Motorhead Garage - Machine Polishing with Pinnacle - Episode 7

**MonoPed** · 02-20-2011, 10:52 PM

Thanks, Mike!

Mike Phillips · 03-08-2011, 12:47 PM

How to use a DA Polisher to Remover Oxidation

The technique used for applying the Pinnacle Advanced Swirl Remover and the Pinnacle Advanced Finishing Polish is called doing a Section Pass, see this video...

Show Car Garage Video: How-To do a "Section Pass" when Machine Polishing with a DA Polisher

Here's how to do a "Section Pass" when trying to remove swirls, scratches and other below surface paint defects.

How to do a Section Pass

When talking about machine polishing on discussion forums or even in detailing classes, the below questions always comes up,

What's a pass?
How many passes do I make?
What's a section pass?

The definition of a pass
There are two definitions of the word pass as it relates to machine polishing with any type of machine.

Single Pass
A single pass is just that. It's when you move the polisher from one side of the section you're buffing to the other side of the section you're buffing. That's a single pass.

Section Pass
A section pass is when you move the polisher back and forth, or front to back with enough single overlapping passes to cover the entire section one time. That's a section pass.

In most cases if you're removing any substantial below surface defects you're going to make 6-8 section passes to the section you’re working before you either feel comfortable you've removed the defects or you're at the end of the buffing cycle for the product you're using.

Buffing Cycle
The buffing cycle is the amount of time you are able to work the product before the abrasives have broken down, (if you’re using a product that uses diminishing abrasives), and/or the product begins to dry and you lose the lubricating features of the product. Different products have different buffing cycles depending upon the type of abrasives used in the formula and the different ingredients used to suspend the abrasives and provide lubrication.

Factors that affect the buffing cycle include,

Ambient temperature
Surface temperature
Size of work area
Type of machine
Type of pad material
Humidity
Wind or air flow surrounding the car
Amount of product used
Technique

Wet buffing technique
Most compounds and polishes should be used so that there is enough product on the surface to maintain a wet film while the product is being worked. The wetness of the product is lubricating the paint as the abrasives abrade the paint and cushion or buffer the abrading action so the abrasives don’t simply scour the finish leaving behind swirls and scratches.

Dry Buffing Technique - Buffing to a dry buff
There are some products on the market where the manufacture recommends buffing the product until it dries. As the product dries you’ll tend to see some dusting as the product residue becomes a powder and the paint will have a hard, dry shine to it.

Although some manufactures recommend this, it’s important to understand what’s taking place at the surface level as you buff to a dry buff. As the product dries, in essence you are losing the lubricating features of the product and as this happens friction and heat will increase. As friction and heat increases, so does the risk of micro-marring the paint or instilling swirls either by the product residue or the pad material and/or a combination of both.

While we trust that the manufacture knows their products best, when we take a close look at what it means to buff on a delicate surface like an automotive clear coat, it doesn’t make sense to run a buffing pad on top of the paint without some kind of wet film to lubricate the paint at the same time. We always recommend that you follow the manufacturer's recommendations and use your own judgment.

Everyone new to buffing wants to be told some easily identifiable sign that they can use to tell when it's time to stop buffing and it's not that simple, so here's an indicator I've always used and taught to others,

Wet film behind your path-of-travel
As you're making a single pass with the polisher, the paint behind the path of travel of the buffer should have a visible wet film on it. If the paint behind the pad is dry and shiny, you've run out of lubrication and you're dry buffing. Turn the polisher off. Wipe the residue off and inspect using a Swirl Finder Light to make sure you didn't dull or mar the paint, you usually won't cause any harm, but pay attention when your running the polisher and don't buff to a dry buff. If you do, you can quickly re-polish that section by cleaning your pad and adding a little fresh product and making a few new section passes.

UMR
Remember, in most cases the goal is UMR or Uniform Material Removal. The reason for this is so that you remove an equal amount of paint over each section and in turn over the entire car. In order to do this you need a method that you can control and duplicate and for most people following a back and forth, side-to-side pattern works because it’s easy to remember, easy to do and easy to duplicate.

Mike Phillips · 03-08-2011, 12:52 PM

In April there will be 3 new "How-To" segments airing on TV and we'll announce these as the dates get closer.

1964 GTO Convertible...

And a classic, 1955 Chevy Pickup...

Part of the job...

Mike Phillips · 03-08-2011, 01:02 PM

Here's a recent thread on Microfiber Gloves...

Increase Your Grip Strength with Microfiber Gloves

**Barry Theal** · 03-09-2011, 08:41 AM

Mike what are these people doing to you? OH know make up to detail cars. That 55 chevy pick up really looks like a fun task. Have fun with it.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...rojectx003.jpg

Mike Phillips · 03-09-2011, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by Barry Theal

Mike what are these people doing to you? OH know make up to detail cars. That 55 chevy pick up really looks like a fun task. Have fun with it.

To date, none of the other TV studio sets I've worked on have air conditioning and most of the shoots have been during warm or hot weather, so with the extra lights on the set it gets pretty hot. On this show, Sheila was our make-up artist and she just makes sure the host and all his guest are ready to go before filming their segments.

Max had air-conditioning installed for our studio and we can crank the temperature down to 68 degrees if we want and I can't tell you how nice that is compared to these other studios. I know when Matt Steele was here he appreciated it and so did the Camera Crew, Director, Engineer and Producer from Masters TV.

On Two Guys Garage they also have a Make-up Artist that takes care of Bryan Fuller and Kevin Byrd and their guests.

It's just part of the job...

I'm going to post a thread about this new TV show today...

Motorhead Garage Studio

Two Guys Garage Studio