How to Use Tape when Buffing?

[bravozulu]

'94 Camry Coupe. Painted 90 days ago - white. Will be using Festool RO sander/buffer w/ Lake Country pads. Griot's #4 polish.

It has been 3 decades since I polished a car. I viewed the demo Videos here, and taping is a foreign concept to me. What portions of the body do I tape? And afterwards, won't those portions have less lustre than the rest of the paint --- thus be obvious?

[Kristopher1129]

I usually tape off edges, emblems if you're not removing them, any grilles or open areas in the body. Also do the plastic, cause you don't want to burn it, or deal with removing polish later.

Some people go a little more crazy than me with tape. I don't do body lines or anything. I just don't polish directly on the body line.

After you pull the tape off, I usually do the close edges or areas with "less luster" with the griots 3". You didn't list that...so maybe by hand is your safest bet.

[Joe@Superior Shine]

I tape for two reasons, 1-protection- body lines, edges and such that I might damage if polished on get taped up. 2- to facilitate clean up - body seems, emblems, etc... that will be hard to clean if get product in them get taped up.

In this write up I show how and why I taped up some of the areas on a GT500. http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/32822-shine-like-you-mean-shelby-cobra-meets-microfiber-da-system.html

[Kristopher1129]

I tape for two reasons, 1-protection- body lines, edges and such that I might damage if polished on get taped up. 2- to facilitate clean up - body seems, emblems, etc... that will be hard to clean if get product in them get taped up.

In this write up I show how and why I taped up some of the areas on a GT500. http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/32822-shine-like-you-mean-shelby-cobra-meets-microfiber-da-system.html

I remember reading through that thread. An awesome read, and a fantastic step by step for removing orange peel. Also a great example of what the MF pads can do. :dblthumb2:

[bravozulu]

A few of you mentioned body lines. Do you mean high points, such as the crown of a fender or bend in a truck lid?

Do those places get taped?

I know it's easy with a buffer to try to round off a crown, so that spot is liable to burn through.

[Kristopher1129]

A few of you mentioned body lines. Do you mean high points, such as the crown of a fender or bend in a truck lid?

Do those places get taped?

I know it's easy with a buffer to try to round off a crown, so that spot is liable to burn through.

Yes, any points on the body that are creased, or raised. Basically anything that kinda sticks out. You just don't want to polish directly on an edge.