Ahh..... it's good to be back at work after a week off on vacation and a week almost completely offline...
About burning through edges and raised body lines...
Tom you may or may not remember what I'm going to type below but I covered this topic in the 3-day class you attended here but then I covered hundreds of topics and I'm confident most people do not remember every topic I cover.
Here's the real-world deal...
Anytime you're buffing out a car, new or old, you have KNOW IDEA
- Who has buffed the car out before you and their skills and abilities?
- How many people have buffed the car out before you?
- What they used for tools, pads and products?
There's a
HUGE difference between the skills and abilities of a hack detailer and a knowledgeable detailer.
There's a
HUGE difference when it come to paint thickness on edges and raised body lines on cars that have been buffed out multiple multiple times over the years and a new car that's never seen a buffer.
There's a
SUPER HUGE difference between tools and pads but most important --> abrasive technology, that is the quality of the compounds, polishes and cleaner/waxes used by a person.
The above are all VARIABLES that you
cannot control. Think about the above three key variables when standing in front of a car you're about to detail. And then know and understand that paint is naturally thinner on edges and raised body lines AND paint is naturally thinner on edges and raised body lines if the car has already been buffed out by hack detailers using low quality products.
Also keep in mind that it's EASY to stand next to a car and buff out the easy panels, you know, panels like the hood, tops portions of the fenders, top portions of the doors and trunk lids. For most detailers, especially without a lift, it requires more work and less glory to sit your butt on the ground and buff out the lower panels.
So what portions of a car do think are at the most risk for having thin paint? The lower portions or the higher easy to buff portions?
Where do you think the paint will be thinnest? the middle of a door panel or the middle of the hood? The edges or any raised body lines?
The above are the things I think of when I look at a car to size it up before buffing it out. The above are things everyone should know and understand when standing in front of any car and sizing it up before buffing it out.
Also....
People ask me all the time if it's possible for an orbital polisher, (any brand), to burn through the paint on a car.
The answer is of course "yes". My answer is always, you can burn through paint by
HAND if it's already
whisper thin....
Whisper Thin Paint on Classic Cars by Mike Phillips - Be Careful!