So tried rotary for the first time today...

[Izula]

Hi folks;

After months of reading on rotary finally decided to have a go when i saw the good wather today and i kinda sucked I knew paint needed compounding so washed the whole car, clayed the bonnet and trunk (want to try at horizontal first) and taped the trims.
I have hard(white), medium(yellow) and soft(black) Menzerna foam pads and meguiars m101, m205 (m105 and UC but didnt used them).

Primed the medium pad with m101 added 4 drops and 1 squirt of water to pad then tried it on trunk, it feeled very dry and hard to control even after adding more compound i was almost fighting with machine(i used rotary on lowest setting to get the feel for it).Then i used finishing pad with m205 it was way easier to control and finish.It did improved little but still had lots of swirls.(Checked with ipa its not the fillers).Did the bonnet and boot, coated it with fusso and call it a day.
Cutting pads are always like that or its specific to menzerna?Im sure its all down to technique and i want to learn it but it was way easier to control(or keep cutting) with finishing pad and m205.I should have record it on video.

Should i keep practicing with current equipment (i know i should) or get new compound/ pads?

Thanks

[davidc]

Get some wool pads. If the oxidation is bad enough the flat foam pads will give you fits trying to dig dead paint off. After most of the oxidation is removed a foam pad will tame down and be more controllable. Keep your speed low and the buffer moving.

Dave

[LeadingEdgeDetail]

Yup, rotary with cutting foam is pretty advanced, but wool is so damn easy

[Izula]

Thanks Dave, should have got some pics but paint doesnt seems like have much oxidation or i dont know how slight oxidation looks like (possibly).I can get menzerna wool pads here hope they are good.I know m101/wool would be a quite an aggresive combo but paint definetly needs it im sure.
Is it possible that oversaturation of pads to cause pads dragging /hopping?

[davidc]

Thanks Dave, should have got some pics but paint doesnt seems like have much oxidation or i dont know how slight oxidation looks like (possibly).I can get menzerna wool pads here hope they are good.I know m101/wool would be a quite an aggresive combo but paint definetly needs it im sure.
Is it possible that oversaturation of pads to cause pads dragging /hopping?

Since this is your first rotary, there are different grades of wool pads just like foam. Start with a polishing wool pad and see how that works. I have some very aggressive wool pads but have only used those on Gel-Coat. If you are using flat foam pads on a rotary the surface tension alone will try to spin you like a top, if the pads are saturated that will not help your problem. My personal thought is to stick with wool on a rotary as they make some good pads these days. Buff and Shine has multiple grade pads, I have a good assortment of Edge pads from heavy to polishing,

Dave

[davidc]

Another thought, M101 may be to aggressive for a first timer. You may want to start with a polishing compound with very light cut. I do not have all the Menz new numbers but I have used the older Po85RD and 3M Finnesse it with outstanding results with a rotary and wool.

Dave

[Izula]

Then megs 205 with wool should be a good start. I can buy menzerna or 3m too but want to try with what i have now tbh. Also from what i read hard pad with fine polish was not very diserable but i will try.First i have to find out how "fine" is menzernas wool pad.We dont have too many selection here sadly.

[davidc]

Good luck. Key points, Low speed and keep it moving, do not dwell on any area as rotaries create heat and can destroy as well as correct. Until you become familiar with a rotaries capabilities abide by those rules and you should be ok. Once mastered a rotary is a invaluable tool.

Dave

[Izula]

Thanks Dave İ hope next saturday i will be back with success photos
I was able to find School Concepts SofTouch wool cutting pad(they also have heavy cut and polishing, couldnt find it) and gtechniq HotSwap lambswool cutting pad besides Menzerna. Also according to menzerna their medium aka polishing pad (which i used) is even good for finishing so after wool they recommend it coupled with their finishing polishes.They rank their wool with their hard pad.Hope someone here used one of these, they are kinda expensive to try it out

[WhyteWizard]

When I teach people to run a high speed, I have them put the pad in contact with the car with the machine turned off. Look at the contact patch, how does it match the curve, is there a spot where the pressure is high - like onto an edge for example - take into account the spin of the pad, etc.

