Rotary Usage

J

jerry@robs

New member
Hi, I did a search about how to use a rotary on different situations (such as swirl removal, etc) but found little "how-to" posts... The most I've got was Jason's Rotary 101...



Can any of you pros provide us (up and coming detailers) some instructions, tips and guidelines on how to properly use a rotary, speed, pressure, pads, etc? Thanks...



The rotary I'll be using is a Makita BTW...



Main issue will be about buffer marks, swirls and scratch problems.



Thanks again
 
i am will be working on a junk car for practice, that's not a problem, but there's no substitute for experience as well... for pros that has done quite a number of hands-on, any tips or warnings could be invaluable for guys like us... I'm going to be trained hands on by a pro soon, but what he can teach me may not cover past experiences that you guys may have had...



any tips would be appreciated...
 
Lesson 1: Faster is NOT better. Always use the lowest speed possible.



Cut in the edges of the pieces you are buffing first.



Keep pad flat, and go to around a 3 degree angle for the edges.



NEVER use a 4 ply twisted white wool cutting pad on todays clearcoat finishes, it will totally chew the crap out of them.



Use a consistant even buffing pattern.



DO NOT apply any pressure to the machine, let it operate under it's own weight.



Absorb this information grasshopper, more to come. :D
 
:up you will be amazed when you learn the high speed tecniques that you ever did without it! i can only second the previous advice and only add to buy high quality pads and stay away from the wool untill you have plenty of experience,i don't even have a wool pad,i use meguirs pads and the red works fine for the rougher jobs

good luck and have fun
 
I'm having difficulties with working on vertical panels... please help... the buffer tends to skip or shake on verts...



Also, what's the safest, but effective speed for most surfaces? how long do you have to work on a severely swirled surface? Thanks.
 
The skiping and shaking is do to the fact that it's hard to keep the pad flat on vertical panels, you just need to practice more.:)



I keep my buffer at 1000 to 1500 RPM max.



The last question is a bit vegue.
 
thanks for the reply... i understand that more practicing is required, i was hoping for some tips as to how my practices can be more effective... some tips maybe?



as for the last question, what i meant was... on average, how many seconds (or fraction) do you (rotary users) stay on a certain spot... like how fast do you move the buffer around...



again, tahnks... :)
 
It just takes time to get the feel of how to hold and operate the buffer in different positions. On vertical surfaces don't push the polisher to the panel let the weight of the polisher rest on your trigger hand than float it up down left right.



The first rule when using a rotary, is to never stop moving the polisher when it's spining. I move the buffer at about four inches per second. That will vary with different speeds. If you speed up the polisher you also need to speed up, remember todays automotive finishes don't like heat.



Hope this helps.:)
 
Never allow the buffer to stay in one spot for any amount of time, keep it moving at all times otherwise you will burn paint. You don't need to be real fast, just a nice easy consistant motion will work well. Remember no pressure, allow the machine to operate under it's own weight.



Like Andre' I prefer 1000-1500 RPM.
 
drape the cord over your shoulder, to keep it from getting wrapped up in the buffer, also keeps it off the car. Keep pad clean. 2,000 rpm or slower, depending on damage. careful around pin stripes and molding. I use the continuous hold button on my Makita, on flat panels.
 
I did something I haven't done since the age of 19. That's right. I used a rotary buffer on a Land Cruiser. But in a nutshell, I think I need to get some more practice (and my own DeWalt Buffer). The buffer I used was a Wen and it had a wool bonnett that would flop around.
 
Great info guys, especially Andre... Thanks...



BTW, how many panels can your pad cover before "caking" up? I found that my W7000 pad cakes up about half a hood or so. I'm only using about a quarter size drop of product per 1/3 of the hood (or 2sq ft.)
 
You should use more product than that, say two or three quarter size drops. I can polish 1/4 of a car before i need to spur the pad with a brush.



BTW your welcome.
 
I would practice as much as possible. Be very careful before you use the rotary for real. Everyone makes mistakes and it is very easy to burn the paint on the car.

Like showroom said, slower is best and work the speed up, i never go past speed 3.

good luck
 
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