Re: IML: buffer and polisher

[Kenyon Wills <imperialist1960@xxxxxxxxx>]

--- Elijah Scott <imperial1971@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Crestonave@xxxxxxx wrote:    I've just acquired one,
> with foam pads. Any suggestions on how to use?  


1.  Find a car that looks like hell, like a buddy's
crappo car and start there.  Even if you screw up,
you'll prbably get a beer out of it if you work it
right.

2.  put a small/medium glob of polish on the paint and
swirl the polisher over the glob, asorbing the glob
into the cells of the foam so that the pad carries the
polish and to avoid flinging the polish all over the
place.

3.  You're already committed to the Porter Cable unit
and I don't know if it has it, but if you shop for a
polisher, compare what you're getting to the Milwaukee
unit.  I had a Makita and a DeWalt which are both good
products.  The Milwaukee has a 0 setting that the
other's don't have, which is a big deal because you
can put the pad on the car, pull the trigger, and
rotate the speed adjust to bring the pad  S L O W L Y
up to speed instead of instantly going from 0-100 rpm
(or whatever).

4.  Don't spin the thing too fast or stay in the same
place too long.  You will heat up the paint and either
melt it or rub through it.

5.  You are essentially sanding your car.  You're
doing it in a fine manner, but as with sanding a car
to prime it, you start with coarse-cut compound and a
coarse pad (presuming that the paint isn't shiny and
is coarse itself).  As with sanding, you're sanding
down to the lowest common denominator in the surface. 
Once you get there, switch to the softer, less-coarse
pad and polish.  They call the goo "Cutting Compound"
and "Polishing Compound".  That is preferring to grit
- use accordingly.  

6.  Get your supplies from the place that supplies the
local auto body shops (!!!) and ASK ADVICE.  The IML
is a good resource up to a point, but talking to
someone that is selling you your goods is a powerful
thing (especially if they know what they are doing!).

7.  Resist the IMPERIAL cutting compound.  It's older
and not as good as the newer formulations.

8.  Water works as a super lubricant once you get the
hard work done and are in the final stages.  A mildly
hydroplaning pad cuts less than one lubricated with
polish.

9.  Wax is the opposite of sanding/polishing.  It
fills voids and thereby creates the final stage of
shine, as it yeilds the mirror-finish if you've done
everything else right.  Meguires (sP?) has a
swirl-mark remover - read up on their website - they
do a better job than many of packaging their stuff so
that it makes sense.

10. run the spinning pad so that it is moving off of
edges, and not onto them.  pulling the pad over an
edge and into it will strip the paint in no time. 
This lesson normally gets learned the hard way.  This
is where your buddy's old pickup truck comes in. 
Learn lessons on vehicles with paint that is not
"pride and joy" rated. 
 


Good luck.  You're aquiring a skill that others will
envy if you can get to be any good at it.




Kenyon Wills
 
 






















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