Rotary Usage

Camaro5Ryan said:
:werd:



Its near impossible to damage your paint with a 7424xp. You can run that thing at 6000opm with a yellow pad and a agressive compound and it would take you a year to take off enough clear coat to do any real damage. :buffing:
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I wouldn't go that far!
 
The DeWalt 849 weight doesnt bother me. I went from a Sears polisher to PC to Cyclo to DeWalt 849.



I used a buddies rotary, cant recall the brand but it was shorter, not as wide and alot lighter. I dont know... I like the DeWalt more. I am more comofortable with it.
 
Buff Guys Auto said:
hey does anyone use a dewalt 849, im new to this site but been buffing for a bit its what i learned with. Am i missing out on anything other than safety
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I use a DeWalt and never had an issue with it
 
Products high in polymers will gum up pads real quick. I use a product that NEVER gums up my pad, even after covering the entire car! It is the center of my finished result that puts me ahead of the competion. The stuff is incredible. I use it exclusively. Dan Bradley - D & S Mobile Auto Detail Spa
 
So as a rule of thumb....

The actual polishing should be done at about what speed? I was always under the impression that the cutting process (using an orange or yellow pad) should be done slower than the polishing process that requires a polishing white or blue pad? Is that true?
 
I really like to have a DA but my budget does not permit. Also, DA's, with the exception of G220V2, work on 110V so I still need a stepdown transformer with the right wattage and other electrical I decided to buy a rotary and practice by using the lightest polishes and softest and safest foam pads. I will also apply LSP by rotary just to get used to its handling.



BTW, I cannot find a complex write-up (with videos) about rotary use.
 
Kaban said:
So as a rule of thumb....

The actual polishing should be done at about what speed? I was always under the impression that the cutting process (using an orange or yellow pad) should be done slower than the polishing process that requires a polishing white or blue pad? Is that true?
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No, it's often quite the opposite. I've used some *VERY* high speeds when cutting, and a lot of burnishing/jeweling is done at quite moderate speeds.



Heh heh, ask Barry Theal about the speeds he uses when cutting off lots of paint :soscared:
 
nyakerz said:
I really like to have a DA but my budget does not permit. Also, DA's, with the exception of G220V2, work on 110V so I still need a stepdown transformer with the right wattage and other electrical I decided to buy a rotary and practice by using the lightest polishes and softest and safest foam pads. I will also apply LSP by rotary just to get used to its handling.



BTW, I cannot find a complex write-up (with videos) about rotary use.
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Note that for really aggressive rotary work, wool pads are quite a bit safer than foam because things don't get as hot.



If I were you I'd stock up on 3M Ultrafina and their blue pads, and practice with those instead of LSPs.
 
^ I read the reviews and comments about 3M Ultrafina and I think it's a spot on recommendation. I will just use it as a light paint cleaner or a preparation for new layers of LSP. I hope that when a serious paint correction is needed, I am already used to handling the rotary because of blue pad and 3M Ultrafina. Thanks Sir. You are helpful as always.
 
nyakerz- My pleasure, not all that often I get to give out useful rotary advice. Heh heh, I hear that even *I* would be able to finish out OK with Ultrafina, but I still haven't tried it. The "serious correction" part of rotary work isn't all that tough IMO, it's just the final, hologram-free finishing that's a genuine challenge.
 
Thanks!



What kind of speeds are we talking about for cutting and polishing?



Then why on a DA like the Flex 3401 people say it's pointless to use it at speeds below 4-4.5? Most people would say that the higher the speed on a DA the better the result. Now I am confused.
 
Kaban said:
Thanks!



What kind of speeds are we talking about for cutting and polishing?
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Better ask somebody who uses a rotary a lot more than I do ;) I generally cut at around 1250-1750. I've turned it *way* up to scary-high levels on very hard clear and I've turned it down to around 800 with products like 1Z Pasta Intensiv that work best at lower speeds. A lot of it is product and/or paint dependent. If in doubt, either follow the label directions or see what people here use with the pad/product combo in question.
Then why on a DA like the Flex 3401 people say it's pointless to use it at speeds below 4-4.5? Most people would say that the higher the speed on a DA the better the result. Now I am confused.
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You can't really compare speeds between rotary and non-rotary types of polishers, they're just completely different primarily in the sense that a rotary is much more aggressive due to its "single action" type of motion where all the polisher's power is more directly applied to the surface being worked. And "rotations per minute" (rotary) are different from "oscillations per minute" (random orbital) anyhow.



The less-powerful types of polishers need all the help they can get to do aggressive work, hence the higher speeds. But even this is changing now with new product/pad technologies. Some people are actually cutting at speeds like 4.5 on machines they used to use at 6. Again, it's product/pad dependent and even stuff like heat and humidity can factor in.



Even with RO/DA machines, sometimes it pays to turn the speed way down when doing the final polishing. You don't always want it being as aggressive as possible.
 
When youre on the vertical surfaces, try putting the trigger lock on, and holding the buffer on the head with your dominant hand, and the other hand on the handle to steady it... and you do not need to push an a high speed... let it do the work!!!!
 
Revival, as there is still very little on rotary usage on here lol. It was used for years, I highly doubt its an automatic way to way to create problems (although I'm fully aware it can.)
 
Anthony Orosco THANKS !



As a NOOBIE, I liked the detail of your post. As obvious as EXPERIENCE IS KEY, I wonder if people forget what it's like to be ignorant. I am. And ALL the info you experienced guys can give is so welcome to us newcomers. I especially appreciated what you mentioned about holding the machine and the way you use your body - these can be key factors to how you hold up the next day, which is really important when you haven't finished the job yet! When you explained holding your breath and the death grip on the machine - YEP - I could just imagine me doing that - all tensed up in anticipation. So THANKS great post ! ! !
 
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