Time saved with rotary vs. PC

bert31 said:
Why does a DA not require taping? Doesn't sling polish as bad as a rotary?
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IMO, used properly, a DA/Cyclo/PC/UDM shouldn't sling *any* polish at all. None. But it takes a little practice to work right up against trim without actually *hitting* said trim. Rotaries won't sling *IF* you do everything right, which I generally fail to do :o so yeah, I tape to control the spatter when using a rotary.



I also tape things off to protect them. It's just how *I* do it, but find it easier to tape off anything I'm concerned with so I don't have to consciously avoid/baby it.



The only times I tape with a DA are 1) when something simply can't be polished for one reason or another and/or 2) when I'm concerned about polish staining trim.
 
I am not sure why it would take 15-20hrs to correct with a pc/udm unless you are talking hard paint and very bad condition. The very first time I used my UDM, I two stepped my Civic with great results. Total polishing time was around 8 hrs and that includes compounding the hood and trunk lid twice.



-Frank
 
VTechFan02 said:
I am not sure why it would take 15-20hrs to correct with a pc/udm unless you are talking hard paint and very bad condition. The very first time I used my UDM, I two stepped my Civic with great results. Total polishing time was around 8 hrs and that includes compounding the hood and trunk lid twice.
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  • I'm a newb.
  • VW paint is generally regarded as tough.
  • 7 year-old car that was never really cared for (wasn't even waxed for the last several years).

And keep in mind I was trying to be slow and deliberately careful. All in all, about three total passes per panel (occasionally four depending on the condition). Added up, I think it came out to 30 - 35 hours total for polishing (not including sealing and washing).
 
I think your are right about VW paint. Some might not even have attempted it with a DA. As long as you are happy with the results, the time it takes doesn't matter. What pads and polish were you using by the way? I wonder if you could benefit by getting more aggressive next time.



-Frank
 
Regarding time saved with a rotary it depends on how bad the paint is.



If the car has no swirls and needs a light polish and wax then the Porter Cable would do the job just as quick if not quicker than the rotary.



If the car has swirls the Rotary buffer will remove these probably twice as quick.



If the car has heavy swirls, oxidation and light scratches then the Rotary will be 10 times quicker. You'd have to do a dozens of passes with the Porter Cable to remove heavy oxidation due to its lack in power. The rotary can cut it down in a a couple pass's.



If you are new to a Rotary buffer you may get soem light holograms which will require you to use an extra step using an ultrafine polish to get it perfect. The Porter Cable is much more forgiving in this regard. So to begin with the Rotary may not be any quicker on most jobs, but you gain experience you'll be finnishing in half the time.
 
VTechFan02 said:
I am not sure why it would take 15-20hrs to correct with a pc/udm unless you are talking hard paint and very bad condition...
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It's the hard paint. The last time I used the PC/4" cutting pad/H-T EC to remove a *VERY* shallow flaw on an Audi, I did perhaps a dozen passes before it was good enough to move on to a milder pad/polish combo. The rotary could have done it in about three passes with the same pad/product, maybe fewer if I got really aggressive about it.



I can do the softer paint on my Mazda in a fraction of the time.
 
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