Ok I'm ready to get started. I got home last night, and today I washed the boat really good. I plan to get started tomorrow.
I plan to start with the gouge. I'll follow your advice above on that.
So now for tips on proper buffer technique. Lets pretend I don't know have a clue what I'm doing (probably not far off lol). My understanding is don't let it stay in the same spot long or it can overheat, and be careful on corners and edges to not go through them. But I have never used one of these....
First I'll wet sand the scratches with 600 then 1000. Should I go 1500 too or just strait to compound?
So start with the white pad, add compound, and anything else I need to know?
Should I start with the super duty and then go to the finess it? White pad for both, or is the finess it more of a polish and use the yellow pad?
I didn't get that cleaner/wax combo. I normally use mothers car wax. Not sure if it's the best, but I don't have any complaints on it. But if that other stuff is better I'll get it. Also if I'm not using it what polish should I use?
I found the bottle of plum crazy I used to use by hand. I'm not sure if it will help any for this?
Thanks again
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ok, i'm gonna bounce around here a bit, as this is gonna get long...
whatever wax ya have is fine...
the only time to use that hand glaze would be after finesse, before wax.. but finesse to wax should be fine... it really is formulated for hand app.. won't hurt tho..
you have a bit of a jump from super duty to finesse.. so you'll probably need to finesse really thorough to have all the swirls removed really well...
so do 80, 90% of your scratch removal with 600, than finish off with 1000.. you just to want to have to sand enough with 1000, to develop a finer cut over the 600.. super duty will be fine with thorough 1000.. it'll come right up.... i do have 1200 and 1500 but that's for other jobs...
ah, buffing techniques.. i've never actually done this....
you can either squirt compound on the pad, or directly on the panel.... set the machine to the lowest speed.... put the white pad on the panel and smear the super duty around.. start buffing at the slowest speed, to move around the compound, and get the area your trying to do "fully covered"... you'll do this at say a 10, 15% degree angle... the more you ride toward the edge of the buffer, the more it "cuts" and also leaves more pronounced swirls... do a comfortable area, maybe 3', 4' of hull say, before moving on.....
once you make a few passes back and forth over an area, you can take the wheel off the panel and "spur" the pad.. you can buy a tool, or a flatblade does it just as well.. just drag it over the pad with it spinning.. the faster the rpm's, the more it removes product buildup...
than go back to the panel that should have a film of compound all over it.. you can now bump up the speed to a medium.. say a machine goes 1 to 6... slow are 1, 2.. med 3, 4.. fast 5, 6... maybe a 3.. this time you will flatten the pad dramatically. almost flatpadding it on the panel.. down to 5 degrees or so... the speed will creat heat and shine... also when you flatpad it REMOVES the product off the panel..... you can work back and forth, flatpadding, spurring ocasionally, to the point you've removed all the compound/product.... you can leave a bit here and there, for fineese to clean up, or if you are going to recompound the area....
you will basically repeat this exact procedure with finesse it.. finesse will eventually leave a perfect surface.. no swirls, etc.. you can use a nice rag/towel to wipe off any minor finesse off at the end.. than wax however you want.. it can be buffed, or hand... high speed wax buffing can be VERY beneficial for showcars and such.. a nice pure carnuba applied with some heat leaves an awesome surface... if you go thru the trouble to SD, than polish it perfect with finesse, it's really nice to get a good wax coat on at that point.. even a good thick paste wax will work good at that point...
but to segway that into another question.. your initial sentence.. the burning edges, heat, etc... that vastly applies more to paint than gel. as i alluded to.... gel is VERY hard, being a polyester base... i DARE you to try and burn gel with a buffer...
it can happen, but it is VERY rare... even direct bodyline edges will take a direct angle buff of super duty and not bat an eye.. do that to the top edge of a fender, and it will now be pin striped there...
generally you are always moving over a panel at some speed, slow to medium.... only time you are slowing your travel speed is when you are trying to create shine (heat) and lessen/remove swirls...
oh, white vs yellow... super duty should always be on the white pad.. it's the "rougher" compounding pad.. that said, i have been known to super duty one side, than flip it over and finesse with the other side......
oh, i hope you got the superbuff adapter... thats the big advantage of the 2 + 2 stuff.. 2 sides... but since you only have SD and finesse it, might as well use the yellow for the finesse.. it IS the polishing pad afterall.. just like sandpaper has grits, so do the pads. you can feel it, the yellow is much silkier than the white.... you could polish with the one side, and even wax with the other..
once they get a little loaded, dirty, hammered, you can wash them.. just watch out for heat.. cold or warm water.. do NOT put in the drier! air dry only....
oh, and you always want the right side of the pad on the surface.. rotation going from top to bottom... easier to control generally than the left side trying to drag the machine up the panel.....
there are stooopid amounts to this..... especially cars.... you can mask edges for safety, different wheel techniques, etc but that should get you started..
