Rotary Usage

[Greg]

Mucho gracias. Dare I take the plunge? We shall see.
Does the need for a DA RO exist with a rotary buffer?

[theveed]

Originally posted by Anthony Orosco
Rotary rookies....
If you are kinda short you may need to get a step stool so that you are over and above the buffer as much as possible. This is very important. If you are right handed then your left hand will grab the handle WHICH by the way is NOT what you steer the buffer with. The handle should only be used to assist in guidance and balance. Far too many newbies PULL the buffer or PUSH the buffer with the handle which results in swirls. It will be natural your first few times to have a death grip on the buffer and your body will let you know this the next day by a sore wrist and/or forearm. Beads of sweat are also a clue

Best advice about "handling" IMO... I have a hard time putting this technique into words... but it's very true... The first time I practiced with a rotary I tried to "steer" the buffer head with the handle... it never worked out... after a while, using the whole buffer body to steer the head is much more effective, efficient and less tiring.

I also hold the buffer head itself and not the handle when working on vertical or tighter places, it gives me much better control... (Note that I have small hands and they fit in between the "C" handle of the Makita and the buffer head itself, so I'm pretty anchored).

[flyby]

ok, so i have light swirls, scratches on my dark green civic....my friend is going to loan my his rotary 8 or 9 inch he sed, dont know which model.

i was going to use

yellow polishing pads

1. dacp then
2. smr
3. glaze
4. #26 wax

and i am going to go really slow

or

could i use 3M smr (dark) by hand and be ok?
i read that dacp needs to be used with a rotary...
and i am not built like scottwax!!!! but i have all day to do this....

[Green Monster]

Thanks Anthony Orosco for the advice.

I already have a few old cars lined up to practice on, so I don't have to worry so much and one of them is a dark brown Subrau which will help me see what I am doing.

[Green Monster]

Ok which pad is the easiest to used or which do you suggest us to use?

CMA Finger Pads

CMA Advance Pads

The 3M Waffle Pad

Thanks again.

[Anthony Orosco]

Morning folks,

Glad to see ya'll didn't mind the long read.

Flyby,

If the swirls and/or scratches are truly "light" then I would skip the DACP and go straight to the SMR and a polishing pad. Work an area and then see how it looks. Remember as long as the paint is warm to the touch then you are safe and can repeat the application if the first one did not do the trick.

If you feel you still need more bite then use the polishing pad and the DACP.

GreenMonster,

I like the "finger" and the "waffle" pads over the Advanced pads if I am cutting or doing a mid-polishing step because they can work the product longer and one can control the heat build up better.

The Finger pads do tend to shed their fingers though if caught on an edge or molding piece. I personally prefer the Advanced Finishing pad for my last and final rotary pass using #9 or #3 or the sealant of my choice. I just get a better feel for the paint with one of these pads over the Finger and Waffle pads.

Also the combo of a rotary and PC or Cyclo is a good idea because one may only need to use the rotary on certain areas of the car, for instance the top sections, and finish out the rest of the car with the PC.

Good Luck folks

Anthony

[joed1228]

Anthony - Great info, I was reading somewhere that it is better to hold the head of the buffer rather than the handle. It will allow the weight to be spread out in a more efficent manner and you can control it.

I found out on my own about the "move your body with the buffer" trick. Looks like I'm in soul train, I'm grooving! .......... until the machine starts hopping everywhere like a frog. I just purchased a spur and 4 more pads so I should be all set.

All I am worried about is inducing swirls and splatter. If I am not getting rid of that many swirls up front I can always learn better ways, if I am creating swirls and sending splatter everywhere customers are never going to come back.

[Anthony Orosco]

joed,

Thanks. The introduction of swirls at first is a given because you must program your mind and body to get into "buffer mode" and this takes some time.

In other words when people first begin using a high speed rotary they are hyper focused on one aspect. Either keeping the pad flat, keeping the splatter down, not burning the paint, to much or to little pressure, etc. What should and will happen over time is you will begin to become "all inclusive" and just automatically become aware of each aspect. I jokingly refer to this as "Zen Detailing" and one reaches it when one becomes one with the buffer, product and paint

Seriously though you will soon no longer focus or be distracted by those things and the funny thing is you will hardly notice when your buffing becomes second nature.

Just remember that no finish is 100% flawless because one can only work with the paint finish one is given. You cannot work out paint problems if the pigmented paint underneath the clear is flawed and each detailer needs to learn and know his or her limits.

For the "jumping frog" syndrome make sure you are not over buffing the product. Many times a water based cleaner/polish will not buff as long as say a solvent (mineral spirits) based cleaner/polish will. Work the product good at first but then cut back on the rpm's as it breaks down and begins to haze up. If not you will have a gummy residue build up on the pad and also on the paint, especially around contours and raised body lines.

Happy Detailing
Anthony

[joed1228]

Originally posted by Anthony Orosco
Many times a water based cleaner/polish will not buff as long as say a solvent (mineral spirits) based cleaner/polish will. Work the product good at first but then cut back on the rpm's as it breaks down and begins to haze up. If not you will have a gummy residue build up on the pad and also on the paint, especially around contours and raised body lines.

If that works I owe you a coffee or something man! It would be nice to use a pad for more than half of a hood.

[Blk300ZX]

Great advice Orosco. The skipping pad is very bad to us. When it happens normally causes by the pad being off centered. There are new pads available and can be purchsed with a center "lock" for a perfect line everytime. I believe 3m makes them and the backing plate. I tried it today and saves much time and headaches.

[Anthony Orosco]

Thanks Ryan

I was reading over this thread and figured I need to mention that buffer "splatter", at least for me, is the last thing I am concerned about. I always, after a serious buffing, wash the car down anyways and remove the splatter.

Here is a trick that also helps to ease splatter clean up. Take an old pair of tube socks and cut out the toe end, you may need several of them since it's hard to find the "knee high" tube socks, unless your still living in the 80's!! You can then place these socks over the windshield wipers and arms. I also go through lots of painters masking tape. It looks like I am painting the car more so than polishing it.

You can also stuff newspaper into body seams and RUBBER CEMENT is a great masking agent. You can fill emblems and such with the rubber cement and when all done just peel it away.

Lastly, if a pad continues to hop and skip try buffing with it at a slight angle and this should eliminate or greatly reduce the skipping.

Anthony

Originally posted by Green Monster
Ok which pad is the easiest to used or which do you suggest us to use?

CMA Finger Pads

CMA Advance Pads

The 3M Waffle Pad

Thanks again.

The finger pads. Stick with the advance pads and the Orange power pads.