Do I need a pc or flex? da?

jose206 · 09-26-09, 11:07

I am currently just polishing cars with a buffer makita or dewalt, pfw and lake country/orange/blue/white/black. Im wonderin though if I should also own a da? like a porter cable or a flex 3401. Im trying to get the best finish I can get for my paint corrections. How would owning a da benefit? I bought a flex 3401 a while back and ended up just selling it because I couldn't see any kind of results. Maybe I gave up on it too soon, I dont know. Help me out though, im trying to leave the absolute best finish. I notice some cars still have a spider web like scratches when im done and it really bugs me. Im new compared to many on here so go easy...

tdekany · 09-27-09, 12:09

In that case, you need to cut the paint more with the rotary. Perfect your skills first. A da can't do that for you.

m2c

White lexus 23 · 09-27-09, 12:31

Might I ask what kind of products you use? It may just be you need to expermint a bit more with different products, that might help you to achive your goal of getting a better finish. I think you might find it wiser to get better results if you try different things

Accumulator · 09-27-09, 10:47

jose206- If you're happy with the rotary, then the only reason I can think of to buy a DA is to remove any holograms that your rotary work might be leaving or maybe for use on cars with fragility issues.

When I read "spiderweb scratches", I think of the kind of marring that the rotary should take care of with the right pad/product/approach.

Not sure why the Flex 3401 didn't do it for you, but that seems beside the point now...

jose206 · 09-27-09, 04:18

on paint corrections im using pfw with m105 then moving down to a white lc compressor pad or clue lc ccs pad and optimum polish 2. I did a black mitsubishi 3000gt yesterday and finished it up with a blue lc and opt polish. The clear was really soft, must have gone through 4 pfw pads and some m105 then moved down to a blue ccs pad and opt polish. So you think I should cut more in order to get rid of those really light scratches? whats the big deal with the flex 3401? Is it just for those who don't feel comfortable using a rotary?

jose206 · 09-27-09, 04:20

I usually cut at about 1500 rpm and finish at 1200 rpm. What would you guys recommend? do you guys change it up depending on how hard or soft the clear is?

tdekany · 09-27-09, 05:41

Do you check your work while cutting? You either need to go higher rpm, work it longer or change to a black wool over the pfw.

Accumulator · 09-27-09, 06:17

jose206- I don't use my rotaries much since getting my Flex 3401, but yeah- with any machine the product/pad/speed used depends on the paint in question. How hard/soft and how badly marred.

I've run my rotaries as high as 3K on hard clear, though that's with an appropriate product and no, I sure don't do it often.

But when you say "light scratches" I gotta admit I'm confused. DEEP scratches mean you need to get more aggressive, but light ones could mean anything from residual marring left after prior attemts, to compound haze, to holograms. Sorry, but I just don't know what you're trying to fix

On *very* soft clear the M105/PFW combo might leave some pretty severe haze that'd take a few steps to sort out. M105/PFW is *not* something I'd try to clear up with one additional step.

I'd think twice about trying to leave things ready-to-wax with OCP and a rotary too, even though I'm sure some people do it all the time. I just can't get it to come out right myself.

jose206 · 09-30-09, 10:15

What are some situations where you would go with a pc or any other da over a rotary? On black paints optimum polish and a blue ccs pad seems to do very well at a low rpm 900ish on my makita. Am I missing something? I guess I would like to know if having a da would be NECESSARY? I have never wet sanded a car, are you guys using the da for this type of work?

Accumulator · 10-04-09, 08:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by jose206

What are some situations where you would go with a pc or any other da over a rotary?

Every application where I don't need a rotary to break down rocks-in-a-bottle compounds; that's just me, I simply don't like my rotaries.

Quote:

On black paints optimum polish and a blue ccs pad seems to do very well at a low rpm 900ish on my makita. Am I missing something?

Guess not, as long as you're inspecting thoroughly.

Quote:

I guess I would like to know if having a da would be NECESSARY? I have never wet sanded a car, are you guys using the da for this type of work?

No, a DA isn't necessary if you're happy with what you're doing now. I'd use a different (but similar) tool for machine sanding, but others here have done it with a PC.

jose206 · 10-04-09, 10:05

A while back I remember coming across a post where a guy did full correction on a black vw and I believe he wet sanded the whole care using his pc. Does this sound familiar? I want to read that thread again but haven't been able to find it...

Accumulator · 10-04-09, 10:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by jose206

A while back I remember coming across a post where a guy did full correction on a black vw and I believe he wet sanded the whole care using his pc. Does this sound familiar? I want to read that thread again but haven't been able to find it...

Search under the user-name "buffer barry", look for threads he started and you should find it. Yeah, that was another of his OMG-impressive jobs.