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

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

Here are some tips and techniques to tape-off and cover-up trim, felt or fuzzy gaskets like you find around some sunroofs, wheels and tires, air vents and grills as well as "The Beach Towel Tip"




How to tape-off car trim before machine polishing​
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKFdlAFgio4&hd=1]How to tape-off car trim before machine polishing - YouTube[/video]


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Note the Guzzler Waffle Weave towels being used to cover the engine compartment from splatter...
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Dedicated how-to article for protecting convertible tops

How to cover and protect a convertible top before machine buffing

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I love old classics and hot rods because often time trim has been removed and if they do have trim it's chrome or stainless steel...
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1971 GTO Wetsanding Project - Wetsanding, followed by using rotary buffers can be very messy...

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The Beach Towel Tip

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Tape it off and avoid a lifetime of ugly...


Ugly
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No Ugly
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Always cover and protect the shiny stuff

Not only does it prevents Splatter Dots from getting everywhere it also prevents the owner of a car to use your name as a cuss word...


Blown 1934 Ford Pick-up - Show Car Makeover - Modeled by Kristin

Next we cover-up all the brightwork and there's lots of it. Take my word for it, when it comes to projects like this you don't dare get polish spatter dots on the engine or in this example the exposed running gear in the truck bed. It's not professional and besides that it would take you hours to wipe the little dots of polish splatter off.

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The Autogeek Cover-up Towel is made from soft microfiber and can be washed and re-used. This come in real handy for covering up anything you don't want to get compound or polish splatter dots onto so you won't have to detail these areas with a toothbrush after the the wax has been removed.

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The soft microfiber won't scratch paint or polished metals. Simple cover or wrap around components and then use a little painter's tape to secure them in place.

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Here we've covered the polished aluminum gas tank and the chrome independent rear-end...
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Detailing Boot Camp Classes

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Also see the video here,


The Soft Flannel Bed Sheet Tip



The Panic Parrot - 1950 Studebaker Starlight Coupe

Keeping it covered, keeps the engine clean...

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Keeping it covered means no detailing the very detailed engine afterwards...

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:xyxthumbs:
 
Absolutely some of the most useful information we can have. Not that everybody will... at least once ;)
 
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 :)
 
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!!
 
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???
 
shoeless89 said:
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 :)
Click to expand...


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




Hoytman said:
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!!
Click to expand...


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
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Curves said:
Great Video. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Hard topic to make look easy...



Jomax said:
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???
Click to expand...

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
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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


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

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...
 
jbmeyer13 said:
Like Mike says in his taping video;

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


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.


:)
 
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.
 
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.
 
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