# The 10 @ 10 technique for picking up a bead of product with a rotary buffer



## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

*The 10 @ 10 technique for picking up a bead of product with a rotary buffer*

The *10 @ 10 Technique* for picking up a bead of product is a way you can grabbing your product on the fly with your rotary buffer in a way that pulls the product under and into the face of the buffing pad instead of splattering it all over the place.

Some people take their pad and simply spread their product out over the paint with the buffer off and then after spreading it out turn the buffer on and start buffing, this works but can also throw splatter all over the place.

The 10 @ 10 Technique not only works but has a cool factor to it that shows anyone watching that you know how to pick up a bead of product like a Pro.

First of all, the term bead in detailing talk beans a line or strip of product. Just want to make sure everyone understands that term.

To pick up your bead of product using the 10 @ 10 Technique, while holding the rotary buffer in your hands, looking at the back of the buffing pad, pretend it's clock. The top is 12:00 O'clock and going clockwise you have the 1, 2, 3, etc. positions on the buffing pad that would correlate with a clock.










What you want to do is bring the rotary buffer up to speed and then lock the trigger into place so you don't have to hold it in the entire time you're buffing.

Next, place the buffing pad just in front of your bead of product at the 10 O'clock position.










The pad should be spinning but not in contact with the paint.

Lightly touch the buffing pad down so the 3 O'clock position is just making contact with the paint and the 10 O'clock position is raised off the paint about 10 degrees.

Now run the buffing pad over the bead of product from right to left drawing the bead in at the 10 O'clock position. (not the 9 O'clock or 11 O'clock posting but the 10 O'clock position).

Since the pad is rotating clockwise, the bead of product will be pulled into and under the pad instead of being thrown away from the pad as splatter.

As soon as you move the polisher past the last portion of the bead of product instantly move the raised portion of the buffing pad so that the entire pad is now flat against the paint and proceed to spread the product out over the area you're going to work.

After the product is spread out, then start working the product against the paint with slow overlapping passes.

At our recent Advanced Detailing Class, I helped Tanya to learn how to pick up a bead of product using the rotary buffer. With a little practice you'll be picking up your bead like a Pro!

*Tanya is ready to learn the way of the rotary buffer...*
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*First things first and that's learning the 10 @ 10 Technique for picking up a bead of product...*









*Tilt about 10 degrees and run the buffing pad over the bead at the 10 O'clock position with the 3 O'clock position of the pad just lightly against the paint...*









*Continue moving the buffing pad over the bead of product at the 10 O'clock position on the buffing pad.*


















*When you get to the end of the bead of product then lay the pad flat and then spread the product out over the area you're going to work.*



























*Here's a good picture that shows how Charles has spread his product out over an average size area to work at one time and now he's compound the paint.*









People new to machine polishing often forget to put the cord over their shoulder till you remind them a few times and it becomes a habit or "Best Practice"

Once you master the 10 @ 10 Technique and understand how the technique works, you can then start _*freestyling*_ and picking your bead of product up anywhere on the buffing pad as long as you do it in such a way that the spinning pad is pulling the product into and under the pad and not throwing it as splatter.

For example, another common way to pick up your bead of product is at the 4 @ 10 Technique.

For this you would be moving the rotary buffer from left to right, with the pad just touching down at the 9 O'clock position and lifting the opposite side about 10 degrees and then running the bead in at the 4 O'clock position.

Since the pad is rotating clockwise, the bead of product will be pulled into and under the pad instead of being thrown away from the pad as splatter.

Remember to clean your pad often using either a Spur or a Pad Washer.

*Using a Spur to clean a wool buffing pad to remove spent product and removed paint* 









*Using the System 2000 Pad Washer to clean a wool buffing pad on a DeWALT Rotary Buffer*


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## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

Here's another pictorial example with comments on how to pick up your bead of product using the *10 @ 10 Technique* from our Pictures & Comments thread from the September 19th Detailing 102 Class here in Stuart, Florida.

