Should I step up to rotary?

jw · 04-15-08, 10:36

I've been using a pc for 5 years. The results have been okay but not incredible. The car always looks shinier than before but it never seems to to get rid of all the swirls. I'm not sure if i need to step up a to rotary or i just need to find a better pad/polish combo. I've been tryiing Menzerna 106ff with an orange pad and it really hasn't touched the swirls on any of my cars. Before that I've tried Menzerna IP and that didn't do great either. Do I need to try Menzerna SIP or do i step up to the rotary?

IanB · 04-16-08, 05:11

It all depends on what paint/car you have. I have audi paint, and I (like you) was just not able to correct the car with a PC (talking hours here for a 2x2 section) after struggling, I said 'f*(& it' and got a rotary, if you have been working with the PC for so long, I would just be prepared to take it slow, white pad or black with Menz ff would be fine. I am correcting swirls with that combo, that I couldn't touch with 1z Extra and a Yellow/orange pad. I am not positive but on the PC scale, my paint is frozen diamonds hard, with the rotary, it is just hard paint that corrects ridiculously well with 106fa.

so, I am loving the rotary, even if it is scary sometimes being pulled around by the machine, it corrects MAJOR swirls with MINIMAL time. 1 full polish breakdown does as much as 7 polish breakdowns with the PC.

Go rotary...especially if you have more than one car you maintain.
IB

White_07_G6_GT · 04-16-08, 07:34

I just made the switch this past weekend. I was very impressed with the correction speed of the rotary when I combined with SIP and 106ff. I used Edge green pads for the SIP and blue for the 106ff.

After 5 years you have the skills needed for a Rotary, just slow it down and keep checking your work. Also use 6" pads they won't pull you around as bad as the 8" do.

Check out my post in the C&B section I did a White GrandAm GT on the weekend the results were very impressive with the SIP 106 combo.

Simon

Accumulator · 04-16-08, 08:19

jw- Like IanB I got frustrated spending forever on the Audis, so I'm sure glad I got a rotary. Couldn't (or rather *wouldn't*) have gotten the GMs nearly as nice without it either. But OTOH I simply don't need it for my vehicles with softer paint.

I *will* point out that IMO you're not being all that aggressive with your PC; using a product like 1Z Intensive or H-T EC with a 4" pad, the PC can do some pretty serious work. That 106ff is more along the lines of something I'd use *after* I'd done all the significant correction with more aggressive stuff (and I'd use it with a milder pad too).

But far be it from me to dissuade anybody from getting more tools

Just make sure you have the knowledge base and mindset that are required to use the rotary without the sort of oops that can only be fixed with a paint gun

TTWAGN · 04-16-08, 09:12

106FF and an orange 6.5nch cutting pad is no where near reaching the cutting limits of a PC. That explains why you are having issues removing swirls. If going to IP doesn't make much difference then SIP wont cut it either you'll have to go with stronger pads and stronger compound.

Buy some Meguiars M105 and some 4inch cutting pads. The 4inch pads give far more cut and M105 has more than double the cut of SIP yet finishes down really well. The 4inch pads work great with M105 considering its a rotary only compound.

SuperBee364 · 04-16-08, 10:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by TTWAGN

106FF and an orange 6.5nch cutting pad is no where near reaching the cutting limits of a PC. That explains why you are having issues removing swirls. If going to IP doesn't make much difference then SIP wont cut it either you'll have to go with stronger pads and stronger compound.

Buy some Meguiars M105 and some 4inch cutting pads. The 4inch pads give far more cut and M105 has more than double the cut of SIP yet finishes down really well. The 4inch pads work great with M105 considering its a rotary only compound.

Hmm. I dunno... there's heaps of difference between IP and IP's bigger brother SIP. I'd certainly step up to SIP from IP first before going as aggressive as a true compound like M105. That is a *huge* jump in cutting power. But it could very well be needed. Nothing wrong with trying out the least aggressive stuff first, though.

I definitely agree with the pad size, though, you really do need the four inch pads for max correction on a PC. Some might disagree with this, too, but I wouldn't ever use anything stronger than a four inch LC orange pad with a PC. If you do need more cutting power, step up the polish once you are using an orange pad. The yellow pads can just do nasty things to your paint... let the polish do most of the work and stay with the more gentle orange pad.

dirtdiggler · 04-17-08, 04:13

JW,
I am looking into adding a rotary to my detail collection.

i have been searching and AG seems to have a Makita for 199.00 and 269 for an 8'' kit.

can someone chime in on a freshman kit.. from the this thread, the 6'' pad might be my best option.

so - makita from AG ? or anywhere else ?, probably purchase 6'' orange and white pads and hook and loop backing plate.

please comment.

Thank you.

Accumulator · 04-17-08, 10:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirtdiggler

so - makita from AG ? or anywhere else ?, probably purchase 6'' orange and white pads and hook and loop backing plate.

please comment.

Thank you.

Sounds good for a starter package if you have a PC/etc. to final-polish with (think holograms/etc.). But you might want to start out with *wool* instead of foam as it oughta be safer with regards to having an "oops!" as wool runs cooler than foam.