Black and Decker Mega Mouse Sander Polisher

Dom · 04-07-03, 04:01

Long story, but I have one. These things cost about $50. Tried to search the archives but didn't see anything on this particular model.

It is 1.5 amps, 10,500 OPM (fixed).

It has a base for random orbit polishing (6" round), that accepts hook and loop pads.

Question: will it work for swirls?

I tried it on my wifes swirled black car (lots of swirls) using the included foam pad and 3M SMR for dark cars. Didn't appear to do much, but maybe that's because the swirls were too major for the 3M SMR.

But, I wonder if I went ahead and got other pads, plus something like DACP if it would work.

The speed is high, but the amps aren't that much. Still better than some of the cheap orbitals with only 0.5 amps...

Is it worth my time to investigate?

Anyplace I can pick up decent pads locally? (I'm in Orange County, CA).

My gut feeling is that with a stronger polish and a good polishing pad that maybe it should work for mild to medium swirls. But I could be wrong...

Thanks,
Dom

joed1228 · 04-07-03, 04:43

I remember seeing some web sites that sold detailing supplies for your machine, I just can't remember where

I don't know about using it for detailing. Maybe it would be good for those small areas where you have massive swirls and want to get a little head start but I don't know if that alone would offset to the investment of purchasing multiple pads and other supplies.

If I were you and you detail like an average joe smoe, I would just keep detailing by hand and buy a Porter Cable if you get to the point where you want your car more often and save some time.

Dom · 04-08-03, 07:45

Joed1228,

Well, the thing is, I can use the same pads as for the PC (6" random oribit). So, for example, I can get a CMA yellow pad, and use with DACP.

The question I have is if I do this, is it likely that this orbital will work to remove minor to moderate swirls (10500 OPM, 1.5 AMP)?

If so, this may well be a more reasonable alternative to spending close to $200 for a PC setup.

Dom

joed1228 · 04-08-03, 08:13

I have looked for an answer for you in sevral hardware sites as well as Porter Cable's site. The Porter Cable is not rated in OPM but rather RPM.

If the machine you have is not moving in a full circle I doubt it would work very well.

Dom · 04-08-03, 08:53

Joed1228

Hmmm. My info tells me that the mega mouse (different from the mouse sander) is a random orbit buffer. Should be the same as the porter cable, except that this is fixed at 10,500 OPM.

The PC site lists the 7336 as having 3.7 amps, and 2500-6000 OPM (not RPM).

http://www.porter-cable.com/index.asp?e=547&p=2777

So, the mega mouse spins faster than the PC, but doesn't have as much amps (power?).

http://www.blackanddecker.com/produc...ID=961_Sub_Web

It does have the velcro backing pad, and should accept the same size pads, etc as the PC. While is has less power, it does spin at a higher rate (albeit a fixed rate).

Is there a likeliehood that this would work in place of a PC? Unfortnately, with my experience I just don't know. Is the experiment worth trying, however?

If it works, it could be a cheaper alternative. If it doesn't...

Dom

Dom · 04-09-03, 10:23

Anyone else have any idea if this will work as a cheaper alternative to the PC????? (i.e., enough power to remove swirls?)

2wheelsx2 · 04-09-03, 10:34

I don't think anyone would know, unless they have tried it. However, I do have one observation. With my PC, I really have to lean on it to do significant swirl removal. I tried this in the past with a Wen, and it did almost nothing. So I would say, why don't you just get one pad and experiment. If you apply pressure to the pad, and the buffer starts to slow down, then it's not going to do the job. I can put my whole body weight on the PC and it won't slow it down.

Dom · 04-09-03, 10:53

Aha. That's the info I needed.

It does indeed slow down when putting pressure on it, although it still does spin at a slower rate (I dont know and can't guess the OPM rate).

I wasn't sure if alot of pressure was needed on the PC to remove light to medium swirls. If the weight of the machine plus a stronger swirl remover would be enough, then perhaps the B&D unit would work.

If you need to apply considerable pressure, my guess is that the B&D will not work.

Dom

2wheelsx2 · 04-09-03, 11:07

Without the pressure, no matter high the speed is, you cannot remove any significant swirls. If you are using just the weight of the machine, you might as well go at it by hand, because I don't think you can break down the abrasives. Going to a more aggressive button won't work, because you cannot break it down.

But you can get one pad, and give it a try, and if it doesn't work, you can always use that with the PC that you get, if it fits.