I was wrong! Rotary polishers are AWESOME!!

Don

Don

Darth Camaro 12/27/15
Many moons ago, I bought a cheap Harbor Freight rotary because, well, I wanted a rotary. No real experience using one, and over all that time, I used it ONCE a year ago when my black Camaro had SEVERE fallout damage on the top surfaces. Even then, All I knew was high speed, tilt the polisher, etc - All the WRONG ways to use it.

A few days ago, I was cruising YouTube and came across a few videos by DIY Detailing (Ivan Lecroix) about how to FINISH polish and one-step using a rotary, WITHOUT creating swirls and holograms. The very first thing he said turned my thoughts about rotary polishing in it`s ear ... LOW speed, as in setting 1 (and even lower would be nice). Then preferably use a waffle pad and keep the pad FLAT.

I watched several of his "How to Properly Polish With a Rotary" videos, so I thought I would give it a try on my blue Camaro, I hadn`t done an actual correction on it yet and there were a bunch of swirls and light scratches on the top surfaces, Went out and got a couple of waffle pads, broke out the One & Done Compound and set off.

I tried taking a short video, or picks, but the 50/50 didn`t show up on camera, but ALL but the deepest scratches are gone, and it was so fast and easy as I followed his instructions. Now I`m kicking myself for not learning this a long time ago - it would have saved me A LOT of time and aggravation.

 
Don:
There is a reason professional auto body shops and restoration shops use rotary polishers: time is money.
Watch any Motor Trend auto restoration or customizing shop program and you will see a rotary polishers being used.
Your use and "practice" with a rotary is well worth the effort and the results show on your Camaro, even if it can only be seen by you.
Next you will be adding a mini-rotary polisher, like Griots Garage R3, to your detailing power tool collection. Maybe a side job on someone else`s vehicle can help offset the investment or at least allow some financial assistance for "asking" for permission from your "other" home finance partner. (Well, I do, sometimes. No, I do not live by the adage, "It is easier to ask for forgiveness than it is permission." Yes, I wish to stay married!)
 
Lonnie, it`s funny, when I joined here 20 years ago, the only game in town was a PC or a rotary, and everyone was afraid of the rotary. Of course we had a lot of members who were pro or pro-level detailers, and one of them gave the advice of a smaller diameter, soft pad, and slow speeds, which is pretty much what Don is saying he gleaned from Yvan`s video.

(a smaller diameter pad, has a smaller circumference, which equates to a lower surface speed for the same RPM, which creates less heat and less chance of burning the paint)
 
Learned to use the Rotary over 30 years ago, with the `old rocks in a bottle` and silicone polish cover-up. In those days to finish swirl free was very labor intensive and much trial and error. Then the PC came along and things got easier. Chemicals and pads started to get better and it was easier to figure a way to swirl free. Today a beginner can buy their way into polishing for $500 with the machines, pads and compounds etc. And websites like this.
 
Today i use wool polish pad on rotary for defect and PC to finish on most work. Oh the wasted money on different pads and chemicals over the years. Find something that works and stick with it.
 
I still have my HF rotary that I got in the mid 90s. I use it on stuff that is wrecked but a DA will get the job done with the right pads and polish.
 
To Don, the Original Poster (OP):
On a related note, which rotary polishers by make and model do Autopians own and use AND which ones do you consider to be "better".
As you mentioned, you own an older Bauer? model from Harbor Freights. Their current Bauer rotary model is 1913E-B.

I would think most Autopians would own and recommend either DeWalt Tool`s DWP849 or Makita`s 9327CX3.
Any thoughts on Flex`s PE14-3 125 or Rupe`s LH19E Big Foot rotary polishers or other manufacturers, like Bosch or Metabo?
 
Lonnie said:
To Don, the Original Poster (OP):
On a related note, which rotary polishers by make and model do Autopians own and use AND which ones do you consider to be "better".
As you mentioned, you own an older Bauer? model from Harbor Freights. Their current Bauer rotary model is 1913E-B.

I would think most Autopians would own and recommend either DeWalt Tool`s DWP849 or Makita`s 9327CX3.
Any thoughts on Flex`s PE14-3 125 or Rupe`s LH19E Big Foot rotary polishers or other manufacturers, like Bosch or Metabo?
Click to expand...

Mine is the Chicago Electric ... it could be better, it has a loop handle that makes it difficult to keep the pad level as the loop gets REALLY close to the horizontal surfaces. Plus, I think even setting "1" may be a bit too fast. I`d like to "upgrade" to the newer Bauer, but there are other things I need first. I don`t use it enough to justify getting a more expensive polisher (plus it isn`t in the budget).
 
Pro detailers were trying to remove wetsanding marks with a PC back in the day. They would take about spending 6-8 hours polishing a vehicle. They could have spent 2 with a rotary. Now you can buy a forced rotation polisher and get the best of both worlds.
 
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