Orbital Buffer Questions??

[kleraudio]

Hello Everyone,

I have some questions regarding orbital buffers. I have never used a buffer in my life and ive heard that if used wrong it can really damage your paint. A lot of people on here use these things, are they hard to learn to use properly? Are they pretty much foolproof? An orbital buffer is used for polishing and waxing right? Also if they are easy enough for a newbie like myself to use, does anyone have any recomendations? I saw some at pepboys for like 20 bux whats the difference between those and the pc`s (i am assuming pc is porter cable)? thanks for all the help, Id really like to try using these buffers.



Jim

[Mike_Phillips]

Hi Jim,



I answered this question pretty in-depth over on www.MeguiarsOnline.com



I`ll try to dig it up...



Short answer is, if your serious about polishing paint and actually accomplishing something, then you want to invest in the Porter Cable Dual Action Polisher.



The ones like you described are good for applying a polish or wax, but don`t count on it being real effective at removing defects, at least compared to the PC.



My suggestion? Save your money and invest in a PC, I have never met a single person who regreted the investment.



Mike

[kleraudio]

but are they easy to use if your a complete beginner? will it ruin my finish if i dont use it properly??



Jim

[Mike_Phillips]

Hi Jim,



I teach little girsl and boys to use the PC somedays at our Detailing Clinics. Somewhere I have a picture of an 89-year old man I taught to use the PC on his Porsche.



So they are very easy indeed. Best thing of all, they are variable speed, so you can start out at the 1.0 setting for applying polishes and waxes, and as you skill and comfort level increase, you can bring the speed up to a higher level and start doing some defect removal.



To bad you cannot attend one of our detailing clinics in SoCal



Here`s some information on orbitals here, I`m still looking for my meaty post.



http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=4235#post4235



Mike

[kleraudio]

Hey mike,

Thanks for all thehelp, I just got through watching the power polishing video on meg`s site. Is that all you need to know to use these things? If thats the case i will definitely buy one. Whats the difference between the meguiars one and the PC 7424 i believe is the model number?



Thanks again, youve been a great help!!



Jim



I have a lot of buddies out in so cal so i visit frequently, when is your next detailing clinic?

[Mike_Phillips]

The difference between the Porter Cable Meguiar`s sells and the one you can purchase anywhwere else for less money is Meguair`s offers a no questions asked, lifetime warranty, and ours comes with a quick change velcro backing plate and one foam polishing pad.



I have been trying to put together a package deal for members of Meguair`s Online Discussion forum but it has stalled out for the time being.



Here`s the link to that thread,



http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=461



Mike

[kleraudio]

does teh pc 7424 come with a velcro plate, if not what kind of plate does it have. I see that deal comes with dual action polish, can i use the step 2 polish with the pc? If the 7424 doesnt have a velcro plate, how hard is it to change pads? how does the velcro backing plate work? The reason im asking is because the meg`s one is 225 bux, i can get the 7424 for like 100. thanks again for all the awesome help mike



Jim

[imported_jaobrien6]

The 7424 comes with a pad permanently attached to the backing plate. The main problem with this is that you can`t use more or less aggressive pads depending on what you`re trying to accomplish. Some other problems are that cleaning the pad is more difficult with the PC factory pad, and most people have found that it doesn`t last nearly as long as a quality pad from Lake Country or Meg`s.



I would bet that you won`t find anyone on this board with a PC who doesn`t have a velcro backing plate. It`s not nearly as useful a tool without the flexibility of quality interchangeable pads. You can pick up a backing plate for $20 at many places online.



If you`re referring to the Deep Crystal Step 2 Polish, I wouldn`t bother. That is an *extremely* mild product in my experience. You would be better off going with one of their mirror glaze or body shop pro products such as DACP. If you need something milder than DACP, the #82 swirl free polish is a good choice, in my opinion.



John

[Mike_Phillips]

Originally posted by jaobrien6

If you`re referring to the Deep Crystal Step 2 Polish, I wouldn`t bother. That is an *extremely* mild product in my experience. You would be better off going with one of their mirror glaze or body shop pro products such as DACP. If you need something milder than DACP, the #82 swirl free polish is a good choice, in my opinion.



John



Hi Jim,



John is correct in that the Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner is a chemical cleaner only and contains none of the diminising abrasives that have make Meguar`s compouds, paint cleaners, and cleaner/polishes famous.



Meguiar`s Clear Coat Body Scrub in the Consumer line does contain both chemical cleaners and diminishing abrasives and can usually be found in automotive parts stores. It can also be used by hand or with a PC.



Hope this helps...



Mike

[kleraudio]

So i can get a velcro plate for my 7424 and use that so i can interchange pads. Do i need a velcro plate for every pad i have? Still not sure in how this thing works. Do the pads stick to the velcro? As for polishes and waxes, i need something very mild because my car is new and my paint is nice already. the deep crystal pure polish is no good? the #82, is good? will the gold class liquid wax be fine for applying with the pc 7424? Also there are different pads for this thing, what do you recommend for each job? polishing, waxing, paintcleaning, etc...





Thanks



Jim

[Accumulator]

kleraudio- Like Mike, I`ve trained people from kids to octogenarians to use the PC- *everyone* thinks it`s easy to get the hang of!



The velcro backing plates screw onto the PC. Unless you want to use pads of different sizes, you can just mount a 6" backing plate and use 6", 6.5", or even larger pads with the *one* plate. The Velcro is on the plate; it sticks to the velcro on the backs of the pads.



I`ll let someone more familiar with Meg`s products advise on product choices...

[imported_rusty bumper]

Originally posted by kleraudio

As for polishes and waxes, i need something very mild because my car is new and my paint is nice already. the deep crystal pure polish is no good? the #82, is good? will the gold class liquid wax be fine for applying with the pc 7424? Also there are different pads for this thing, what do you recommend for each job? polishing, waxing, paintcleaning, etc...





Thanks



Jim

From one Jim to another :up ....Deep Crystal #2 is a fine pure polish, but you need to clean the paint 1st with a dedicated paint cleaner, or a cleaner polish.



Since you paint is in good condition, I would go with #83, or #9, and then followup with DC #2, and then a wax.



Use the W-8006 (http://www.meguiars.com/store_meguiars/product_detail.cfm?sku=W-80) pad with the paint cleaners & cleaner polishes. Then use the W-9006 (http://www.meguiars.com/store_meguiars/product_detail.cfm?sku=W-90) pad for pure polishes & waxes.



If I were you, I would buy enough pads for each product...You can save some money buy ordering the WDAV99B set of pads (2 polishing pads & 1 finishing pad) for about $25.00...Order 2 sets, because you will need them in time.