DA rotating speed

[mrodgers]

Hi, I'm new here, reading a lot on swirl removal/paint correction.

I have a question on these DA polishers. What speed is the pad generally rotating at? When the speed is given in this forum, it is the oscillating speed, correct?

I've watched several videos and it doesn't look like the pad is actually rotating very fast.

I've never used a machine and have always polished by hand. I've also never used compounds such as ScratchX and am just really learning what the differences are in all the products.

I also don't have the money to purchase a machine, but watching videos, it got me thinking after I was out working on my house project of stripping the paint off my cedar siding.... I have a Dewalt DW443 and googling around, it seems that this has been used for buffing paint.

I do know that when using it as a sander, it does rotate fairly fast, but it can also be stopped rotating easily with pressure while sanding. I'm guessing that it wouldn't stop as easily using as a buffer to polish auto paint.

It's got me excited now thinking I can use this instead of wishing I had the cash to purchase a 7424 or the Meguiers DA polisher. It will definitely need a lot of cleaning up as it is currently a mess from sanding wood as well as a replacement backing pad (it's not hook/loop and is in rough shape.) Replacing that is easy enough, Wifey works a Lowes and they have a 5 inch hook and loop backing pad for it. I would just have to figure out where I can get some foam pads as I prefer not to do online shopping.

For what its worth, I just recently bought a 2003 VW Jetta, black with 80k miles on it and the paint needs some work with swirl removal. I'm reading a lot about using ScratchX and was going to do it by hand, but with time against me, I don't think that's possible.

So, is my assumption that my Dewalt DW443 will work just fine correct?

[Ravi_1992]

Re: DA rotating speed

Hello , Welcome To MOL

heres a link about the speed of the PC

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17595

DA's such as the Megs G110v2 and the PC 7424xp are great machines. The PC's the best Investment Ive ever made for detailing. I'm not to sure about the Dewalt polisher you mentioned but it sounds like a rotary and rotary are not too newbie friendly; Definitely a lot more risks.

[Kevin Brown]

Re: DA rotating speed

Uhh... that was confusing!

The DW443 is, in fact, a random orbital.

The link you provided is a discussion about rotary polishers.

Not good.

Yes- you can use the DW443 with great success. I've sold maybe a hundred of them over the years for exactly that purpose. The DW443 does not offer the wide variance of low to high speed settings that other popular machines do, and it features a smaller stroke, but it is still plenty capable.

In general, the backing plate speed can vary greatly depending upon a large number of factors. You can expect to see anything from ZERO rotations per second all the way up to 10 turns per second (or more).

With the DW443, all other things being equal (speed setting, pad type and size, amount and type of liquid, applied pressure, etc.), the DW443 will likely rotate LESS than a Meguiar's G100, G110, or G110v2... less than a Porter Cable 7424, 7335, 7336, or the 7424 XP... or the Griot's machine. This is simply due to the fact that they feature a larger 5/16" stroke versus the 3/16" stroke your machine creates.

To optimize cutting power, use a small diameter pad that is not too thick.
For fine polishing or waxing, the pad thickness and diameter are not as critical.

To better understand how the random orbital works, read this thread for starters:

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38576

Some of the info won't apply to your needs, but some will. A bit advanced for a beginner, perhaps. But post #50 shows some diagrams I made and post 51 even shows YOUR machine and the parts diagram for it.

After that... browse the forum- there is a MASSIVE amount of info for you to get lost in!

[Ravi_1992]

Re: DA rotating speed

Hello , Welcome To MOL

heres a link about the speed of the PC

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17595

DA's such as the Megs G110v2 and the PC 7424xp are great machines. The PC's the best Investment Ive ever made for detailing. I'm not to sure about the Dewalt polisher you mentioned but it sounds like a rotary and rotary are not too newbie friendly; Definitely a lot more risks.

Scroll down to the fourth post in that thread, I didn't realize it was rotary's, my bad .

[mrodgers]

Re: DA rotating speed

Thanks for the info folks. After looking at the tag on my Dewalt, it is actually a DW444. My initial googling for "Dewalt random orbital" gave me DW443 which looks identical. I found the manual online and it gives both numbers in the manual. Since most of the googling for the DW443 sends me to links from the UK or Australia, I'm assuming the 443 is the 240V outside the States and the 444 is the 110V in the States. Perhaps a difference in pad size as well. Seems most I've found with the 443 is saying 6 inch and my pad is 5 inch.

The link you gave, Kevin, was informative with the videos. My Dewalt will stop rotating if given enough pressure when I'm using it as a sander, so from those videos my conclusion is that is a good thing for a 'beginner'.

And yes, I am getting lost in reading all the info in this forum (not lost as in confused, lost as in lost time staying up until past 2 am last night, haha.) I started out just looking for info on the proper technique to hand working ScratchX product and moved on to the DA section after thinking about my Dewalt sitting out near my sanding work area.

I do have a rotary from years and years ago, but I have never used it on paint. My history is from way back in my 20's when I polished my then first new car twice a year and actually seemed to change the color of my car (Eagle One Wet products back then.) I've since had always had 4x4s and never bothered detailing the paint because removing one scratch only meant I would put 300 more on that evening with 4wheeling, but with my now black paint on the "new" car, I'm interested in fixing all the bad swirls.

Ok, so I'm heading out to Lowes for a new backing pad, gonna clean up the machine from its sanding use, and give it a shot to see what happens. Thanks again for the info.

[Woodie6250]

Re: DA rotating speed

I used a DeWalt DW443 for several months before switching to the Meguiars G220 (220V version of the G110 for international markets) and can attest to the comments posted by Kevin.

The comments that I can add from my experience is that the DW443 is louder than the G220 and creates a lot more vibration which is a bit of an irritation when using it for extended periods of time.

Bottom line is that you have a capable machine at your disposal, and with minimal expense you will be ready to use it on your Jetta, so I say go for it.

[Fly Bye]

Re: DA rotating speed

What speed is the pad generally rotating at? When the speed is given in this forum, it is the oscillating speed, correct?

Yes.

[mrodgers]

Re: DA rotating speed

The comments that I can add from my experience is that the DW443 is louder than the G220 and creates a lot more vibration which is a bit of an irritation when using it for extended periods of time.

Currently the Dewalt is in sanding mode as I'm stripping the paint off my cedar siding. I've removed all the cedar boards off of my house and the only thing I could get to work on stripping the paint is an angle grinder with 25 grit sanding disc. Harsh, yes, but I've tried stripper, paint stripper pads on a drill and grinder, and many other methods. I strip through the 4 layers of paint with the angle grinder pretty much to leave the original primer (buzzing through to the wood often though) and finishing it with the DW443.

After working a board for half an hour with the angle grinder, that DW443 is smooth as silk to use, hahaha. I've been doing this paint stripping project for 3 years (it was an addon project to replacing all the sheathing and insulation on the house.) So, yeah, I don't think the vibration will be too bothersome to me.

Thanks again. I stopped at the only shop that has stuff for automotive painting/body work today and picked up a yellow Meguiers 6.5 inch pad. Have to run to Lowes yet for a new backing pad with hook and loop, then finish sanding the last 10 boards or so before I disassemble it to give it a thorough cleaning to try as a polisher. It probably could use a good disassemble and lube on the gears as it's a bit old.