Is my DA polisher defective or did I just mess up?

[Desertnate]

This raggedy edges tells me it's not burn through. Perhaps the paint wasn't prepped right from the factory and then when you polished it caused it to chip (I've never experienced this even on repainted bumpers).

Unless you have pads with a sharks tooth attachment a pad on pain will no cause that. Did you maybe catch the edge with the backing plate?

Even if they were filled chips a polisher pad would not take them off like that.

Agree.

Looking at the first two you can see what appears to be bubbling of the paint around the places where it has started to flake away. I've seen similar damage on my wife's car from where she gently backed into something. Initially the paint around the impact area on the flexible bumper area developed a series of cracks, which over time, began to flake away, but not bubble like this appears to be doing.

Looking at the headlight picture makes me think of another scenario which might lead to the OP's observation. If the paint had been compromised from below and was starting to bubble/crack and they go over it with a DA it could cause the paint to break apart and leave those marks. It is fairly brittle and any force against it could cause it to break away. I saw this on the bumper damage I mentioned. Once it started to break away, I could get bits of paint to come off by just rubbing my finger over the damaged area.

I guess that's a long winded way to say I could see the damage appearing after using a DA, but not through bad technique like when you get burn though. The paint was likely compromised in those areas and the damage simply appeared/accelerated when a DA passed over the area.

 

[Flash Gordon]

Do you park this car on the street?

 

[r3faat1]

Yea, I could see the paint being compromised in front bumper. However, the rear bumper was factory paint and all I did was go around the edges for a slight bit. That one seems most confusing to me. I've watched several videos where people places DA on the edge and nothing happens. No idea why mine came off within 1 - 2 seconds touch on a factory paint job.

Also I do want to mention the part that caused the damages were not the flat part of the pad. Rather the edge of the pad. But I am absolutely sure the backing plate did not touch the paint. Only the pad. It was "Lake Country SDO Orange Polishing Pad".

Do you park this car on the street?

I have a shaded parking lot, but it's not garage parked.

 

[Desertnate]

Yea, I could see the paint being compromised in front bumper. However, the rear bumper was factory paint and all I did was go around the edges for a slight bit.

This is why I think there was something else going on with the paint and hitting those area with the polisher made it appear. In those pictures you can see some bubbling from below and the paint looks like it wrinkled/puckered in a couple others. A DA wouldn't do that.

 

[opie2]

So if you know rear bumper cover is factory, im guessing you are the OG owner?

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[Bosko]

Now that I have seen pics of damage.....show us close ups of your polisher..plate/pad/surrounding area of the edges so we can rule that out

 

[r3faat1]

So if you know rear bumper cover is factory, im guessing you are the OG owner?

Okay, I guess you're right. I'm not the OG owner so I have no way of confirming it.

I wish I taken a picture but the same thing happened on passenger door handle too (While polishing the door). Didn't tape off door handle and accidently touched it for a second and paint came off (exactly like the bumper).

Now that I have seen pics of damage.....show us close ups of your polisher..plate/pad/surrounding area of the edges so we can rule that out

Okay, let me re-assemble it over the weekend. I packed it all up in a box to try and warranty it.

 

[opie2]

Okay, I guess you're right. I'm not the OG owner so I have no way of confirming it.

I wish I taken a picture but the same thing happened on passenger door handle too (While polishing the door). Didn't tape off door handle and accidently touched it for a second and paint came off (exactly like the bumper).

So now knowing that, im curious to know how much of the car has been resprayed. Maybe bad paint prep/delamination?

Maybe the painter 2black1s can chime in

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[2black1s]

So now knowing that, im curious to know how much of the car has been resprayed. Maybe bad paint prep/delamination?

Maybe the painter 2black1s can chime in

I already have. They look like chips to me caused from some type of impact... not a polishing pad.

If you look closely, you can see the black substrate where the paint chipped away. I don't see any indicators of multiple layers of paint so that tells me that it is either the original bumper cover with factory paint, or that the bumper cover was replaced with a new replacement part and painted to match. It doesn't look like it was repainted over the original factory finish.

I'd have to see the car in person to give any assessment beyond what I've already posted.

 

[Don M]

Yeah, there's no w.ay a D/A did that. Like the others have said - previous damage

 

[Lance Mark]

my brother warned me about some touchups on his Billiard Red HD Street Glide hard bag

I put a small piece of painters tape over it, then corrected the bag, took it off and coated it

what he didn't tell me, and I should have checked more closely, but after polishing his fairing, I discovered a sizable touch up spot that I almost completely polished off

it looked nothing like this, this looks chippy....the tiny spot I polished out was feathered, if that makes sense

did you by chance blackout while wheeling that part, then come to without realizing you'd done so....sorry for the cheeky response, but something is rotten in denmark

 

[r3faat1]

Well this is really weird. I know for a fact they weren't there before. I caused it within 1 seconds of my DA pad's edge touching it. I'll post my setup over the weekend. Most likely Sunday night.

did you by chance blackout while wheeling that part, then come to without realizing you'd done so....sorry for the cheeky response, but something is rotten in denmark

I don't think so. At the time of polishing, I was completely sober and didn't experience any blackouts. Alzheimer runs in the family but I'm still too young for it to hit me.

 

[PaulMys]

Well this is really weird. I know for a fact they weren't there before. I caused it within 1 seconds of my DA pad's edge touching it. I'll post my setup over the weekend. Most likely Sunday night.


I don't think so. At the time of polishing, I was completely sober and didn't experience any blackouts. Alzheimer runs in the family but I'm still too young for it to hit me.

Lance was just being funny. He is a great forum member. Highly respected.

But there is something very, very unusual going on with your Beemer.

 

[Flash Gordon]

I have a shaded parking lot, but it's not garage parked.

The reason I asked is that I see this on customers cars that park on the street. Bad drivers will bump into the bumper trying to parallel park.

 

[r3faat1]

I'm sure every single person here is on the edge of their seat waiting for me to post the setup. So here it is: Polisher diagnosis - YouTube

It seems fine when it's running. But when it's actually polishing, are all those vibrations normal?

P.S. I used orange pad last time. I'm using blue this time.

 

[dlc95]

I'm sure every single person here is on the edge of their seat waiting for me to post the setup. So here it is: Polisher diagnosis - YouTube

It seems fine when it's running. But when it's actually polishing, are all those vibrations normal?

P.S. I used orange pad last time. I'm using blue this time.

Seems to be normal for a random orbital polisher.

If the edge of a baking plate hut something, it could really mess something up in short order.

 

[Bosko]

is the orange pad the same size/style/brand?
Also did you rotate the surface from flat to the edge when the damage was caused?

 

[r3faat1]

is the orange pad the same size/style/brand?
Also did you rotate the surface from flat to the edge when the damage was caused?

1. Yes, same size and brand. I think orange was light polish. Blue is medium/heavy polish.

2. I'm not sure what you mean by rotating the surface from flat to edge?

 

[Paul A.]

With regard to #2, work your machine rotation so as to spin off the edge or ridge, not on to it.

 

[r3faat1]

Also did you rotate the surface from flat to the edge when the damage was caused?

Thanks for the clarification Paul. Yes, the damages were caused when it was spinning from the edge. When I was doing headlights, the edge touched the paint. When I was doing door panels, the edge touched the door handle. When I was doing the bumper, the edge touched the line. Every single time the edge touches anywhere, paint comes off.