Why not start with a rotary?

F

fiveiron

New member
This is a quote from the autopia store:

"This (PC 7424) polisher is not designed for heavy compounding and will not do well removing swirls or paint imperfections. To remove paint, swirls and scratches requires a professional, circular polisher such as the Makita 9227 or DeWalt 849"



I realize the learning curve is way more difficult for a rotary and that you can seriously damage paint if you do not use it correctly, but why not just learn on a rotary? Can't they do everything a PC can do and more?
 
fiveiron said:
This is a quote from the autopia store:

"This (PC 7424) polisher is not designed for heavy compounding and will not do well removing swirls or paint imperfections. To remove paint, swirls and scratches requires a professional, circular polisher such as the Makita 9227 or DeWalt 849"



I realize the learning curve is way more difficult for a rotary and that you can seriously damage paint if you do not use it correctly, but why not just learn on a rotary? Can't they do everything a PC can do and more?
Click to expand...





That quote is alittle off. Browse the click and brag sections and just see how successful people have been with a PC. However a rotary has a longer learning curve and you cant just jump on your paint. You should start off with a test panel to get your technique down so not to harm your paint. With a PC you can start on your car after just alittle reading and have good results without have to worry about burning paints, leaving buffer trails or halograms.
 
Heres some work I recently did. Right side shows what a rotary can do in the wrong hands. The left side is done with a PC.



IMG_1489.jpg
 
Actually a PC is a great starting point but as time goes on you will desire a rotary. Much more efficient tool and a much higher result end-point.



The real trick is to never let your paint/finish get in a condition that heavy compounding is necessary.

Mildly abrasive polishes (i.e Zaino PC-Fusion and Menzerna IP and FP) using a rotary at low speeds (1000-1200rpm) with light pressure will cure most defects.



There is a learning curve but not one that can't be completed without incident.
 
fiveiron said:
This is a quote from the autopia store:

"This (PC 7424) polisher is not designed for heavy compounding and will not do well removing swirls or paint imperfections. To remove paint, swirls and scratches requires a professional, circular polisher such as the Makita 9227 or DeWalt 849"



I realize the learning curve is way more difficult for a rotary and that you can seriously damage paint if you do not use it correctly, but why not just learn on a rotary? Can't they do everything a PC can do and more?
Click to expand...



Fiveiron,



I also got the same text with my PC when it arrived a couple weeks ago (from Autogeek). I read that and though "Well, why the hell did you sell me THIS then?" I got the feeling I wouldn't be able to do anything with the PC.



Well, with just a few minutes of messing around I found the PC is going to work great. Maybe go rotory in the future though.
 
Some of us started with rotaries back in the day when they were the only commonly available polishers (at the time I'd never heard of a Cyclo) but that was before b/c paint was common.



If the rotary was *that* easy to use there wouldn't be so many hideously holgrammed/burned/etc. paint jobs out there.



Yeah, you *can* start with a rotary. IMO it's a question of the person...some people are better suited to some things than other people are. Somebody who is patient, never loses concentration, always keeps thinking (and knows what to think *about* and when), has good eye-hand coordination and a modicum of strength and endurance, and who knows when to say "good enough", might do fine with just a rotary. But I question just how many people really have all those individual traits. IMO most people need to get into machine polishing gradually, starting with machines that won't do much if any damage in the event of a momentary "oops".



IMO a Cyclo is a great learning tool for a rotary. They handle in a somewhat similar manner; it's more rotary-like than a PC by far. And most (yeah, I know, not all) people find a machine of this type to be useful even when they are competent with the rotary.



FWIW, I got by just fine for years with only the Cyclos and the PCs, only bought the rotary (and got reacquainted with how to use it after >20 years) when I couldn't do what I wanted on really marred, hard (Audi) clear. It comes in handy, but I still do far more work with the PCs/Cyclos.
 
I started with a rotary and mild polishes and finishing pads. As long as you are carefule, keep the machine moving and watch sharp edges you'll be ok. A PC is easier to start with tho.
 
How do you go about doing edges on vehicles or tight areas? Im wanting to get a metabo rotary, even just to use to practice on until spring comes around so I can use it then to get better results faster. But I keep talking myself out of it because of my fear or messing up and ruining someones paint, making too many passes or using it on pillars, above windows on trucks, corners etc..



I guess one of these days I'll just have to bite the bullet and order one and just practice practice practice :o



When using the rotary how fast do you keep the polisher moving, any overlapping passes (how many passes also typically) and you have to keep the polisher flat as possible correct? Would rotary users agree that the metabo is probably the best rotary of choice to start on because of its weight, low rpm settings at 700, etc? Thanks for all the help, sorry to hijack the thread a little.
 
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