Rotary Buffer Circle Scratches - Why to use a Pad Cleaning Spur or Nylon Brush

[Mike Phillips]

Rotary Buffer Circle Scratches - Why to use a Pad Cleaning Spur or Nylon Brush



Last week I needed to clean up my demo hood for some testing for an outside vendor's new compounds and polishes. I started by machine wet sanding my favorite demo hood and then proceeded to remove the sanding marks using a rotary buffer.

In one section of the hood after wiping off the compound residue I discovered some almost perfect circle scratches that signify that there was ONE DIRT PARTICLE trapped in the fibers of the wool pad that I must not have removed when I spurred my pad.

Here's what circle scratches from a rotary buffer look like...




In order to remove them I machine sanded and the re-cleaned my pad and then buffed out the sanding marks and all was back to normal.


2 points,

1: When using a rotary buffer with a wool pad be sure to own and use a steel pad cleaning spur and make darn sure your pad is clean so you don't get circle scratches like you see above.

2: When using foam pads on a rotary buffer be sure to own and use a nylon pad cleaning brush and make darn sure your pad is clean so you don't get circle scratches like you see above.





Steel Pad Cleaning Spur

In all my detailing classes (and as a personal best practice), I teach people the most important thing to do when using any polisher and especially a rotary buffer is to clean your pad often. For a wool pad you want a steel pad cleaning spur like the one I show in the picture below.

Link to steel pad cleaning spur






After cleaning the wool pad in the pad cleaner Tyler then re-fluffs the wool fibers using a steel pad cleaning spur.









Cleaning foam pads with a Nylon Pad Conditioning Brush
You don't want to use a steel pad cleaning spur on a foam pad as the spur will tend to tear up the foam. Instead, get a nylon pad cleaning brush and hold it against the face of the pad, starting in the center and then drawing the pad to the outside of the pad and this will clean off all the spent residue and removed paint.




Pad Conditioning Brush



Work clean

[kevincwelch]

Good reminder that things happen to the best of us. Good thing it was a demo hood!

[Mike Phillips]

Good reminder that things happen to the best of us.

No doubt...

And... I did spur the heck out of my pad.

This same thing happen to me a LONG time ago with a foam pad on a black BMW - painful lesson...

Good thing it was a demo hood!

No doubt about that...

I had no fear to machine sand with #3000 till the circle scratches were gone and then compound.

[TuxedoTaurus]

Which would be better compressed air to clean wool or the spur?

I am getting ready to start practicing on paint perfection with the rotary.


Sent from my iPhone using AGOnline

[JustJesus]

Nice tips, Mike.

What about the "cheese grater" part of the Duo-Spur by Lake Country? Can't say I've ever seen anyone using that. Do you have any pics in your massive Library of Detailing?

[WRAPT C5Z06]

Good information.


Mike, how often do those demo hoods have to be repainted from all the testing?

[Mike Phillips]

Which would be better compressed air to clean wool or the spur?

Both if you have them...

Good information.

Mike, how often do those demo hoods have to be repainted from all the testing?

The one you see in the picture is off a Fox Body Mustang, it is the most perfect demo hood due to its size. Keep in mind, we ship this demo hood to Las Vegas for SEMA every year and large bulky hoods are difficult to ship.


As for how often I get it re-sprayed? My buddy Paul Grasso down at Grasso Garage squirts them for $200.00 using the PPG Global Paint System and I have this one sprayed about 3 times a year.

Nice tips, Mike.

What about the "cheese grater" part of the Duo-Spur by Lake Country?

Can't say I've ever seen anyone using that. Do you have any pics in your massive Library of Detailing?

I never use that tool for cleaning pads... the first and last time I tried it I wasn't sure it was better or more effective than using the normal nylon pad cleaning brush on foam pads. YOu wouldn't use the cheese grater side for wool pads, just foam pads.

I could try it again and get back to you.


I use to own a "Refinisher".

This was a foam pad cleaning and resurfacing table-top or wall-mounted device developed by John Kosmoski of House of Kolor. He sent Meguiar's a sample to see if Meguiar's wanted to carry it and Meguiar's didn't want to carry it so I took it home.

It had a large stainless still top, kind of like shelf or thin table made of stainless steel. in the middle was a stainless steel cheese grater kind of structure. What you would do is place your worn foam pad on a rotary buffer and holding the pad flat on the table, run it back and forth over the grater part and it would shred of a layer of foam.

Back then all we had was THICK and LARGE foam pads so it would work for pads like these. But if you ran a ThinPro pad over it you'd probably be down to the velcro on the backing plate after a pass or two.

I know longer have it as it was large, bulky and heavy. I wish I would have kept it since it was from John Kosmoski.


http://www.houseofkolor.com/company/?ref=topnav


More car detailing history only here on AGO - where else would you ever read about this kind of stuff?

[dlc95]

I used to use a large screwdriver.

I absolutely DO NOT recommend that technique.

Toothbrushes were what I used on the foam pads - but that was a LONG time ago. I have a few pad conditioning brushes lying around these days.

[JustJesus]

I could try it again and get back to you.

I have one, but kind of forget about it since it's off to the side. Out of sight....

I guess I can try it too

I use to own a "Refinisher".
...
What you would do is place your worn foam pad on a rotary buffer and holding the pad flat on the table, run it back and forth over the grater part and it would shred of a layer of foam.

That's what I thought the Duo-Spur (cheese grater part) was for as well. To "reshape" the thick foam pad back into shape. I figured it would remove some foam in the process. haha..Today's thin foam pads? No way!

I wish I would have kept it since it was from John Kosmoski.

That would have been kool. hehe.. . Wasn't John K one of the first advocates for water-based paint systems?

More car detailing history only here on AGO - where else would you ever read about this kind of stuff?

Nowhere! Love reading the history bits


edit: I may have been confusing water-based paint for his base coat/clear coat usage