When to tape-off and other Q's

[howardm4]

Hi All,

Almost time to put the nice car away for the season, esp. since I'll have to have rotator cuff surgery soon-ish.

I'd like to do the car beforehand. The car body panels are plastic/resin and there is quite a bit of PPF on it. I dont
think it's ever been properly polished out or even clayed. Paint (white) needs claying and a light/med polish.

So, a bunch of questions.....

Here's the recipe I came up with:
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] IronX
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] un-tar rocker panels & front bumper/bugs Citrol & Mckees bug[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] fast foam & wash to get residues off (Opti Car Wash)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] clay - SFX & Immolube (no fake rubberish clay for this) (include PPF film)
Gtechniq W4 Citrus pre-foam[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] full foam wash (Opti Car Wash)
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] dry - PFM & blower
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] tape off PPF
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Polish - Sonax Perfect finish
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] LSP - Sealant (Wolfgang 3.0) & AngelWax Enigma or Collinite 476/845/915 (maybe not 915 on a white car?)
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] PPF Renew - 3" black pads
Exterior trim sealant (Wolfgang)

I have a GG3, GG6 (w/ 5") and Makita 5000 DA's along w/ 1, 2, 3, 5 backplates and variety of pads

1. Lots of compound and fairly tight curves on the most body panels. Was planning on using (mostly) 1", 2" or 3" pads w/ Perfect Finish and
probably a combination of taping off and careful edging around PPF boundaries and other trim.

2. The PPF comes 1/2 way up the hood. Was planning on a thin tape line to prevent either lifting or getting product under the edge.

>> Did I miss anything or do you think I should change the sequence <<[/FONT]

 

[SWETM]

First I don't know if you think about useing the tar/bug remover on the PPF? Especially the Citrol 266 I would stay away from the PPF. And I would email McKees 37 and ask if their Bug Remover is safe to use on the PPF. Or if others knows more about it or maybe you do. If you have any tar or and tree sap on the PPF I would see how the clay bar removes it. Maybe IPA would be safer on it but have insurance from others too. If it's much of contaminants you have on the PPF you may need a mild grade clay bar or medium grade. The Sonüs SFX Ultra Fine Clay is very mild grade clay bar but test it out and see how it works. I'm a little uncertain how it is with the iron removers if you can use them on PPF or not.

The steps I do for decon in order is.

1. Foam the Gtechnic W4 Citrus Foam on a dry car and let it dwell and PW clean rinsing it off.
2. Tar remover to remove tar spots and tree sap and rubber spots and other grime. The tar remover before the iron remover so if you have tar spots over an iron partical you get this off first. PW clean rinsing it off and if it's necessary a second application and aggitate it lightly.
3. Iron remover and let it dwell for as long as possible before it dries on the paint. PW clean rinsing it off. And do a test spot where it where bleeding reaction from it was the worst. If still bleeds do a second application and aggitate it lightly and PW clean rinsing it off.
4. Claying.
5. Wash with a car soap that leaves nothing behind as in protection and glossenhancers. Dry it.
6. Tape the necessary and the PPF edge as you mentioned saves a lot of cleaning if doing so.
7. Polishing. When you get to polishing the PPF with the Gyeon PPF Renew. When you get to the edge of the PPF to the paint. Use the Makita PO5000 and lift the polisher up so the half side of the pad don't have any contact on the surface. Have the direction of the rotation of the pad that touches spinning from the PPF and to the paint. This way you don't get the polish pushed into the edge. And you get the edge of the PPF polished too. Think it will work with the Makita but a rotary polisher is easier to control this with when you go over edges. And the Makita PO5000 in the direct driven mode

Also have a look at the heat build up on the plastic/resin panels as it's building up faster and cooling down slower.

/ Tony