Oops...first mistake... (Flex PE8 slipped)

[WRAPT C5Z06]

I don't understand how the polisher slipped and burned through?


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[ShaunD]

I don't care whether Mazda paint is considered hard or soft, it is some of the thinnest paint I have come across from an OEM. That said I wouldn't be doing too much correction on them, especially trying to go surgical near the edges. Hope you find a painter that makes you happy. Thanks for sharing.

[g35_coupe]

That doesn't look like you burnt through the paint - but it looks like the paint twisted or "paint twist". This is from heat - especially on plastic painted parts. Ammo NYC / Larry has a video on this regarding how you need to be mindful of the substrate of the surface your working on.

Bottom line - plastic or carbon fiber doesn't dissipate heat as well as metal. Be careful on parts made out of these materials.

You fix it by paying a body shop.

This is exactly what it looks like. The paint softened up with heat and enough friction in the polisher to smear the paint.

Be thankful this was your own vehicle and not a customer's car. Still an expensive lesson to learn but not as embarrassing when it's your own stuff.

[builthatch]

I don't care whether Mazda paint is considered hard or soft, it is some of the thinnest paint I have come across from an OEM. That said I wouldn't be doing too much correction on them, especially trying to go surgical near the edges. Hope you find a painter that makes you happy. Thanks for sharing.

agreed on thin. when i got my brand new MS3 in late 2007, i had a chip magically show up on the roof from a bird dropping something (i live near the ocean).

long story short, i have never, EVER, seen clear as thin from the factory whilst blocking down a filled chip. it was amazing. the bean counters at Mazda definitely had their paint process dialed down to the drop!

[QuinGold]

Thank you all for adding the note about paint heat, or "paint twist". I'm searching for the video from AmmoNYC now.

To be honest, I'm not really sure how it happened either as it happened so fast. At first I thought the mark I was seeing was a lump of polish that maybe had been on the rim of the pad as I had just started this section, but then when I went over it to pick it up, it didn't move… That's when I stopped the Flex and realized what happened. However, the damage occurred on the "overlap" area where I had just finished polishing the section to the left of the mark, and was starting to polish the next section to the right. So it's possible that this particular area was already warm and it was also pretty warm in the garage.

I'm applying Wolfgang Polishing Glaze with the green polishing pad, but I may drop down to the finishing pad instead.

In any case, nobody died. It's just a bit of paint and a few bob to get fixed. So long as I don't make a habit of twisting the paint, I'll try not to lose sleep over it. Hope this helps someone else in the meantime.

[irvsmith]

I think this is the clip in question.

http://youtu.be/htsl7ICY8Nw

[QuinGold]

I think this is the clip in question.

http://youtu.be/htsl7ICY8Nw

Thanks for the link. It was great to see him explain the different materials used on different panels and how the heat dissipates on metal more than non-metal.

I noticed he pointed out the same "ripple" damage at 22:30 that he put down to a previous "inexperienced detailer" (not me!). He didn't quite explain how it was caused though - heat or tool slippage?

(My husband had an interesting theory that the horse may have come before the cart: in other words, the feeling I had of the tool slipping was when the paint "buckled" and grabbed the pad because the paint was hot and sticky.)

So can I take it that the bumpers on the Miata are not metal?

Is there a simple test to tell whether a panel is metal or some kind of plastic besides tapping them and listening to the sound each one makes? The metal seems to sound heavier and lower in pitch.

Thank you!

[Paul Mitchell]

You damaged the "bumper cover" and not the bumper. The plastic piece you see on most every vehicle is not the actual bumper, but the bumper cover. The actual "bumper" is not visible. The majority of bumpers on vehicles today are covered with a plastic like material, the bumper cover, painted to match the color of the vehicle.

[Rsurfer]

Is there a simple test to tell whether a panel is metal or some kind of plastic besides tapping them and listening to the sound each one makes? The metal seems to sound heavier and lower in pitch.

Thank you!

The simple test to see if it's steel..use a magnet. You must have one on your frig. lol

[Souldetailer]

Whatever happened, I feel for you. Boy, if I had a nickel every time I F****d something up, I cash my nickels in for bigger bills.
Got change for a thousand? Good luck with you future endeavors,
this ones gone. Take care.

Peace,

Darrin