Rotary Advice

sgo

sgo

New member
I'm up for some advice on the rotary. Scary, huh?

I got the Makita 9227C and because I wanted some pads quickly I got the Meg's W8000 and W7000 locally.

I've got Hi-Temp Medium and Light Cut, Menzerna twins, PB SSR1&2.5, 4* UPC & SMR, and Klasse AIO on hand.

I've used my PC, but miner spider webs and scratches still remain. Hence the rotary. I watched the Meg's videos so I'm thinking rotary use isn't all that bad as long as you follow the guidelines and don't do anything real stupid. Me? Stupid? Well, it's not out of the realm of possibility. :-)

I'll probably start with my Buick, then onto my truck before coming back to the black Monte Carlo. Mainly because I've done the MC already this spring.

One of my questions is: Is taping necessary? If so for what reasons?

Other than that I'm looking for advice on which pads/products and rotary speed should I be using with the fact that this will be my first time with the rotary and the products/pads I already have on hand? None of the conditions are what I would classify 'severe,' but enough that the PC isn't getting them all out. Or maybe it's just that I'm not using the correctly.

I'm looking to first get a better shine and secondly to get it done faster. Better is the priority. Even if it takes as long.
 
Welcome to rotary world! :drunk

Seriously, In answer to your first question, taping is not totally
required, but it is a recommended step. Taping corners and edges
prevent the machine from cutting through the paint. The paint layers
are almost always thinnest on corners and edges. Taping up moldings
is good to prevent any polishes from getting on them. Polishes and
some waxes or sealants can be a pain in the tuckus when they get
on the moldings and trim (I'm refering primarily to the flat textured
trim that is usually found on a variety of cars). What works for me
is I am doing a car is to tape up moldings, trim, edges, and even the
glass. This helps reduce cleaning time if and/ or when the polish
slings.

As far as pads go, I would stick with polish and finish pads for starters.
Pretty much any type will work well (Edge, LC, Meguiar's). Right now
my personal favorite pads are the Edge pads, but I feel myself leaning
towards going back to the LC. I haven't had a chance to fiddle with
the Meguiar's rotary pads, but I am told they are pretty good, so that
is another option I may explore in the future.

As far as speeds? Well that's a tough one. When I first started
with the makita, I kept the speeds around 900 rpms. Nowadays, I
run anywhere from 600 and 1500 rpms; slower speeds for compounds,
and higher speeds for finer polishes. The key as always is to try
and keep the pad as flat as you can on the panel being worked. It takes
somne time to get a feel for the machine, but after you have had
a little while to play with it, you'll find your comfort level.
 
:yeah
A couple more tips ...
~Since the rotary will accomplish more work faster than the PC, start out with a product that is less abrasive than you would normally use with the PC.
~If you have enough pads, try to complete one panel or area, from correction to final polish, before moving on to the next area. This way if problems are created, you only have a small area to fix instead of the entire car. After you establish a process, then you can do the entire vehicle step by step.
~Two of my favorite rotary products are Meguiars #83 DACP and Meguiars #82 SFP
Easy to use and great results!
Good Luck :)
 
I always tape edges and moulding because when you get near an edge the paint is thinner there and also body panels dont always line up correctly and the edge of the pad will born thru the corner that is sticking up higher. on my pickup i have a little spot i went thru on its on my gas filler door . i was buffing along and the filler door was sticking up a little and it went thru a little . so now i even tape up the edge on that . i even tape up cars using my pc . wax on the moulding of customers cars is not acceptable . the extra time is worth the effort to me ..
 
If you guys tape the edges, wont it leave a strip of compound/wax/etc white mark? Then what? you need a PC to remove remain residue?
 
How are you removing scratches and swirls from the trim or painted parts you tape up? The parts you say stick up and you burn with the edge of th pads.

Do you use lower speeds and a lighter products with multiple passes? In order not to burn through theses spots?
 
Once you become proficient with the rotary, you will not need to tape the edges of the paint. As mentioned before, many times the paint is thinner on corners and edges, but also since you are buffing on less surface area there, the paint comes off much quicker. I still tape grained trim and cover up areas like the windshield and wipers because it makes cleaning up a lot faster.
 
kimwallace said:
:yeah
A couple more tips ...
~Since the rotary will accomplish more work faster than the PC, start out with a product that is less abrasive than you would normally use with the PC.
~If you have enough pads, try to complete one panel or area, from correction to final polish, before moving on to the next area. This way if problems are created, you only have a small area to fix instead of the entire car. After you establish a process, then you can do the entire vehicle step by step.
~Two of my favorite rotary products are Meguiars #83 DACP and Meguiars #82 SFP
Easy to use and great results!
Good Luck :)
Click to expand...
All great advice except for the last one. I actually liked those products until I tried Menzerna IP and FPII. DACP creates so much dust and makes a mess. I found the the menzerna products give me a much better finish. I have also found Poorboys 2.5 and 1 to work really well.

