First Time With Makita

[jmontgom]

So I got my new Makita Rotary polisher on friday and had some time to play with it. It came with a couple of pads which I haven`t used yet and a small duffel bag to store it in, which is nice. I used LC 7 1/2 Polishing pad and varied between Menzerna Power Gloss, IP, and FPII. I worked all products at 1500RPM after i got used to the polisher at a slower speed. I tried the polisher with the side handle (like the handle on the PC), the top handle, and with no handle. After limited use with each I think I like the top handle the best with no handle coming in second. I found for me It worked best if I sprayed the pad with some QD and the applied the product to the pad. Next I would spead the product in the area that I was working in and then start the machine. I used the QD because it was a little hard changing direction, so the QD seemed to make the pad glide a little better. All in all the machine is great, I dont think it is to heavy at all but i carry nailguns and saws around on a regular basis at my full time job.



I would like to know if anyone has any suggestions on how to change directions without it feeling like the pad is catching, basically how to make the pad glide across the paint like it does with the PC. Also how much pressure do you put on the pad when buffing? I tried it a few differant ways and had ok success but I am curios as to what some of the expierienced users do.



Please feel free to comment on my process and make any suggestions. I am taking a buffing school in about a month, but i am so excited about making big turnarounds on customer cars that I what to learn as much as I can .

[brwill2005]

I really like the wool blend pad offered by Prowax. This pad really glides across the surface. It has replaced my use of a foam cutting pad. I am only going to use foam finishing pads following the wool pad from now on.

[Gonzo]

Wool pads are about as aggressive a pad as you can get. _I_ would not make it habit to use only a wool pad for the "first cut" because it may be too aggressive for the marring you are attempting to remove (reduce), which means you will be removing more clear/paint than is really necessary. I use a wool pad only as a last resort after trying a number of different foam pads and polishes and they haven`t worked to my satisfaction. Since the Makita is such a powerhouse, I rarely have to use anything more than a polishing pad, but when I do, I go for a LC VC orange, then a yellow and only then reach for the wool.....

[JeffM]

Even with my PC and an orange pad i have been able to remove 97% of everything that is removable safely....



It would seem that wool would really only be needed for after wetsanding, but what do i know lol.

[brwill2005]

ProWax lists the wool blend pad as a polishing and final finishing pad. I have found it is not more aggresive than a foam cutting pad, maybe even less so. It, however, dramatically reduces the amount of kickback when using a rotary. I think wool pads have a bad rep. The ones to stay away from, unless absolutely necessary are the four-ply twisted wool cutting pads.

[MorBid]

I use a Dewalt but I think it`s not to different from the makita, no top handle though. It sounds like your hitting a dry spot on the panel.



After you`ve spread the product around the area with the machine off start the machine at a low RPM say 1000 to get a even distribution across the area of the panel your working on then kick it up to the desired RPM`s after that.



I use only enough pressure for the product to break down then let up (don`t lean on it)