Rotary help

T

Tassadar

Car Detailing Whore
Allright, correcting myself here, since I hijacked another thread.

Can someone give me tips on usage of a rotary. I am considering just skipping the PC all together and going straight for the Makita.
 
Good choice check CMA for Swirl removal tips and The meguiars video they have there it goes over rotary usage alot I would Recommend the Meguiars Cutting,Polishing,And Finishing Pads. And working on spots that are less visible first to see how you do. Its not as brutal as it sounds people over exagerate when they talk about burning thru the clear in the blink of an Eye. You can burn the Paint but you have to work at high Rpms with Agressive pads and compounds. Oh and before I forgot never go above 1500Rpm's you shouldent need to and its more likely to do more damage at that level.
 
Yes your best online guide to rotarys is probley the CMA Section on removeing swirls and select the Rotary it shows good steps and has lots of writeups.
 
Most of my compounding hapens at 1400-2000. When I started i stuck hard and fast to not going over 1400. Now i don't' even look at the speed. Feel is more imporant. But you can only do that after you have the experience. Even better than watching a video (not a bad thing though) is get to a local body shop or detailor and ask someone who knows how to and has done it for years. Hands on is the best way to learn. Then get some scrap parts from the junk yard or a scrap pile at a body shop and practice on that so you don't damage anything of value.
 
Oh and while on the rotory subject see how many rotorys you can get your hands on b4 you pick one out. I'm not a fan of the makita and it's handle. You may prefur the dewalt or milwaukee.
 
Fr0zen said:
Good choice check CMA for Swirl removal tips and The meguiars video they have there it goes over rotary usage alot I would Recommend the Meguiars Cutting,Polishing,And Finishing Pads. And working on spots that are less visible first to see how you do. Its not as brutal as it sounds people over exagerate when they talk about burning thru the clear in the blink of an Eye. You can burn the Paint but you have to work at high Rpms with Agressive pads and compounds. Oh and before I forgot never go above 1500Rpm's you shouldent need to and its more likely to do more damage at that level.
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Sorry to say FrOzen but I couldn't disagree more. There are SO many variables that come into play when using a rotary. Type of paint, age of finish, how it was maintained, area that you are hitting, products using, pads, etc etc. Even at relatively low speeds (below 1500 rpm) you can still do damage. "Burning" the paint may not be as easy at 1200 rpm as it is at say 1800 rpm but you can still do it and in not much time I might add. Also, remember a point Koop made about slopes, high spots, curves, etc? Even at 1500 rpm you dig in on one of those spots and you can easily be in trouble.

I'm certianly no rotary pro but I am developing a very good feel for when and how to properly use it. Along with the feel comes the respect for potential disaster. Take that tool lightly and you could be footing the bill to repaint a panel on someone's 2 year old Beemer!

I'm not saying don't buy a rotary or don't learn how to use it. I am saying tread lightly. Also, IMO, having both a PC D.A. and rotary is a fantastic combination. They really compliment each other. Start with the PC. You can do A LOT with it. Whatever you do STAY AWAY FROM WOOL PADS WHILE YOU ARE LEARNING!

Natty
 
I have both and I have found, in my limited experience, that the pc handles most situations. I seldom find the need to use my rotary and it's much more smart to be conservative when polishing. Patience and conservative practices will get a better job done without hurting anything. There's no hurry. There is a NEED to do things right without doing damage. Slow down grasshopper :)
 
It's ok to offer a word of caution on the rotary subject, but some of us really want to learn how to use it properly (I've read more caution comments than how-to's).

I have a PC and it works great for probably 90% of the time. No way I'll give it. For that other 10%, a rotary may be just what is needed (short of color sanding maybe). I encountered just such a situation recently (the swirls again). If I had been skilled in rotary work I could have finished out the car perfectly. Many posters on the forum here use a rotary quite often and some exclusively.

So, for the new guys wanting to learn, what are the best ways to learn the ins and outs of rotary use? Are training classes offered somewhere? I understand getting an old panel from the junkyard, but that only goes so far (not enough ridges and slopes on a flat panel). The Meguiars video seems like a fair start, but I don't know.
 
Is it possible to get just plain body panels with different colors and types of paint (obviously clearcoat would be most important one to test with, but I would love to get some practice on other kinds) and how much, on average, would such a thing cost me?

I have the same questions as rtbrick though, I would really like to learn.
 
I totally understand what you are getting at RT....the problem is that today's clearcoats are much more unforgiving than the old days of enamel and laquers....if you go too far or stay in on place too long the problems will out weigh the good.
Yes many people will say stay away...same as wet/dry sanding...I prefer dry actually and most peoples reaction is :eek: andthen when I bring out a crystal clear area with no mark and a great look they say, I can't do that....I say yes you can....
Natty has seen me with his Rotary and his first reaction was the same:eek:....time patience and an experienced person with you will make it work right....forgiving products are also a big big help....
some will make you wish you never started at all....I learned in a body shop....go volunteer your time and do all the learning you can...just my 2 cents...
 
Tassadar said:
Is it possible to get just plain body panels with different colors and types of paint (obviously clearcoat would be most important one to test with, but I would love to get some practice on other kinds) and how much, on average, would such a thing cost me?

I have the same questions as rtbrick though, I would really like to learn.
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get a panel(s) from a local junkyard. A hood, decklid, whatever. Meguiars has some pretty good instructional videos (Jeffbruce was the first to let us know about them) that are worth checking into. I got one from Dwayne a while back.

What has helped me the most is;

1. watching someone else (at least 4-5 times)
2. practicing on a POS car that was going to be re-painted anyway
3. practicing on my wife's car (hehe)
4. practicing on a nice car that was also going to repainted anyway (talk about an anal automotive enthusiast)
4. reading, listening and asking lots of questions

I spoke to some folks who have been in the biz for a long long time (since before Tass was even a twinkle in his mom's eye) and got lots of help. Safe to say I probably made a pest of myself but to their credit, they kept their patience and always provided informative answers.

I'm planning on attending a full day Meg's seminar in the near future. Rotary techniques are a big part of the day. I would love to do the autoint Prep Excellence 3 day school but don't know about heading to Cinci for three days. Now if it were in FLorida or Dallas I'd be there in a heart beat!

Natty
 
Rotary usage...

Rightlook.com made an excellent video on exterior detailing that focused on proper rotary usage. Also if you go to the autoint.com website there is a very good article on removing swirls with a rotary. The Rightlook video was not cheap, but I have seen it pop up on eBay from time to time.

Now i don't' even look at the speed. Feel is more imporant. But you can only do that after you have the experience. Even better than watching a video (not a bad thing though) is get to a local body shop or detailor and ask someone who knows how to and has done it for years. Hands on is the best way to learn. Then get some scrap parts from the junk yard or a scrap pile at a body shop and practice on that so you don't damage anything of value.
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Koop: Could not agree with you more.

I personally never use a more aggressive pad than a yellow foam cutting, and I can say that I NEVER CUT through a clear. I would like to ask has anyone on this forum had that experience??
Please share that painful experience with us I am sure that the DC community would love hear at least one horror story and how and why it happened.
 
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