First try with a rotary

[JBM]

Had my first go around with a rotary today, practicing on my beater truck. Question I have is, does it take more polish initially than a RO would need? Pad seemed grabby until I used what I would consider a lot of polish.

[Mary B]

Had my first go around with a rotary today, practicing on my beater truck. Question I have is, does it take more polish initially than a RO would need? Pad seemed grabby until I used what I would consider a lot of polish.

What I do is spray the pad once to prep, and watch that I don`t compress the pad too much. The heat from compression made mine grabby

[JustJesus]

Funny coincidence. I had my first go-around as well. Granted, I only did a small section, with a 3" wool pad.

Did you use a foam pad? On my wool pad, I only used the usual ON the pad, and then a small, about 2.5" bead of product on the panel. I wanted to practice "picking up the bead" or whatever they call it. In my case, didn`t feel grabby at all. Smooth. Too smooth.

I`m sure Stokdgs will chime in, and he`s a major rotary use guy!

[Justins00ss]

If the product gets heated up to much or you work it too long it will become grabby from my experience on the rotary. Once you get it figured out the rotary will be the smoothest tool you will ever use.

I love using mine. Getting skilled in rotary use will definitely be beneficial in the long run. Glad to see you tackling it and not afraid to try!

[Stokdgs]

JBM -
Congrats on taking the challenge !

What pad were you using, what size pad, what product were you using, were you inside or outside in the sun, did you prime the pad first, did you spray some liquid like a pad conditioner on the pad first? What year and make of vehicle and color ?

I always work inside, always use 5-1/4" pads, always spray a little pad conditioner on the foam first to get it a little moist, then apply a enough product (compound or polish) to get a thin layer about all around the pad but not every square inch, place the pad on the panel and move it around to spread it across both foam and panel, and then start off the Makita at slow start 600 rpm and spread it around..

It should move easily and you have to look at the work and decide how far you want this thin layer to go before its too far..

Remember to keep the entire pad flat on the surface and if you have to adjust for rounded areas, dips, curves, etc, use your arms to absorb the change and try keeping the pad flat as much as possible..

You know how shock absorbers move up and down over imperfections in the road that move the wheels up and down, and they work hard to keep the tires flat on the road surface ? That is what you want your arms to be like when going over changes in the surface..
Dan F

[RaysWay]

If the product gets heated up to much or you work it too long it will become grabby from my experience on the rotary. Once you get it figured out the rotary will be the smoothest tool you will ever use.

I love using mine. Getting skilled in rotary use will definitely be beneficial in the long run. Glad to see you tackling it and not afraid to try!

JBM -
Congrats on taking the challenge !

What pad were you using, what size pad, what product were you using, were you inside or outside in the sun, did you prime the pad first, did you spray some liquid like a pad conditioner on the pad first? What year and make of vehicle and color ?

I always work inside, always use 5-1/4" pads, always spray a little pad conditioner on the foam first to get it a little moist, then apply a enough product (compound or polish) to get a thin layer about all around the pad but not every square inch, place the pad on the panel and move it around to spread it across both foam and panel, and then start off the Makita at slow start 600 rpm and spread it around..

It should move easily and you have to look at the work and decide how far you want this thin layer to go before its too far..

Remember to keep the entire pad flat on the surface and if you have to adjust for rounded areas, dips, curves, etc, use your arms to absorb the change and try keeping the pad flat as much as possible..

You know how shock absorbers move up and down over imperfections in the road that move the wheels up and down, and they work hard to keep the tires flat on the road surface ? That is what you want your arms to be like when going over changes in the surface..
Dan F

^^^ Great advice here.

[JBM]

JBM -
Congrats on taking the challenge !

What pad were you using, what size pad, what product were you using, were you inside or outside in the sun, did you prime the pad first, did you spray some liquid like a pad conditioner on the pad first? What year and make of vehicle and color ?

Thanks,

I was using a tangerine hydro-tech pad. It was on a 03` f250 and it was white, so no buffer trails!

I did one half the truck with shine supply classic cut and it was grabby until I primed the pad (3 nickle sized drops werent enough), then was nice and smooth. I switched over to Adapt on the other half of the truck and the pad was super grabby. I was hesitant to overload the pad with Adapt because it balls up on my DA when I do this, so I switched back to the classic cut.

I was working outside, but it was super cloudy and cool, but slightly humid.

[Stokdgs]

Thanks,

I was using a tangerine hydro-tech pad. It was on a 03` f250 and it was white, so no buffer trails!

I did one half the truck with shine supply classic cut and it was grabby until I primed the pad (3 nickle sized drops werent enough), then was nice and smooth. I switched over to Adapt on the other half of the truck and the pad was super grabby. I was hesitant to overload the pad with Adapt because it balls up on my DA when I do this, so I switched back to the classic cut.

I was working outside, but it was super cloudy and cool, but slightly humid.

