Buffing tools, equimpent and technique

[fender3x]

Going back to post 23:

Oh damn! What caused the black residue? Was it residue on the buffing pads from the frets?

Yup. When you biff the frets there the metal particles in the buffing compound react with the metal in the frets and produce a carbon residue. It wipes off the frets without much problem. But it the carbon residue embeds itself in the finish.

As one of my old French Canadian buddies used to say "Too soon old, too late smart."