Is taping off rubber etc important

[Rhudeboye]

I used my GG RO for the first time today. I did the hood of the Camry. Was very pleased. So little effort, such a deep shine.

So I didn't tape off anything. There is a rubber gasket between the front bumper and the hood as well as the large Toyota emblem. I'm sure I bumped into them a little but they seem fine.

Do you guys bother to tape off or are you just careful?

[JonMiles]

It isn't necessary to tape off a car if you are careful around emblems and other stuff. The biggest reason to tape is for the convenience of not getting compound on trim. It eliminates the extra wiping and crease cleaning after you correct the paint.

[tuscarora dave]

I tape when I am using a rotary because it is very easy to bump into a rubber trim and burn it with the rotary, also on sharp edges where the paint is very thin as to not polish through into the primer in those areas. I also tape for the reasons already stated but usually only when there is a lot of textured plastic parts. Tape can be a very cheap insurance against costly mistakes.

[ClearlyCoated]

Some compounds or cleaner polishes can stain trim and rubber. Heavy compounds can scratch or dull plastic chrome and cause clouding on metal trim. But the best rule of thumb is when in doubt, tape it up.

[Mike Phillips]

If you are careful, focus on the task at hand and slow down, you can avoid running the face of your buffing pad over any black plastic or rubber trim.

Most people are not as careful as they think they will be, most people at some point tend to get in a hurry, as a result, a lot of cars have stained trim.

Taping off provides a measure of safety so you don't have to come back after the paint polishing work is over and clean up and remove any residue off trim. Most people find it very difficult and time consuming to remove white residue off of black trim and often times it's impossible to remove ever trace of residue, so then you have to mask it with a dressing for the rest of the time you own the car.

Taping off trim allows you to be less careful, not that this is a good thing or a goal you should aim for, but the fact is most people are not as careful as they think they will be.

Read through this thread and look at the pictures and check out my comments and the follow-up comments by the OP of the thread, Xcessiv.


Gotta love flake

[Rhudeboye]

Tape can be a very cheap insurance against costly mistakes.

Tough to argue against that.

Some compounds or cleaner polishes can stain trim and rubber. Heavy compounds can scratch or dull plastic chrome and cause clouding on metal trim. But the best rule of thumb is when in doubt, tape it up.

Most people are not as careful as they think they will be... Most people find it very difficult and time consuming to remove white residue off of black trim.. you have to mask it with a dressing for the rest of the time you own the car.

I believe I have such a stain now. Light white marks on the black pillar of the Camry. I spray and scrubbed on different cleaners but they wont come off. I finally added back to black to mask it.