*It's important to wear safety glasses anytime you're operating power tools...* 









*Demonstrating the 10 @ 10 Technique for picking up a bead of product...*









*With this technique you run the bead of product into that pad at the 10 O'Clock position on the pad while tilting the pad approximately 10 degrees moving the buffer from right to left...*


















*When you do this instead of splattering the product outward, the pad will pull the product into into itself and under the pad...*









After you pick up your bead you can then lay your pad flat, spread the product out over the area you're going to work and begin making slow, overlapping passes.









The goal is to remove all of the sanding marks and restore gloss and clarity to the paint. It's okay if there are still swirls left behind as we'll remove those during the polishing step.


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## big ben (Aug 25, 2009)

would you not use more product than is needed with this method? and i take it that it will only work with wool pads?


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## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

big ben said:


> would you not use more product than is needed with this method?


Depends upon how thick and how long the strip of product you lay down is. One thing I try to do is use squeeze bottles because their cylinder shape makes them easy to slip into apron pockets and they also stand up on their own well.

Most of the time with most squeeze bottles you buy you need to cut the tip off and I try to cut the tip so it's not too large of an opening, this helps to lay down a thin bead then all you have to do is gauge how long it is.



big ben said:


> and i take it that it will only work with wool pads?


Wool or foam, rotary buffers or tools like the Flex 3401. It kind of works with DA Polishers but if you're not careful you'll sling spatter, if you want to pick up product on the fly with a DA Polisher then the *Kissing the Finish by Mike Phillips* tends to work better...

All my articles are usually just what works best for me and/or techniques I've used for years... at the end of the day people can take from them what they want and leave the rest or take nothing at all...

Everyone usually tweaks different techniques to make them custom for their style, tool and work environment...

Good questions!

:thumb:


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## big ben (Aug 25, 2009)

i will certainly give it a go


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## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

big ben said:


> i will certainly give it a go


Don't worry if you make a mistake when practicing the technique, last week I showing Bryan Fuller the technique because he does the spreading around then turn the polisher on technique and after I told him how it works and how if you do it right you don't throw splatter I proceeded to mess-up and throw some splatter _*as the cameras were rolling...*_

*On the set of Two Guys Garage with host, Bryan Fuller*









Just have to get to a point where you never take life so seriously that you can't also laugh at yourself...


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## Pk777 (Apr 12, 2011)

Haha def the cool factor! Do u do the pick up at normal start 500rpm?? Or faster?


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## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

Pk777 said:


> Haha def the cool factor! Do u do the pick up at normal start 500rpm?? Or faster?


It's real easy if you have a RB that dials down to 600 RPM like the Flex PE14 or the Makita 9227

I usually pick up my bead at whatever RPM the RB is set to when I'm working otherwise I would be dialing down and then dialing up, then dialing down then dialing up, etc.


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## Pk777 (Apr 12, 2011)

Mike Phillips said:


> It's real easy if you have a RB that dials down to 600 RPM like the Flex PE14 or the Makita 9227
> 
> I usually pick up my bead at whatever RPM the RB is set to when I'm working otherwise I would be dialing down and then dialing up, then dialing down then dialing up, etc.


Ah ok think I understand lol I use the zenith technique so I do 600-900-1500 the reverse, sound right???


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## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

Pk777 said:


> Ah ok think I understand lol I use the zenith technique so I do 600-900-1500 the reverse, sound right???


I've never read the article, I know what you're talking about, just haven't ever read the article.

I've done a lot of rotary work in my life and I keep it simple, I pick my RPM according to what I'm working on and trying to accomplish and then start out with firm pressure and lessen the pressure as I finish my last passes for each section with whatever product I'm using and apply this to each step till I finish out...

Using the 10 @ 10 Technique is just a way of picking up your bead of product on the fly for both vertical and horizontal panels, you can use any technique you like once you have the product trapped under your pad and then spread out over the area you're going to work.


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## Pk777 (Apr 12, 2011)

Yeah very true mate I did an old xjs tonight using the "correct" method 
Here's the result, also used the ten @ ten and worked a treat!


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