Do Pros ever get splatter?

[Joe V]

I am wondering if splatter is 100% avoidable while using a rotary. I've searched and read quite a bit about reducing it, and I've been able to eliminate it while polishing with 6.5" CCS or flat pads with my rotary by applying product in small amounts to the center of the pad (on the vehicle first) and working it in. Various articles and how-to videos helped a lot.

 

However, I'm still getting splatter sometimes. Specifically, I'm working on a dark green truck that has severe pinstriping (from being driven through a pine forrest) and I'm using and having good luck with hyper-compound. A couple questions are:

 

1. 7.5" pads (with the "pocket" or CCS) seem to give me the most problem, do others find this to be true? To be able to polish with all of the pad I apply a little compound to the outside of the pad which adds to the problem. It's nice to use the outer portion of the pad to reach tight spots but how is this done without applying product on the outside of the pad? I mostly add product on the vehicle then place the pad so that the product is in the middle of the pad, which helps for most of the time.

 

2. Ditto foamed wool. If the entire pad surface has product to provide lubrication and compounding, does some fling out? I'm using a purple 6.5" LC. I am seeing this flinging a bit.

 

3. Menzerna seems worse than Optimum. IP seems only to fling dust, FPII just seems to fling everywhere. OK, this is a statement rather than a question.

 

4. Does priming a pad w/ water necessarily make splatter worse?

 

Sorry if these are overly basic questions, thanks for your help. I have the rotary set between 1000 - 1500 rpm, speed doesn't seem to matter.

 

J.V.

[jdoria]

Everyone gets a little splatter.

 

If you hit a sharp body contour while polishing and have an edge of a pad lift from the surface, splat!.

[SoCalDS]

Yeah, it really stinks to be on the receiving end of it too. We were using Hyper-Compound on a boat hull the other day and my partner fired up the buffer while I was standing right next to him and, well... Needless to say, I was glad that I was wearing sunglasses. But anyway, it helps to work some of the product into the surface before firing up your buffer.

[Anthony Orosco]

It's possible to get no splatter but this usually means you're buffing at a slow controlled pace and taking time to position the pad correctly. Using too much product and starting the buffer at too high of an rpm are major trouble.

 

You can run the buffer over your product at the 10:00 position or like I do, just place the pad directly over your product at feather the trigger a few times and then start buffing.

 

So try less product, low rpm and just practice, practice.

 

Anthony

[Joe V]

Thanks for the responses.

 

Lately I've been having better luck. As SoCal suggested with a fresh pad I've been working a little product into the pad with my fingers to ensure good lubrication (but it won't fling out cause it's in the pad), then using a little dab of product on the paint as needed, centering the pad upon startup. And watching the speed as Anthony talked about. I still got a tiny bit a couple of times, but overall there was no mess.

 

SoCal that's a good example of good personal protective equipment. Can't imagine polish in the eyes.

[SoCalDS]

SoCal that's a good example of good personal protective equipment. Can't imagine polish in the eyes.

 

Well, I don't think that OSHA would classify my beat-up old Von Zippers as PPE, but they sure did the trick in this case!