Rotary Practice

[Jeff Smith]

Originally posted by Bill D
It's most certainly not at all "anal". It's using your head and making effort to find out out what using a rotary is like and identifying your strengths and weaknesses. to you for wanting to go about trying one out safely.

Like any serious athlete, one can never have too much practice IMO. I just pulled out my practice fenders last weekend and gave myself a "practice session". I'm anxiously waiting to try out some tips, fellow member Anthony Orosco was kind enough to share, next time I set up my fenders or, more preferably, work on a beater car again.

If you are going with a single scrap part, I would suggest getting a dark color. One of my fenders is maroon and that's where I see how I'm really coming along whereas on my silver one, I have more difficulty seeing my work so I just focus more on form and process when I'm using that one.

I have the DeWalt rotary and am now trying to focus on working with the variable speed while polishing.

Thanks for the encouragement and tips. The beater car thing is lined up. We took it off the travel dolly yesterday and it is sitting my driveway. if memory serves it is green. But heck, that may have been mold I might try to put a few Pictures up before the weekend is out.

[Tim Lingor]

Hey Jeff,

Yes you can buy the side handle for the Makita and at a decent price. You need to buy the Makita handle for the 9227 model as the ones from Dewalt or older Makitas have a different bolt size and will not fit.

Tim

[the other pc]

Originally posted by SpoiledMan
..I just picked up the Hitachi SP18VA(H) ... I'm wondering if this is a Makita in disguise...

Originally posted by j333_76484
I checked on this and other folks seem to have the same feeling about it being a repackaged Makita

The machines are most definitely not repackaged versions of the same unit nor is one a "knock-off" of the other. All the molded parts and castings are different.



The eerily similar functionality and may suggest that one was a "blank sheet design after an engineering analysis" of the other.

It would be interesting to see if any parts (other than the backing plate) are interchangeable between the two.


PC.

[SpoiledMan]

Originally posted by the other pc
The machines are most definitely not repackaged versions of the same unit nor is one a "knock-off" of the other. All the molded parts and castings are different.

The eerily similar functionality and may suggest that one was a "blank sheet design after an engineering analysis" of the other.

It would be interesting to see if any parts (other than the backing plate) are interchangeable between the two.


PC.

I'd bet that the internals are VERY similar. The trigger, trigger lock, speed control and spindle lock are pretty much all the same with the exception being color. I tells ya, ya has ta use wanna deese tings to reelly preciate the similars!!

[rusty bumper]

Originally posted by SpoiledMan
Just something to think about. You will likely be able to use the adjustable handle that is being sold in the "Katrina" sale in place of the bail handle. Having used both, *I* like the bail handle better as it doesn't extend beyond the body of the buffer as far and therefore is able to get into tighter places.

If you would like to touch and feel all three, I think Lowes has them all in stock. Check the stores in your area.

Meguiar's sells buffer handles?

Edit: Ok, I saw it on ebay.....Pretty neat looking.

[the other pc]

Originally posted by Rusty Bumper
Meguiar's sells buffer handles?...

Used to be a catalog item but as I understand it they’re discontinued. Get ‘em while you can. When the stock’s gone, it’s gone.

Here’s a link with a shot of it in action on a Dynabrade buffer.

PC.

[Jeff Smith]

Originally posted by 2hotford
Hey Jeff,

Yes you can buy the side handle for the Makita and at a decent price. You need to buy the Makita handle for the 9227 model as the ones from Dewalt or older Makitas have a different bolt size and will not fit.

Tim

I know Tim has left us but I wanted to put this out. I just picked up my Makite 9227 C today. I don;t know if they recently started doing this or not but it came with both handles. I think you guys call one the BAIL handle and the other is the side Handle.

I'll be working on my truck this weekend with the DA and then after that is done I will be looking at this Geo as a project for the Rotary.

Thank you all for your input.

[tumbler]

here's my setup .. I call it my "rotary test lab"

[Jeff Smith]

Originally posted by tumbler
here's my setup .. I call it my "rotary test lab"

Sweeeet. I have an old geo that has the whole spectrum of problems. Swirls, Spider webs. Scratches of all depths, oxidation. You name it, it's got it. Should make an excellent training aide. It's sitting in my Driveway. I threw a coat of #66 on it about a month ago to cover it until I can get to it. Hope to start in November.

[inthedetails]

OK..so a rotary wannabe noob here.

Are there different pads for the rotary as with the PC? And if so, what are they are what is their recmmended use. (I know Mike posted a great guide for the PC, anyone have anything similar.)

Jeff,

Keep me posted, I be waiting on every word, as I am considering practice throught the winter for a debut in spring. (One more tool in the box).

On a separate but related note. I have a '93 Toyota Pickup that I recently clayed, polished and topped with NXT Tech Wax. I noticed that while polishing all my pads ended up red. So it must be single stage paint right? I guess I figured that in '93 it would have been 2 stage. Any thoughts?

[tumbler]

i only use the rotary for compounding so i have 2.. an orange and a yellow pad

i use my pc for pre sealants, and sealants and mild cleanser polishes..

i had the red paint come off on honda as seen above.. no biggie..

[Shiny Lil Detlr]

Originally posted by inthedetails
OK..so a rotary wannabe noob here.

Are there different pads for the rotary as with the PC? And if so, what are they are what is their recmmended use. (I know Mike posted a great guide for the PC, anyone have anything similar.)

Jeff,

Keep me posted, I be waiting on every word, as I am considering practice throught the winter for a debut in spring. (One more tool in the box).

On a separate but related note. I have a '93 Toyota Pickup that I recently clayed, polished and topped with NXT Tech Wax. I noticed that while polishing all my pads ended up red. So it must be single stage paint right? I guess I figured that in '93 it would have been 2 stage. Any thoughts?

You can use the exact same 6.5" Soft-Buff pads for the rotary as you're using for the PC, if you so desire. Just pick up a W-64 backing plate for your rotary and you'll be good to go.

Otherwise you could use the 8" pads, but in my opinion they are harder to work with.

[tumbler]

i felt weird using 8" pads.. the feel just did not feel right, so i scaled down to 7.5" and find that a lot more controllable


so you may wanna conisder 7.5" pads ?

just my $.02

[LiquidBlack]

When are you going to hit the geo? Any pics of the car in its current condition?

[Jeff Smith]

Originally posted by LiquidBlack
When are you going to hit the geo? Any pics of the car in its current condition?

No pics yet. But I do plan on taking my time on it and trying to piece togehter a nice thread about it. Nwebie's first crack at a Rotary with pics and all that. Got one more Van in the driveway I wanna get squared away before starting the Geo.