High speed polishing is a balancing act between: the pad and polish - which is pretty constant except as the polish diminished or gets used up: the contact patch, how much of the pad is in contact with the paint: The maximum pressure at the point of contact, obviously, the smaller the contact patch the higher the pressure: and speed, the amount of movement between the pad and the paint.

As maximum contact pressure goes down, either by having a light touch on the machine or by spreading the pressure over a larger contact area patch, speed can increase. As contact patch decreases, pressure has to come down. etc.

Unplug your machine and practice moving the machine around the car, looking at your contact patch. Spend an hour at it. Transition from one spot to another. You`ll find when you do plug the machine in you`ll be a lot more comfortable and calm and your results will be weeks ahead of where you are now.

Robert

[Izula]

Im back with a positive update thanks to your tips
Finally it was sunny so i gotta use the rotary 2 days and first of all wow machine polishing car is hard work and i didnt even did the half of the car.Hood, boot lid , roof and driver side door and mirror.No more pad jumping(besides when my arm gets tired when doing the roof haha) ; i think started to learn it and vertical panels were easier then i thought.


Used Softouch wool pad(polishing) , hex logic white polishing pad and black menzerna finishing pad with m101 and m205 .

I did 3 steps ; m101 wool, m101 white and m205 black.After wool i did saw some slight holograms but they are removed with middle step.(I did strip with ipa and under bright sunlight)And any slight marring was removed with 205/black pad.
I could probably get away without wool but i was mostly using weight of the machine+ 1000 rpm so very i was being very light handed i should say.I did this to being able to move over corners, body lines if needed without too much fear(still didnt buffed too much over them but couldnt avoid them all times because of pad size)

I started picking up bead technique from Mike Philips to avoid splatter and it works great but i feel edges of pads remains dry, should i prime the pad first?

I will get orange hex logic pads for places where i cant use the wool and 1 more white pad it gets caked up pretty quick even though i clean it after every section with tootbrush.

I still kinda feel m101 has a shorter working time(it doesnt dust tho) so im willing to try different compounds but i think with my low pressure, low rpm and short buffing cycle approach i would not be able to break down diminishing abrasives enough.m205 is joy to use with a finishing pad though.

Also as i said i think i could get away without wool but i did buy it for easier compounding as you guys suggested(and its great).Should i bump up my rpms, pressure, working time to use less aggresive polish/pad combo or i should let the machine and products do its job like im doing now.Im still learning so latter is better i guess.
Car is full of stone chips , bird poop etchings , dings and nail catching scratches so i wasnt aiming for showcar finish anyways but quite happy.I did miss spots at roof corners etc
Here are some pics, i realized most of the shots are blurry at PC

General condition of the car;






Sunshine is the best;



Some holograms after wool pad for your viewing pleasure;







Now gotta finish the whole car

[davidc]

Well at least you are learning the ins and outs of a rotary. There are different grades of wool pads for what you want to accomplish. Always start with the least aggressive. Some times depending on technique and some paints you will have better luck switching to a DA sometime during the process. I am a fan of Menzerna polishes myself. There is no real need to prep a wool pad, I put a strip of compound/polish on the finish then turn the speed down to minimum, start spreading and turning up the speed. Keep the speeds low as fast will create to much heat and just start chewing the finish. High speed on a rotary is for sanding. If the product you are using is drying you can mist some water on the panel/pad to work it some. Just do not use a lot as you will be wearing the excess.

Dave

[Accumulator]

Izula- Do you plan on developing your rotary skills to the point that you finish out holgram-free with it? IMO/IME that`d be quite an accomplishment.

[Izula]

Well i will definetly try and develop my skills.To my eyes i finished hologram free but dont know what different paints will show.
Relatives are going to germany in 2 weeks and i may tell em to get das 6( or its variants) but after getting quite good results with rotary im not sure but we dont have da polishers here i may regret not getting one.Also I dont have money lying on the corner