buffer

phil739

Active Member
Mar 5, 2007
199
0
leicester
been thinking of buying a buffer for polishing ..

just wondered peoples views and if a good thing which one and were to buy

bear in mind that i have never used one before ..

any step by step guides would also be helpful

cheers phil
 
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phil739

Active Member
Mar 5, 2007
199
0
leicester
just been reading up and it looks like a rotary buffer is not a good thing to buy if you have never used one before ..!!!!
 

Jace

Sneaker Freaker
Dont buy a Rotary unless your experianced with a PC, or it could be new paint job time.

You can get some good $$ rate deals from AUTOPIA at the moment on Porter Cable random orbital polishers. http://www.autopia-carcare.com/son-sfxpol-kit.html


I can even hook you up witha discount code too.

Shipping is fast & marked TAX FREE !

You will need to buy a transformer 110v> 240v & an extension cable.
 

phil739

Active Member
Mar 5, 2007
199
0
leicester
whats the differnece between the porter cable one and a rotary one ??

isnt there any thing cheaper and in the uk as am only a novice, that peeps could recormend
 

Reg

Professional Detailer
Oct 10, 2005
962
0
Berkshire
As a brief summary, a PC is a dual action random orbit machine. The head oscillates in a random orbit, and the spinning motion is as a result of this - i.e. the head does not spin as a direct result of being driven around. This means that it spreads it 'energy', making it safer for inexperienced users. If you turn it up to maximum speed, put it on a panel and lean on it, the head will stop spinning. You CAN still do damage and burn paint, but you'd have to be a numpty to do so.

However, the PC can struggle to break down hard abrasives meaning that ultimate cutting ability is compromised, and the ability to break down heavier polishes is also reduced. In reality this means you might need to go over each panel again with a fine finishing polish to remove any marring or holograms that have come about because the PC couldn't fully break the polish down. With enough practice, this can be mostly overcome.


A rotary machine spins the head in one way - it rotates. This means the energy is a lot more concentrated, allowing more correction to be achieved, slightly faster. You can pick up a cheapo Silverline rotary for around £40 on fleabay, but the decent ones are upwards of £150. For a hobby detailer, the Silverline will probably do just fine. The motor has a lot more torque than the PC and it will break down heavier polishes a lot more thoroughly, once you know what you're doing with it. It is a lot less user friendly than the PC, being harder to control and a lot less forgiving - it will go through paint very quickly in the wrong circumstances.

Do a search and you'll get the same thing discussed over and over. There is a 240v version of the PC coming, called the Ultimate Detailing Machine (UDM), its had a rather delayed launch due to one thing and another. It will remove the need for a 110v transformer, and I'm led to believe it will be priced around the £100 mark, so its another option.
 

phil739

Active Member
Mar 5, 2007
199
0
leicester
i have brought a wax wizard buffer only cheap just to give it a try
so whats the best polish (cheap) to use ,
any instructions on how to use and products would be good

does the car need to be wet when using the buffer???

thanks phil
 

Reg

Professional Detailer
Oct 10, 2005
962
0
Berkshire
Car will be need to be dry.

You'd have been better off saving your money and just polishing by hand - use Autoglym Super Resin Polish - the machine won't have any guts to break down a proper polish.
 

Cupraloon

Guest
Car will be need to be dry.

You'd have been better off saving your money and just polishing by hand - use Autoglym Super Resin Polish - the machine won't have any guts to break down a proper polish.


I concur, i bought an orbital buffer about 10 years ago, and used it about 6 times, if you use a decent polish it's easy enough to polish the car by hand,

And if you do use a machine buffer, make sure you don't press to hard, but i wouldn't bother, unless you spend a lot of money on a proper one.
 
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