advice on rotary purchase

[OctaneGuy]

I've got a friend that recently bought a Makita, and he's still a beginner with the rotary, but he's been using it to apply M80 before using the PC with NXT. He says he feels safe using it because he's got it on a really low speed of 600. I've seen the results of his work and it looks fantastic.

But is that really a safe thing to do? My new HF doesn't go below 1000 so I can't try this. I thought it you go too low, you have the potential for skipping and not doing any work?

Thanks

Richard

[cafemoc]

I started to use Makita to remove bird droppings etched on clear coat.
I couldn't do without Makita, and thought it was great for polishing with low rpm.

I use #1 setting for polishing. I do use DA-100 as well.

[OctaneGuy]

Ooooh, looks like my friend just showed up. Hi Toshi!!! Are you coming to tomorrows Autobacs event??? Would love to have you again!

[the other pc]

OctaneGuy,

I saw that buffer sitting out on the table last Sat. I meant to ask you about it.

The first thing you need for your rotary is a W64 Rotary Buffer Backing Plate.


Then you'll be able to use Meguiar's pads. Definitely stay with the 6.5" pads at first, they're easier to learn with. In fact you may never even want to move to 8" pads. Plenty of experienced pros prefer the 6.5".

I think 1000rpm will be reasonably safe if you choose very low aggressiveness products and pads and follow Meguiar's tips. You do have the How to Remove Paint Defects video, right?


PC.

[OctaneGuy]

Hi PC!
Yeah, I got my W64 backing plate on order--just waiting for it to arrive.

And yep I got the video.

Actually, I've also watched Mike Phillips and Joe at Superior Shine use the Rotary and they make it look really easy of course.

I've also read all the threads on using the rotary, I just really need some hands on time now.

But when I saw cafemoc using his Makita, it got me thinking, that at a lower speed, maybe some of the stress of using the rotary might be lessened.

I brought that rotary just to let people compare a PC to a rotary and demonstrate why the PC is safe. I didn't have any intention using it at the clinic.

Thank you!

Richard

Originally posted by the other pc
OctaneGuy,

I saw that buffer sitting out on the table last Sat. I meant to ask you about it.

The first thing you need for your rotary is a W64 Rotary Buffer Backing Plate.


Then you'll be able to use Meguiar's pads. Definitely stay with the 6.5" pads at first, they're easier to learn with. In fact you may never even want to move to 8" pads. Plenty of experienced pros prefer the 6.5".

I think 1000rpm will be reasonably safe if you choose very low aggressiveness products and pads and follow Meguiar's tips. You do have the How to Remove Paint Defects video, right?


PC.

[Tim Lingor]

Hi Richard,

Sometimes a slower speed is not good either. But it is better to learn at reduced RPM's. But as soon as a person feels comfortable, I would suggest using the proper speeds. For comparsion, you can not practice for a sprint race if you only jog. Apples to oranges..yes..but when using a rotary at higher speeds, it has a lot more kick. I feel that the faster you get used to using the rotary at the correct speeds, the better the results will be. Just IMHO!

Tim

[zey]

OctaneGuy, I'm just like your other friend. I turn on my Makita at 600rpm and polish the car using W-9006/#80 combo. It gives really nice result. With the patience, I'm trading speed with safety since I'm still a beginner rotary machine user. Usually this combination will help me to tackle swirls, while the W-8006/#83 combination will help me to tackle defects (such as blemish, micro-blister, deep scratches) on the paintwork.

[OctaneGuy]

Thanks guys! Hmm, I seemed to have done something rather stupid today when I was using my HF Rotary to clean some W8006 pads (uhm like I broke it)....to make a long story short, I think I'm going to buy what I should have bought in the first place--a Makita.

That slower than 1000rpm speed and the ability to accelerate is important to me.

Richard

[Tim Lingor]

You broke the buffer cleaning the pads????? What happened????

Seriously, when people post what buffer to buy, I always suggest the Makita or DeWalt. I have 3 rotaries, 2 Makita's and 1 Dewalt and they are all used without hesitation. None of them have ever let me down!

Tim

[OctaneGuy]

Well, I was kinda tired last night, preparing for this Autobacs event today, and was wrangling with the HF Rotary in my left hand using my legs to stabilize it--so I could have it running at its slowest speed of 1000 rpms. I held a towel in my other hand to collect the residue. Somehow I managed to push the button on the top of the head that is used to lock the head so you can use the wrench to remove the backing pad. I only pushed it momentarily, but by the time I discovered what happened, something got stripped, and now everytime I turn the rotary on, it makes this awful grinding/rattling noise.

Heh heh, not something I'm proud of, but sucky for something I've only had for maybe a month now? I got the $50 electronic speed control one cause it had true variable speed, and supposedly similar specs to the Makita.

Oh well, lol. Was pretty dumb on my part, but I learned the hard way how to kill a rotary.

Originally posted by 2hotford
You broke the buffer cleaning the pads????? What happened????

Seriously, when people post what buffer to buy, I always suggest the Makita or DeWalt. I have 3 rotaries, 2 Makita's and 1 Dewalt and they are all used without hesitation. None of them have ever let me down!

Tim

[Tim Lingor]

Hey Richard,

It sounds like the shaft lock is history and is rattling inside the machine. With the price of labour, it would be cheaper to buy another buffer.

Do not worry, things like that happen! It was just an accident.

Tim

[OctaneGuy]

Thanks Tim! I guess this is one of those lessons best learned on my own equipment, and not someone elses!!!

I found a new Makita on eBay for $168, but with sales tax and shipping, it's more than what CoastalTools sells it for--so seems like that's where I will be getting it--unless anyone knows of a better place.

Richard

Originally posted by 2hotford
Hey Richard,

It sounds like the shaft lock is history and is rattling inside the machine. With the price of labour, it would be cheaper to buy another buffer.

Do not worry, things like that happen! It was just an accident.

Tim

[zey]

IMHO, having paint burning is much more painful than equipment breakdown. Not only the cost of repainting is an issue, but also the quality and hassles dealing with it are of great pain.

[OctaneGuy]

I ordered my rotary today--got the Makita off a store on eBay. I would have bought it from Coastal, but I really needed to purchase it using PayPal. In case anyone else is interested this is where I ordered it from.

http://cgi.ebay.com/POLISHER-BUFFER-SANDER-10-AMP-MAKITA-9227-NEW_W0QQitemZ4352632418QQcategoryZ42266QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Tim Lingor]

Congrats Richard on the new Makita! You will love the buffer!

Tim