I would also tape the edges atleast until you get more proficient with the rotary.
 
WOW! This is all good stuff. I'm learning a lot with this thread. Thanks to all for your responses.
 
kimwallace said:
Once you become proficient with the rotary, you will not need to tape the edges of the paint.
I would disagree IMO. I consider myself proficient, but everyone makes mistakes. It'stoo easy to burn trim or an edge. Taking 10 minutes to tape is cheap insurance. Again, IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
I agree with taping the edges for the sake of safety, but I no longer do, as there are other ways to protect them while buffing. My buffing experiences started about thirty years ago when I did a lot of lacquer paint work, which required every inch of it to be buffed to make it shine. Just like we all have our favorite polishes, we all have our individual ways of doing things. That is what makes detail City such a great place. We can get a variety of good opinions and then form our own conclusion as to what works best for us. I know for myself I learn something new here almost every day.
 
I am fairly new at the rotary myself. I found that a 3m waffle polishing pad to be one of the easier pad to use, even easier that the 6.5 meguiars or 7.5 LC pads. You may want to give that a try if you have an auto body supply shop close to you.
 
Well, when we were in the detailing biz, we needed to get the vehicles done in fairly rapid fashon in order to make a "profit"! Taping every single edge would take longer than buffing the vehicle. :D Therefore, we always buffed "along/with" the edges wherever possible.......... rather than across them.

That said, if you are just doing your personal vehicles, and you feel more comfortable taping them...... go for it, especially if you are just getting the knack for the machine/pads/products. Just dont get carried away with the tape, or you will create what we called "dull lines". It's a pain coming back and getting them with the rotary or by hand.

Just my two cents.
 
Hey Steve,

I'm glad I suggested for you to post this email you sent me. I think you'll benefit more from it to see a few different perspectives. Here is what I wrote yesterday.

"Congrats on picking up the rotary; I've got the same one in fact. Those Meg's pads will do fine for now, however, I like the pad choices that Edge 2000 offers and their system.

I figure Medium Cut, Intensive Polish, and 2.5 are all on about the same level....2.5 and Medium cut being about the same product. I've used all 3 on the rotary, and IP is the least messy, however, the most expensive of the 3. I would not suggest any of the other products you listed, except for maybe 4* SMR, which I haven't used.

The Meg's video is good, however, you'll quickly find that the learning curve of the rotary is much more longer than the PC. My best advice is practice, practice, practice....and not on $100k vehicles. At the beginning, more pad lubrication will also help out, but not so much that your splattering everywhere. I remember when I was first starting out on the rotary how it seemed to bounce on me at times. It was horrible, and the thing scared the hell outta me to use. The margin of error on the rotary is much, much smaller on the Rotary than on the PC. You need to keep the pad as flat as possible at a comfortable speed. Watch out for areas with thinner paint (curves, creases, etc.) as if you bear down on them, you can expect missing paint after awhile.

Tape along rubber trim, antennas, etc. is very necessary. Even at 1200 RPM's, you can still burn the plastic/rubber pieces easily. I've made a few boo-boo's myself, so hence I tape everything. When you get to using a wool pad, you'll learn to tape off the entire car, windows and all.

As for speeds, unless you really have some major stuff, you won't really need to go above 1500 RPM. IP suggests 1000-1200 RPMS, which is good. I would start off with the lower settings and build your way up. I do not often go above 3.5-4 on the dial setting for regular polishing work.

I like to wear an apron while using the rotary and PC. I've got one from Edge that has 3 pockets. It allows me to have a MF towel, lubrication, product, and a few nook and cranny brushes that I like to use along the way to remove excess product. That way when I stop to reload I'm not having to put everything down to get back to work.

You'll find your dusting content to be higher as well on the rotary because of the heat breakdown you create. This creates a mess. You can do a variety of things after compounding or intermediate polishing with the rotary. 1) Wash the car afterwards, making sure to jet out the cracks and crevices. Pop the hood and the trunk as well as open all the doors and wipe down in there. 2) Use a silicone remover like Hi-Temp's Prep-Wash with an applicator pad and MF towel. Both of these steps ensures a cleaner surface before moving onto the next step.

By using the rotary, you will not be any faster to begin with. Once you start to get a decent feel for it (5-7 cars minimum), then you'll notice that polishing typically takes less time than using the PC. You'll find it takes a bit less time for products to break down and work into the finish. I ALWAYS follow up my rotary work with the PC with a final polish of some sort. Make sure to overlap your passes at least by 50% and in more than one direction."

You've got a great start Steve!
 
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