Rotary vids?

[pepsiaddict]

I ask because on my hood today I noticed a small spot that looks like the reaction you get when drop oil into water. A small "filmy" type of spot.

It`s been raining on and off here, and I did wash my vehicle at least once but I think that some rain water did dry on the vehicle. Thanks.

[Brad B]

Water spots that manage to "etch" themselves into the paint leave a ring, or circle where the dullness is concentrated on the edges where the acids accumulate in the droplet. They don`t just wipe away and often need a light scrubbing with a Vinegar solution and/or abrasives to remove.



If you see a filmy residue then it is still on the surface and likely can be removed with the proper solution. If it`s oil based a solvent like Denatured Alcohol or Acyrsol will work. Other contaminents are often easily removed with a polish or cleaner. Pinnacle Paint Cleansing Lotion, 3M Finesse It II, 3M Swirl Mark Remover are all light abrasives that easily tackle most problems.

[Mobilejay]

I am looking for some videos showing polishing vertical panels(doors, fenders etc.).
I just can not get comfortable or get a comfortable grip on the machine when doing these panels. I have no problem with the 3401 but when it comes to my Makita, I hate vertical panels. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[imported_glfahlc]

have you checked youtube... punch up makita 9227 and there`ll be some vids with guys using it...

[Mobilejay]

yeah but I really couldn`t find that much on it. I`ll look again though

[imported_Stokdgs]

Tell us how you are doing vertical panels now, and at what speed/s..
Are you bending down to do them, kneeling down, sitting on a creeper, chair,rolling device, or sitting on the ground, and what size pads ??

What grip/s are you using - the horseshoe one or the side screw-on grip??

I am an old school buffer, and learned with the side grip for my left hand and the right hand at the bottom handle of the buffer, and still feel comfortable with this grip, and not really cared for the horseshoe grip over the top.
I have also found that I like my left hand on the side grip as close to the machine as possible and the dang grip that comes with it has this huge circular plastic molded piece that prevents my hand from getting as close to the machine as I would like. But I made adjustments and am ok with it now.

I have found that vertical panels, doors, fenders, quarter panels, etc., are best done starting with a few horizontal passes, to help spread the material, and get it warmed up, and keep doing horizontal passes, until I am about more than halfway through, and then finish up with vertical passes.

You have to adjust your stance, and the way you hold your buffer, to do vertical passes, so how about practicing these types of passes with the machine, off, with a pad, with nothing on it? Just think about how you would do that particular panel, take yourself with the machine through it, and when you have the plan in your mind, then get your material on, and start.
Notice which way you tilt the machine at the end of a pass, and imagine the machine running and thinking is the rotation going to take me the opposite direction or want to keep going when I tilt it?
Just remember that when you tilt the machine the outer edge of the pad is now spinning faster then the middle and this translates to more work/correction/heat, etc., going on for that brief moment.


The Makita starts slow and then comes up to your preset speed so that is nice, and always remember, you can pull away or stop if it wants to drive you in a direction you dont feel natural with. Its all about how much you tilt it which direction, which determines for alot of this, how it will react.

It does take awhile to get all the infinitely possible ways to use this tool on any panel, just take your time, do dry passes without power to get the feel of the machine against your arms and shoulders and back, and you should be fine. Try to keep all your movements smooth, and develop a rythmn from one end to the other, and take it nice and slow until you get that down.
Dont fight the rotation of the buffer, rather, control it by pulling the buffer the direction you want with just enought smooth pressure to keep the pass smooth and straight, so that your media is working all the way across or up and down.

You will also find that if you use this rotary or even the random orbitals alot, you will start to develop bigger, stronger, forearms and biceps, and your hands will develop a much stronger grip. All of this will help you work that big hanging piece of metal and plastic ! Look a the GUNS that Luster and Street Dreams have, - these guys are buff !! :) :) :)

Keep at it, you can do this, and good luck with your project !!
Dan F

[imported_Flash Gordon]

I am looking for some videos showing polishing vertical panels(doors, fenders etc.).
I just can not get comfortable or get a comfortable grip on the machine when doing these panels. I have no problem with the 3401 but when it comes to my Makita, I hate vertical panels. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Just Google It :cursing:

To bad Junkman 2000 doesn`t use a rotary. That guy has the best videos on the www. :soldier:

Someone needs to pry those Adams products of his hands and jam in a bottle of Blackfire/Meguiars. That guy is a human cash register :money:



Tell us how you are doing vertical panels now, and at what speed/s..
Are you bending down to do them, kneeling down, sitting on a creeper, chair,rolling device, or sitting on the ground, and what size pads ??

What grip/s are you using - the horseshoe one or the side screw-on grip??

I am an old school buffer, and learned with the side grip for my left hand and the right hand at the bottom handle of the buffer, and still feel comfortable with this grip, and not really cared for the horseshoe grip over the top.
I have also found that I like my left hand on the side grip as close to the machine as possible and the dang grip that comes with it has this huge circular plastic molded piece that prevents my hand from getting as close to the machine as I would like. But I made adjustments and am ok with it now.

I have found that vertical panels, doors, fenders, quarter panels, etc., are best done starting with a few horizontal passes, to help spread the material, and get it warmed up, and keep doing horizontal passes, until I am about more than halfway through, and then finish up with vertical passes.

