Your thoughts on PBW using a Rotary buffer

[TangoMan]

Hi GT,
I'm pretty new to the rotary and have worked on around four cars now with it, after having practiced on an old Ford Mexico.
There are three different pads in my arsenal altogether; Lake Country's medium cutting (orange), polishing (white) and finishing (black). Out of those three I find the white to be the most used, only ever using the cutting pad on badly oxidesed paint. I nearly always use SSR2.5 as nearly all the cars have swirls and it breaks down pretty quickly, working at speeds of between 1000 and 2000 rpm. The biggest problem I have is the pads seem to clog up quickly and so I will get through three in one session. That I think is probably down to me getting use to how much product to use and the fact it is filling up with oxidised paint! For clearcoats I will usually use SSR2 on a white pad finishing off with PB Pro Polish.
The cars I have worked on are California Yellow MX5, Grand Pre White Integra, Custom Paint Westfield XTR2 and a dark blue Mini Cooper (BMW)

There have been occasions where I have needed to use SSR3 but this combined with a rotary is very agressive and needs to be used with caution.

The rotary is only ever used on bad paintwork because is gets results quick, the problem is it is much more difficult to control and can also do a lot more damage. The PC comes out the rest of the time as I can move that much more easily around the contours of the car and with one hand.

 

[vwgtivw]

Nice work :smt023 . Just keep practicing with the rotary and it will be as easy to use as the PC. I find the two complement each other very well.

 

[xgo]

Splatters?

How about the splatterings of the product using the rotary? with a LC Pads?
I get so much of it everytime I use the rotary even if I put a small amount of product on each panel.

I usually cover the glass with newspaper.

 

[BigLeegr]

Re: Splatters?

How about the splatterings of the product using the rotary? with a LC Pads?
I get so much of it everytime I use the rotary even if I put a small amount of product on each panel.

I usually cover the glass with newspaper.

I usually apply some product to the pad, smear the pad/product across the area to be worked, turn on the buffer at a slow speed to spread it, then turn it up to work it. Seems to cut the splatter drastically.
(But covering areas is a good precaution regardless! :smt023 )

 

[Poorboy]

Hi GT,
The biggest problem I have is the pads seem to clog up quickly and so I will get through three in one session. That I think is probably down to me getting use to how much product to use and the fact it is filling up with oxidised paint! For clearcoats I will usually use SSR2 on a white pad finishing off with PB Pro Polish.

There have been occasions where I have needed to use SSR3 but this combined with a rotary is very agressive and needs to be used with caution.

The rotary is only ever used on bad paintwork because is gets results quick, the problem is it is much more difficult to control and can also do a lot more damage. The PC comes out the rest of the time as I can move that much more easily around the contours of the car and with one hand.

If the pad is clogging up, then you are probably using too much product or if you are doing single stage paint, then it is filling up with oxidized paint. A soft nylon brush will clean the excess off you pad quickly. I like to use Pro Polish with a rotary as it can be worked longer and with the right pad can even remove wet sanding marks. Believe it or not Pro Polish can do the work of SSR3 too with the right pad :wink: The rotary can be used on all paints, good or bad, but practice, the right product and pad choice is very important