after he bumped up the number of section passes he was doing he was able to remove the defects.


Here's the definition of a section pass. I coined the term of our industry and wrote the definition.

The Definition of a Section Pass by Mike Phillips (https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-mike-phillips-your-detailing-questions/109747-definition-section-pass-mike-phillips.html)




:)