Surgical Buffing

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Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.

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Surgical Buffing


Working on thin panels or intricate areas is what I call surgical buffing. In order to do surgical buffing you need the right tools.

We have these new 3" pads and together with a 3" backing plate and an adapter for using double side pads but I use them as an extension.


SurgicalBuffing01.jpg


SurgicalBuffing02.jpg


threeInchPads011.jpg


threeInchPads021.jpg


threeInchPads031.jpg


threeInchPads041.jpg



On Autogeek.net


Lake Country Hydro-Tech 3 x 1.25 Inch Foam Pads, hydrotech buffing pads, polishing pads, spot buffs

Flex-Foam HD Rotary Backing Plate, 3 inches

Optimum Double-Sided Rotary Adapter

Meguiars W63 Rotary Backing Plate 3 Inches

Rotary 2 7/8 inch Flexible Backing Plate

2-3/4 inch Hook & Loop Rotary Backing Plate



Same application, just a little different design, both work great.

On Autogeek.net

Lake Country Double-Sided Pad Rotary Buffer Adapter
LakeCountryRBExtension.jpg



Optimum Double-Sided Pad Rotary Buffer Adapter
OptimumyRBExtension.jpg










:buffing:
 
I'll definitely be picking up some of these. I like having pads in different sizes. Comes in handy. I just wish the edge was rounded. I find they're easier to control with my rotary.
 
Is there any issue with the non-beveled egde? All my flat pads are beveled..
 
This would be another option instead of getting the 3-in Griots.
 
timaishu said:
Is there any issue with the non-beveled egde? All my flat pads are beveled..
Click to expand...

No issues that I've ever experienced.

The pads tend to cup or mold inward as you're buffing, that is the foam smooshes inward so you have and even smaller footprint than 3" when buffing.

The small size just comes in handy for thin panels, intricate areas etc...

I took some more pictues showing these pads on other tools, just haven't had time to process the pictures, upload and insert... I'll get to it though... just have some other offline projects with more priority..
 
Mike Phillips,

I'm glad you brought this subject up. Last fall, I was polishing my brother's GS430 and the one area that gave me a big headache was the trim around the side windows. All the black pieces are fairly thin and painted factory Onyx Black (single stage, very soft and sticky).

windowtrim.jpg


What is the best way to go about correcting these areas with a rotary?
 
Kaban said:
Mike Phillips,

I'm glad you brought this subject up. Last fall, I was polishing my brother's GS430 and the one area that gave me a big headache was the trim around the side windows. All the black pieces are fairly thin and painted factory Onyx Black (single stage, very soft and sticky).

windowtrim.jpg


What is the best way to go about correcting these areas with a rotary?
Click to expand...

Tape off the trim. Use 3'' pads, slower speeds.
 
Mike, that' a great idea using the adapter, never considered that.
 
Kaban said:
Mike Phillips,

I'm glad you brought this subject up. Last fall, I was polishing my brother's GS430 and the one area that gave me a big headache was the trim around the side windows.

All the black pieces are fairly thin and painted factory Onyx Black (single stage, very soft and sticky).

What is the best way to go about correcting these areas with a rotary?
Click to expand...

Your picture was removed by Imageshack?

ImageShack.jpg


Been dealing with missing photos from forum members that use Photobucket and Imageshack all my online life and I'll stick to what I wrote here.

Photobucket and Missing Pictures


As to your question about how to buff out the thin panels surrounding windows? Well if you're getting pad for Perfectionist Detailing then tape off everything you don't want to run a rotating buffing pad over and onto and then use small 3" pads like I show in this article to surgically buff them out.


:xyxthumbs:
 
how do you attack REALLY small panels? My a-pillar only has about 1, maybe 1.5" of width to it, and i dont have anything that can get there to correct the paint, do i just absolutely have to work by hand in straight lines?(not really any room to go circular)

Shawn
 
Are there any similar extensions/adapters for a DA? It would be useful to use a 3 inch pad with extension on a DA also, not just a rotary.
 
RZJZA80 said:
Are there any similar extensions/adapters for a DA? It would be useful to use a 3 inch pad with extension on a DA also, not just a rotary.
Click to expand...

Someone recently sent me the same question in an e-mail, another person via Facebook, here's the reply I sent via PM's


There is not one that I know of. I don't think it would work well with the PC type of tool, it would create too much leverage over the bearings and possibly cause harm.

DA Polishers use a 5/16" threaded stud while rotary buffers use 5/8" and there's a huge difference in strength when you start putting leveraged pressure or tension against the tool as it's operating.

I'm sure you can find some threaded tube stock at any Nut & Bold Supply Store, possibly a warehouse store like Lowe's but I don't think it's going to be good for the polisher and it's also going to make holding the tool tippy. My guess is it will also be harder to control due to the oscillating movement.

I'm all for someone trying though...



:)
 
Is an adapter necessary for a Griot's 6" DA, or can the LC 3" backing plate be used directly on the polisher? Also, do the compression washers need to be used or changed? New kid on the block here!
 
Tried this set-up with my old PC:

WP_20131009_008.jpg


http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...polishers/71559-3-pad-solution-pc-7424-a.html

Worked for a little while at lower speeds...turned it up to keep the pad rotating and blew it up!

WP_20131026_008.jpg


WP_20131026_007_1_.jpg


WP_20131026_006.jpg


Was using a 3" Meguiar's Microfiber pad, M105. moderate pressure (pad rotating), speed 5.

Obviously got too hot

I wonder if this set-up just doesn't really work with a DA as opposed to a rotary. I am wondering if the dual-action is a lot harder on the interfaces between the machine, backing pad and polishing pad.
 
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