Is taping to polish necessary?

[Luke]

Is taping off all the edges necessary to polish a car? Thanks in advance

[Surfer]

What do you mean by edges, trim, panels etc? Kinda depends on your polish but generally I only tape up trim areas where the pad may rub.

[Luke]

Why does it matter though if the pad rubs there?

[Surfer]

Why does it matter though if the pad rubs there?Well...go put a cutting pad on speed 6 with polish and hit the trim and watch what happens.





j/k...don't do that:D

[CalgaryDetail]

the paint is thinner in those areas, it is therfore easier to burn through. Do you need to tape off? no but its a wise move.
Also there will always be a little splatter and dusting while polishing, its a fact of life. However when taking it prevents the crap from getting into places that it wont come out. It is a smart idea to tape while polish, especily when you are just learning how to use a PC

[trhland]

*/if your worried about getting polish on blacktrim. you can spray some detail spray on these areas first then start polishing.

[Nica]

I like the taping because it gives you the 2 x 2 area that you need to concentrate on. I'm new at this too and I'm literaly out with the measuring tape measuring and taping areas. I'll post some pictures when I'm done and I'm finding not only is it helping me see the area I'm working on but eventually I will know exactly what a 2 x 2 area looks like.

Oh and I did what surfer said "Well...go put a cutting pad on speed 6 with polish and hit the trim and watch what happens" and it's not good trust me, I may need to roder another Edge 2000 pad because of that.

[trhland]

I like the taping because it gives you the 2 x 2 area that you need to concentrate on. I'm new at this too and I'm literaly out with the measuring tape measuring and taping areas. I'll post some pictures when I'm done and I'm finding not only is it helping me see the area I'm working on but eventually I will know exactly what a 2 x 2 area looks like.

Oh and I did what surfer said "Well...go put a cutting pad on speed 6 with polish and hit the trim and watch what happens" and it's not good trust me, I may need to roder another Edge 2000 pad because of that.i agree with nica taping off is the best .

[Luke]

I just do one panel at a time, but for the big ones like the hood I split in two sections. Will that work?

[Kelso]

sometimes that can be a bit big, but if you feel ocmfortable and are getting the job done, who can say no

[CalgaryDetail]

I just do one panel at a time, but for the big ones like the hood I split in two sections. Will that work?

does it work? it dosent matter how big of a section you do, as long as you are confortable and it works for you. For me it depeneds on the car, and the mood im in.
most places recomend a 2x2 since thecar will get done, but it allows you to focus on a small section to make sure the polish breaks done. Go with what works for you

[Surfer]

I go panel by panel on our trucks, but I use Opitmum which allows longer working times and I know how to break down a polish/compound with a PC. If I did the 2X2 rule it would take forever on our trucks.

[nick19]

It also speeds up the final cleanup, after the use of polish and some wax. Just take the tape off, and wipe.