JBM --

Great feedback - sounds like you did everything right..

The HydroTech works great - if you have some of their Cyan pads, they will correct faster and still finish down really, really, great..
I never have any paint issues with the Cyan version and always try them first - well unless its an Airplane or something..
Like you already know, too much heat via friction is bad for the pad and the paint if it gets too hot and changes its configuration...

Glad you had options and found which one worked best.. Great Job !!

Yeah, you need to have enough product AND moisture to keep everything happy and allow the correction product to work all the way down if its supposed to do so, and then you stop and remove it before it goes to that dreaded Dusting phase... I hate that stuff and go to great lengths to avoid it...
And there is way less clean up to do afterward - Bonus!!!

I dont know what it is about HD products but it looks like more people have some type of issue with them than perhaps those that dont???

Perhaps someday I might venture into that world if I get tired of using the old standards that have proven themselves over years and decades to be very user friendly to both the Detailer and the Paintwork..
Dan F

[Lonnie]

Stokgds:
Since you are the Autopian resident rotary maestro-extraordinaire, my questions are:
1) What are the manufacturer`s compounds and polishes that YOU prefer for a rotary and why?
(I assume from your above comments that you have not used or do not prefer 3D/HD compounds and polishes)
2) Have you used other rotaries other than the Makita you mentioned above? Seems to me the Makita becomes the standard-defacto rotary for those who become skilled and experienced in using rotaries.

For those of you Autopians still on the fence about buying and using a rotary or the newer long-throw dual-action (LT-DA) polishers please see:
http://www.autopia.org/forums/machin...html?highlight=

[Stokdgs]

Stokgds:
Since you are the Autopian resident rotary maestro-extraordinaire, my questions are:
1) What are the manufacturer`s compounds and polishes that YOU prefer for a rotary and why?
(I assume from your above comments that you have not used or do not prefer 3D/HD compounds and polishes)
2) Have you used other rotaries other than the Makita you mentioned above? Seems to me the Makita becomes the standard-defacto rotary for those who become skilled and experienced in using rotaries.

For those of you Autopians still on the fence about buying and using a rotary or the newer long-throw dual-action (LT-DA) polishers please see:
http://www.autopia.org/forums/machin...html?highlight=

Hey, Lonnie !
Hope you guys are all good up there in Green Bay !

1. Have tried many but get the best predictable results from Menzerna, Optimum, and Meguiars..
I know that these are considered what - old school - etc., but they still work very well, and a couple of these guys have been around much longer than most of us have been alive, making those products better, so that has to be a consideration I would think..

Menzerna - lots of choices and they tell you in numbers, how much cut and how much gloss is available for each compound.. Always plays nice, they even mill their own correction ingredients so they have the advantage of testing each level and making them right..
Meguiars - now this is really old school too ! - M105 - the american industry standard - has been much criticized, when ALL it really needs is just enough moisture, when it quickly wants to dry up and die, and then it will start back up, and finish down incredibly well..
I use nothing else but M105 on all plastics, especially tail lights, and it always leaves them beautifully clear and glossy..
It excels on chrome and glass too..
And we havent even talked about how it will knock out about anything on paintwork..
Optimum -- The only new - well not so new now polish I like to use too.. Their Hyper Polish - once you get it out of that nutty spray bottle - is really great and fast.. Since its SMAT, it works until you let up and then finishes really nicely.. Acura paint loves it... I assume Honda paint would love it too..
Have not used their compounds very much at all but I have them in the cabinet just in case..

I am about to use Optimum Finish compound on my old `09 Black Grand Cherokee, to remove the old Opti-Guard of 4+ years ago which is still incredibly clear and glossy, and reapply a new syringe of their old Optimum 2.0 which I still have never opened..

I have no experience with HD, 3D or any of the those products.. Only experience I have with the people is once I accidently got on their 3D page and talked about another manufacturer, and they got their knickers all in a wad...

2. I have had a few in my lifetime but the one that I like the best has always been the Makita because it has never broken, except when I had to replace the electrical cord once because it started wearing at the spot where it goes into the machine handle.. Makita makes a great motor for it, and I have yet to change out the brushes and this one has been going at least 10 years...
The Makita is well balanced even for its size and that along with the lovely soft start to 600rpm - 3000 rpm, I cant find anything bad to say about it..
I put the side handle on it and with its long length, I have a good wide 6 o-clock and 9 o-clock grip that is easier on the arms and perfect for when I want to put downward pressure on the machine..

If I ever decide to change machines, I might look into the 3M Rotary since I saw a few of them in Chip Foose`s Shop last time I visited Huntington Beach.. If you have ever watched "Overhauling", then you get a look at what the 3M Rotaries do on the vehicles they turn out..
I saw some of his own vehicles in his shop and their paintwork was absolutely beautifully done...
They make air versions of these 3M machines as well..
Dan F