Rotary Usage

[Anthony Orosco]

Not to second guess your methods but "3000 rpms"? From what I gather paint manufacturers frown on an rpm over 1700 and to keep teperatures under 120 degrees. At 3000 rpm's you'll go way over that temperature, especially moving slow as you have recommended.

Perhaps because of your experience your method works great for you but it may spell disaster for a noob just learning, IMHO.

Anthony

[taco502001]

ok i just got a vector machine polisher and last thing i want to do is even leave swirl marks or brun through paint on my practice cars. herers what i gathered for steps

1. i wash car with my meguiars mit and body brush and spot wash all bug spots and tar spots till car is spotless
2. dry with my leather chamois and or microfiber towels
3.clay bar it
4. look at and feel paint then start off with finest polish and pad
5. working at low speeds with a polishing pad and finest polish needed work in a 2ft by 2ft sqaure
6. apply polish to pad all away around about 1" from perimeter then dab on the area of car working.
7. laying pad flat on car and start at a low rpm and move buffer back and forth at low speeds
8. then use finishing pad to buff off left over residue/haze

I need any other tips and exactly what pads and polish i should purchase and use. Also is it vital to go in a figure 8 pattern with the polisher or is it safe to go north/south east/west and about rate of speed of moving buffer back in forth is acceptable as you dont want to slow or too fast

[Anthony Orosco]

Hey Taco,

I am guessing that by your description you are going to apply a low abrasive polish with a polishing pad and then remove the residue with a fine polishing pad?

If so I would not recommend it. Reason being is that it really doesn't do any good. You're better off wiping off the residue with microfiber towels. Once you work in your polish it's pretty much done doing its stuff and has most likely begun to dry up so using another pad would only make a big mess.

If you are using the SAME polish, say Final Polish II, with your polishing pad you can then switch to a finishing pad (without removing the residue) and apply more FP II and buff over the same area. This way you only remove it once.

Here is a quick note also guys.....if your backing plate is only 4 inch in circumference and you have an 8 inch pad running on your rotary you are only getting the benefit of maybe 4 1/2 inches from the pad. You'll notice that a "ring" develops on the pad almost the exact same size of the backing plate. This indicates that only that portion of the pad is being used, the rest of the pad is pretty much useless. So make sure your pad to backing plate size is correct.

As for a pattern....you can go north, south, figure 8 and a hatch pattern just so long as you make sure you cover the area being buffed fully. I personally start back and forth then up and back and finish off by going diagonally.

As for how fast to move the polisher.....that's a personal preference really...BUT if your paint is getting too hot to touch then you are moving to slow and/or have the rpm too high. At first you'll be nervous, get tense, use a death grip....in general you'll make all kinds of mistakes as you will constantly check yourself but after awhile you'll notice that buffing becomes second nature.

Hope that helps,
Anthony

[columbus6cyl]

I use sponge pads instead of wool thats what i think helps out alot

[DSVWGLI]

Does anyone tape edges off, for example where two doors meet or where a door meets a fender?

[Anthony Orosco]

Originally Posted by DSVWGLI

Does anyone tape edges off, for example where two doors meet or where a door meets a fender?

I pretty much tape off the whole car. Anywhere where there is rubber and paint meeting itgets taped. If it needs alot of buffing, say with a foam cutting pad, wool pad, etc. I will tape of edges as well.

The brown paper that painters use is a great help when masking large areas...saves on tape.

Anthony

[DSVWGLI]

Thanks Anthony, what speed do you polish edges at and do you lift the edge of the pad that cuts into the edge of the panel?

[Anthony Orosco]

Originally Posted by DSVWGLI

Thanks Anthony, what speed do you polish edges at and do you lift the edge of the pad that cuts into the edge of the panel?

I feather the trigger when I get close to the edges. I buff into an edge while triggering the buffer.

Anthony

[35TH LE]

I read a handfull of post in this thread and have absorbed a bunch, thank you to all that have contributed. However.. after 7 pages my eyes hurt so I skipped to the last page.

Ive heard the term "pass" used a few times in various threads. When using my PC7424 I use the word "pass" when I refer to completeing a whole section. IE.. "I made a pass with the PC and #80 on a 1/4 size section of the cars hood." or " I did one pass with the #80 and PC to the whole car, I may need to make another pass to the whole car to remove more issues."

I want to make sure the term pass is used with the rotary in the same fashion. I get the feeling that when the word "pass" is used, when speaking of a rotary, it means gliding over a certain section 1 time. For instance "I made one pass on the 2x2 section @ 600rpm to spread, then made 2 passes @ 1200 on the same section."

Do you see what I mean? With the PC a "pass" on a 2x2 section means..... spending 3-5 minutes on that particular 2x2 section, which means I would glide the PC over each square inch MANY times. With a rotary a "pass" means I went over every square inch of that particular 2x2 section ONE time.

Am I correct? Im sorry if that makes no sense... its late.

[Lightman]

35th, to me a 'pass' is working over a particular section until the product has broken down, as you suggest a 'pc pass' is, regardless of machine used. I agree everyone should use the same terminology and mean the same thing for consistency of conversations..

[craigjshcr]

i have a 7 in rotary with a solid back plate should i get a flexabile one.

[Anthony Orosco]

Originally Posted by craigjshcr

i have a 7 in rotary with a solid back plate should i get a flexabile one.

I would as it gives you smoother operation, IMHO.

Anthony