Im planning my detail for wednesday, and I am looking for some operation tips and Do's and Dont's with a buffer, (im probly gonna use a drill with an buffer attachment, unless i get to my parents house and they happen to have a real one) before I mess something up.

Thanks.

 

Don't....

 

go pick up an orbital buffer from sears or some place for 50 bucks.. i dunno how experianced (SP) you are but it won't take your paint off if you dont know what you are doing...

 

Buy a real buffer.

 

Simply put...a drill is no substitute for a Dual Action or Rotary buffing machine. And no, I highly advise against doing it. The only time it would be suitable to use a drill with a buffing pad would be when doing correction on faded headlights, and even then, I'd still go with the rotary.

You see, the problem with a drill is, one, its awkward. Your not going to be able to maneuver it around the paint in the same fashion you would a DA or Rotary.

Secondly, you have very little control over the RPM's of the polisher. When using a non orbital buffing machine, it is very easy to burn through the paint if you don't know what your doing. It is also very important to be able to work at certain RPM. Most drills have one, or if your lucky, two speeds. You won't be able to dial in the right speed to work the polish in, and in the end, you'll do far more damage than what you were trying to correct.

My advice, get a half decent Dual Action polishing machine, and start with that. I'd recommend either the Porter Cable 7424 or the Ultimate Detailing Machine. Get a good set of foam pads for the thing, the Lake Country CCS Smart Pads seem to be the pad of choice right now. Then get your self some good compounds and polishes.

As it seems your just starting out with machine polishing, I highly recommend that you stay away from anything with a fixed spindle (Rotary). Although they can do the job much faster and efficiently, for a beginner, it can take only seconds to burn through the paint. There is a steep learning curve when it comes to the rotary polishers, so you'll want to cut your teeth on the Dual Actions first, then once comfortable, get an old beater car and work on your rotary skills. Then once your skills are honed, and you feel confident enough, then you can use it on your own car. But don't just go out and buy a rotary, chances are you'll be upset with the results you get on your car. It takes a lot of practice to get good with using a rotary, its not something you can pick up in a day.

But good luck on your detailing endeavors, any more questions, feel free to ask

 

Ok well heres the big question then. after I spent 100$+ on all the products for cleaning my car properly, how much more on top of that is a portercable gonna run me?

 

/\ much less then a paintjob when it gets burnt though, cause of cutting corners and using a drill

 

Well, your probably not going to want to hear this number, but honestly, anywhere from $200-500 dollars. It's not just the Porter Cable that you need, you'll have to get the supporting hardware. You'll need pads, pad cleaner, pad conditioner, microfiber buffing towels for removing polish residue, and a good set of halogen work lights. They are not required, but a smart investment to actually see every little defect in the paint, which helps in removing them. You'll need blue painters tape to tape off trim, emblems, and other plastic parts that could get damaged from machine polishing. There are more things you will have to buy, but I'm just trying to paint a picture of the complexities of machine polishing.

A lot of these stores make it seem like you buy the polisher, get some swirl remover, then go straight to your paint. Then they wonder why people keep coming back complaining of horrible results.

Machine detailing is very deep. I had one of my friends call me up and ask why his DA wasn't doing anything for the swirls in his paint. I went over to find he was using a cheap foam polishing pad, with some cleaner wax that advertised that it "removes swirls". This is what I mean, most people don't know that there are different types of foam, with differing levels of abrasiveness. Nor do they know what polishes and compounds to use with a machine. It's definitely not as simple as one machine, one pad, one polish, perfect results. When you start telling people that they might have to spend $50-100 on a good set of pads, they get discouraged and abandon machine detailing altogether.

I'm sorry, and I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but $100 dollars is a drop in the bucket when it comes to proper detailing supplies for machine polishing. If your going to cut corners, I will guarantee that you will cause more damage than what you are trying to repair. And like the above poster said, a repaint will cost you a hell of a lot more.

Also, you said you spent $100 dollars on supplies to detail your car. Any possibility you could post a list of what you purchased, so I could see what you have, and tell you what you may also need to purchase?

Any other question, feel free to ask or PM me if you want.

 

Gturismo has great info. A drill buffer or a cheap RO buffer wont do what a Porter Cable 7336 or Ultimate Detailing Machine will.

Think of it this way, buying a buffer will pay for itself the first time you use it on somebody elses car and charge them to buff it.

 

Get a cheap one, they work fine.

 

You can get a Porter Cable 7424 kit with cutting and polishing pads for less than $200.

 

or pay 60 and have someone do it for you. and if they **** it up or doesnt look good its their problem.