Video: How to tape-off car trim before machine polishing

[Charleston]

What kind of OTC tape can be used?

[Mike Phillips]

What kind of OTC tape can be used?

Any painter's tape.


On Autogeek.net

3M Automotive Performance Masking Tape 3 Pack

Meguiars Professional Masking Tape

[Mike Phillips]

I still hate taping off but its better then digging compound residue out of every crack and staining trim. I wish the tape would come off in one piece though

I'm with you... taping off is a pain but it's worth it in the long run.

Mr. Phillips,
Just wanted to tell you how much I've really enjoyed watching the latest video releases on the forum. Taping, and removing RIDS were two the things at the top of my "I'd like to see a video on this"...and bam...there it was just like you'd read my mind. Great tips on taping.

Thank you so much!!

Sorry I just now found your post but thank you just the same. I appreciate your friendship ever since we met at the GTG with Dennis Gage in Evansville, Indiana...


Pictures with Dennis Gage at the Evansville Detailing Class


Evansville GTG

Great Video. Thanks!

Hard topic to make look easy...

I watched pretty much all your vids Mike, and in every one you use those dark blue MF towels. Looked in the store to find them but cant, where can i get some???

The Indigo Blue Flat Weave Microfiber towel like I show in the below article was discontinued...


How to correctly fold and use a Microfiber Towel


Clean, laundered Cobra Indigo Microfiber Towel





I'm a big fan of flat weave mf towels. Here's two similar towels on the AG Store...

Meguiars Professional Ultimate Wipe® Detailing Cloth

Sonus Der Wunder Microfiber Polishing Towels 2 Pack

[jbmeyer13]

I have those damn white polishing specs (M105/205) and they are taking forever and a day to remove

They are on my wipers (because I didn't mask them off) and also on the shadowline trim (which I polished for the first time) and on the rubber seals around the door windows.

I've been using 50% IPA and a q-tip but it's exhausting. Like Mike says in his taping video; all they seem to do is move around rather than lift from any surface.

The longer that stuff sits the harder it is to get off. Since I was detailing a panel at a time over the past 3-weeks some of it is caked on.

Any other ideas for safely removing this? At the rate it's been going it will take me just as long to remove this residue as to polish the car...

[Mike Phillips]

Like Mike says in his taping video;

all they seem to do is move around rather than lift from any surface.

Vindicated.

Paint in the rear huh?

Get as much as you can off and then move onto the next step. I'll tend to use glass cleaner or any spray detailer, whichever is closer to my hand. That plus microfiber towels and rubbing.

[Gil_]

It's funny how the specs of product tend to find themselves in place that you'd never think of taping off.

If you're able to, try to wipe off the product as soon as you can. The sooner the product is removed, the less time that product will adhere to the paint. However, what I've found to work for the M105/M205 removal, when the product is caked on, is to use the Meguiars Final Inspection. Typically, I will pre-spray the panel to allow the product to loosen the adhered product for a few minutes. From there, I will use a heavier thread count mf towel to lift the product and encapsulate the product from the paint. In addition, I will spray the mf towel with the Final Inspection. Lastly, I will wipe down the surface with clean mf towel.

With respect to the specs on the Plastic Trim, I've had good success with Sonax Multistar cleaner. However, I will use a boar's hair brush to agitate the product into the plastic. From there, I will clean the surface with a clean mf towel. Lastly, on the rubber trim, I will also use the Sonax Multistar followed by using the 1Z rubber care.

[Mittenz]

Next time I'm finding a sheet or blanket for the windshield!! Taping up small newspaper ads sucked. LOL I had a towel that fit the back window.