You have to adjust your stance, and the way you hold your buffer, to do vertical passes, so how about practicing these types of passes with the machine, off, with a pad, with nothing on it? Just think about how you would do that particular panel, take yourself with the machine through it, and when you have the plan in your mind, then get your material on, and start.
Notice which way you tilt the machine at the end of a pass, and imagine the machine running and thinking is the rotation going to take me the opposite direction or want to keep going when I tilt it?
Just remember that when you tilt the machine the outer edge of the pad is now spinning faster then the middle and this translates to more work/correction/heat, etc., going on for that brief moment.


The Makita starts slow and then comes up to your preset speed so that is nice, and always remember, you can pull away or stop if it wants to drive you in a direction you dont feel natural with. Its all about how much you tilt it which direction, which determines for alot of this, how it will react.

It does take awhile to get all the infinitely possible ways to use this tool on any panel, just take your time, do dry passes without power to get the feel of the machine against your arms and shoulders and back, and you should be fine. Try to keep all your movements smooth, and develop a rythmn from one end to the other, and take it nice and slow until you get that down.
Dont fight the rotation of the buffer, rather, control it by pulling the buffer the direction you want with just enought smooth pressure to keep the pass smooth and straight, so that your media is working all the way across or up and down.

You will also find that if you use this rotary or even the random orbitals alot, you will start to develop bigger, stronger, forearms and biceps, and your hands will develop a much stronger grip. All of this will help you work that big hanging piece of metal and plastic ! Look a the GUNS that Luster and Street Dreams have, - these guys are buff !! :) :) :)

Keep at it, you can do this, and good luck with your project !!
Dan F

Wow Dan, thats all some very good advice ^ You should make a video :rockon:

[Street Dreams]

i may have one vid lemme check

[Dave1]

To bad Junkman 2000 doesn`t use a rotary. That guy has the best videos on the www. :soldier:

Someone needs to pry those Adams products of his hands and jam in a bottle of Blackfire/Meguiars. That guy is a human cash register :money:






You got that right Flash.........Junkman is like a pair of comfortable shoes.....

[Old Pirate]

One heck of a write-up Dan. Thank you for posting it....

[Mobilejay]

I`m assuming your name is Dan lol. Thanks for the little write up, I can definetely take some of that and think about it. One thing you said about developing a rhythm, I have one with the Flex and even with the Makit, but with the rotary I can`t keep that rhythm with the vertical panels. I like the idea of sitting with a dry pad and feeling whats right.
I am using the horseshoe grip, I may try out the side handle. I like the way the grip is on the Flex(top/front), I tried holding the rotary like that and it didn`t feel right. Anyway, thanks for the help guys.

[Puckman]

If it`s any consolation Mobilejay, side panels for me have always been the real workout with the rotary! Most specifically the lower side panels and rockers. I guess I`ve simply gotten used to them and again the rhythm or "zone" I get in keeps me going.

I experimented with my different handles and actually prefer the bail type handle because I can modify the grip of my left hand a bit more for different positions. My right hand is always my trigger grip and control hand. Some people like the single "grip" style handle.

I concentrate on keeping the pad flat and exerting consistent pressure for that work area. Trust me, I`ve ended up in some weird, convoluted positions on some vehicles and have wondered about the exact same things you`re asking here! I`ve even ended up simply standing, then bending over to be upside down and buffing that way. Then there are times when I`l resort to a 3" pad and work smaler areas for the lowest positions. Takes a little longer but I retain better control of the work area and it seems like a little less effort for the same results.

There are times when I would kill to have it up on a lift and work those side panels with ease!!!

GREAT advice Dan! Thanks for the good ideas.

[Mobilejay]

Yeah the lower panels kill me. I can do half the door, the upper half. Once I get lower I find my self doing some kind of Yoga pose to get down there and polish them LOL.

[imported_Stokdgs]

Mobilejay,

I have just detailed out a 2001 Volvo S80 and paid alot of attention to how I did the side panels :
I put on these soft flexible rubber/vinyl kneepads you can get at Home Depot and pretty much knelt through the entire lower panel process.
Everyone`s body length (torso/legs) are of different lengths, so this may or may not work for your needs.

On really low vehicles like Porsche`s you have to pretty much sit down in front of the panel, and I still use horizontal passes, since they are way easier to control for me.

I noticed that I kept the trigger side of the Makita at the 3-o`clock position throughout the sides, pretty much using horizontal passes, and when I got down to the bottom part of the panels, I raised the trigger side of the Makita to the 1-`o`clock position, still using horizontal passes.

Another thing I noticed, is that a properly primed pad works way better than anything else you can do, and that the amount of pressure you place on the pad will make the machine harder to handle, or easier to handle. More pressure, and you have to deal with the extra torque the machine is giving back, and the tendancy to move to the left, so find a good balance for that particular panel and you will be fine.

Also, the pad/material will work best, when it is still moist, so perhaps thinking about going at a slower speed, thereby extending the time the material and the pad are moist, will help you too.

Using some of the non-diminishing abrasive compounds, makes this easier for me, because I try to watch the panel I`m doing carefully, (having looked at it beforehand to know where the worst scratches, etc., are), and then checking those areas alot during the buffing process to insure I knock them down as much as possible safely.

Coming from the auto paintshop world of 3M Heavy Duty Compound, and Finess It, and Finess It II, diminishing abrasives, the non-diminishing products took a little while to get used to, but I figured it out and they are the best products for me to use now.

Hope you are doing well with your project ! Just remember, there are so many ways to place the buffer, and still get the job done, you will need to continue experimenting until you find your groove.

Good Luck !
Dan F