John
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Registered: 30th Jun 03
User status: Offline
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Bought the cheapest rotary I could find on ebay, using the pads it came with and some 3m fast cut plus I had lying in the garage.
Started with a waffle pad and the fast cut is the second most aggressive by the looks of the label, after splattering polish everywhere and braving it up to 3000rpm I thought I'd made a mess.
Got another flat pad out and stuck some meguiars normal hand polish on it, didn't go quite as fast, polished up lovely, I've got nearly all the old swirls and scratches out.
I'm going back to finish the bonnet soon and I'll see if I can get some pics.
I've managed more in 10 mins with a £50 rotary than I did in 2 days with a meguiars g220.
I've got an old astra to practice on, I wouldn't recommend trying it on something you were worried about.
A question if anybody can answer it.
A woollen pad, can I use that to say buff off wax I had left on for an hour or would it mega scratch the paint? Are they for something else?
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sand-eel
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Registered: 15th Mar 07
Location: carluke/braidwood--IRNBRULAND
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link to rotary?
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Jake
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Registered: 24th Jan 05
User status: Offline
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maybe this one
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Silverline-Trade-Car-Sander-Polisher-Kit-5-Heads_W0QQitemZ170345624178QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM?hash=item27a963f272&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
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sand-eel
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Registered: 15th Mar 07
Location: carluke/braidwood--IRNBRULAND
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3 year warrenty, ideal.
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John
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Registered: 30th Jun 03
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This one
It's not got the speed control thing that keeps the speed constant even if it's being laboured, wasn't much of an issue so far.
If you were using it day in day out as your trade it's fair enough buying a more expensive one, from my experience so far though that one would do a hobbyist fine.
Pictures are really difficult to get in natural light, garage has been stolen though so that's all I had
Couldn't get anything of use of the bonnet at all, tried a rear quarter though.

That is the side I didn't do, I have no before pics but it was in exactly the same condition.
These aren't detailing world style but they are taken on a dull day straight off my camera onto here, about as good as I can get.
I know there is still orange peel and it's not immaculate but it's amazing for half an hours work and my first try imo.


It's also a flat paint with no laquer, I've not had the bottle to go too deep as the pad was already covered in blue paint.
[Edited on 04-10-2009 by John]
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Graeme
Premium Member
Registered: 26th Jul 04
Location: Northampton
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Cars come from factory with orange peel so unless u flat and polish it u won't really get rid of it, there will b loades of paint on there to flat though but not really worth it.
Those polishers r very good for the money!
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mart08uk
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Registered: 10th Jan 08
Location: N/A
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I really need to buy one... good results by the looks of it..nice one
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Ant B
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Registered: 4th Jan 09
Location: Woodford Halse, Northamptonshire
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i want one of them
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craig8
Premium Member
Registered: 31st Dec 04
Location: Glasgow
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i was getting great results with a cheap silverline rotary, just takes a bit of practise to get right, flatted on polished my blue corsa with it and also polished up my black astra to a great shine with it

E36 328
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Rich H
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Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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The wool pads are designed for heavy cutting so no I wouldn't suggest for using to buff off. TBH, buffing off should be done by hand imo.
For refining the FCP, maybe look at getting some Ultrafina (the blue top) this one is designed to remove hologrammes that heavier cutting will create.
[Edited on 04-10-2009 by Rich H]
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Jake
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Registered: 24th Jan 05
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to burn through the paint dont you literally have to hold it there for ages on a high spin?
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Rich H
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Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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quote: Originally posted by jake
to burn through the paint dont you literally have to hold it there for ages on a high spin?
That's the easiest way to do it lol. It's all down to how thin the paint is over the panel etc (usually thinner at edges and on creases etc) also the material the panels made of and how quickly it heats up etc.
Still don't recommend anybody just grabbing a rotary and giving it a go tbh.
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Jake
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Registered: 24th Jan 05
User status: Offline
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quote: Originally posted by Rich H
quote: Originally posted by jake
to burn through the paint dont you literally have to hold it there for ages on a high spin?
That's the easiest way to do it lol. It's all down to how thin the paint is over the panel etc (usually thinner at edges and on creases etc) also the material the panels made of and how quickly it heats up etc.
Still don't recommend anybody just grabbing a rotary and giving it a go tbh.
how do you know the thickness of the paint?
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mart08uk
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Registered: 10th Jan 08
Location: N/A
User status: Offline
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quote: Originally posted by Rich H
quote: Originally posted by jake
to burn through the paint dont you literally have to hold it there for ages on a high spin?
That's the easiest way to do it lol. It's all down to how thin the paint is over the panel etc (usually thinner at edges and on creases etc) also the material the panels made of and how quickly it heats up etc.
Still don't recommend anybody just grabbing a rotary and giving it a go tbh.
Pop down scrappies and buy a cheap bonnet to practise on..?
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John
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Registered: 30th Jun 03
User status: Offline
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Although I would never have just started on a car I was worried about, it's a lot harder to make a mess than is made out.
If you have no aptitude for this sort of stuff in general it's probably best steering clear but otherwise it's worth a shot.
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Rich H
Member
Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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quote: Originally posted by jake
quote: Originally posted by Rich H
quote: Originally posted by jake
to burn through the paint dont you literally have to hold it there for ages on a high spin?
That's the easiest way to do it lol. It's all down to how thin the paint is over the panel etc (usually thinner at edges and on creases etc) also the material the panels made of and how quickly it heats up etc.
Still don't recommend anybody just grabbing a rotary and giving it a go tbh.
how do you know the thickness of the paint?
Paint thickness gauge.
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Jake
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Registered: 24th Jan 05
User status: Offline
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So does that measure all material between the guage and the shell?
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ed
Member
Registered: 10th Sep 03
User status: Offline
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Yepp, gives you a measurement in microns of how much paint there is between you and the surface beneath the paint.
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Graeme
Premium Member
Registered: 26th Jul 04
Location: Northampton
User status: Offline
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depends on the type of guage.
Can get a thickness guage that only a college will use that is basically a magnet and measures in microns that are chepish.
Or get what a anal detailer gets so that they can charge double the amount and get a digital guage which are really not needed.
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Graeme
Premium Member
Registered: 26th Jul 04
Location: Northampton
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but with the basic magent ones wont work if there is filler under neath etc.
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Jake
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Registered: 24th Jan 05
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quote: Originally posted by ed
Yepp, gives you a measurement in microns of how much paint there is between you and the surface beneath the paint.
what if it measures something ridiculous like 750 and you set up thinking there is loads of paint to play with in regards to polishing but actually the clear is only thin?
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John
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Registered: 30th Jun 03
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You get even fancier ones that tell you how thick each layer is.
I was using the guage that if I hit metal I'd went too far.
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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What John said, or you learn the hard way why people like Rich H charge a few quid to do this. As it is quite a skilled job to do it nicely.
As with anything, practice makes perfect
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