# Rotary - First Ever Go!!!



## james_19742000 (May 8, 2008)

Ok Guys,

Over the last couple of years this site has gradually got me more into caring for my car! Also a very empty wallet!! Anyway, after buying various different products, my next step was a machine polisher, I was taken with the Rotary that CYC had on offer a few weeks ago, so went for that, as I was on a budget I only bought a LC Green Polishing pad and one small bottle of Menz 106FA, but a few weeks later got myself another LC green hex pad and also a small bottle of 3M FCP.

So the wife gave it to me for xmas from the kids etc and I bought a scrap bonnet from the local place, it was off a Pug 205 in a dark metallic green, in poor condition, swirled like mad and stone chipped on the front lip but good for some practice!

So I set the machine up, popped the pad on, couple of small dollops of 106FA and began polishing as per DaveKG's instruction, started on the slow speed to spread the polish build it up a couple of passes on each speed then gradually work it down, I think first of all I was putting to much polish on the pad and giving the pad to much of a spritz with QD, as it was splattering all over the place in the garage, so reduced the amount of polish and just kept on plugging away on different areas of the bonnet, spent an hour or so the first time, then today decided I would give it another go, so again popped the pad on etc, but went straight for the FCP, couple of blobs, quick spritz of QD and off I went, spread on a slow speed, worked up the speed with a couple of passes on my work area on each speed, then back down etc, could see the correction but left holograms, but believe this is normal for a abbrasive polish?

Then as I got used to that, I did like the 3M, seemed to spread nicely, kept reasonably wet and worked down quite nicely? Then refined it with the Menz, popped a couple of blobs on , reworked the area after wiping it down and refined the holograms, then worked the whole bonnet like that, apart from one corner which I left to compare the difference with.

So a couple of questions, I presume that the polish should go like, cloudy when applied on the slow speed, then as you step the speed up, it starts to go clearer, then when back down to a slow speed it almost goes crystal clear and then would be when the polish is finished? Is that correct? I seemed to be getting good results by working up and down the speed, then once back down on the slow speed, just reworking the area until it has gone clear, with several passes? Then letting the panel cool and wiping the area with the MF cloth?

I noticed that sometimes the machine feels like it is dragging on the paint, does this mean not enough polish, too much etc? The machine can at times feel very strong, seemed to be hopping a lot on my first try, but am gradually getting it to calm down, getting more used to it.

Any other little tips anyone can pass on to me that might come in handy?

Unfortunately I dont have the funds at the moment to go and buy a load of pads, polishes etc etc for every occasion so am making do with a bottle of Menz 106FA, bottle of 3M FCP and two LC green polishing pads, and so far am quite pleased with my DIY lessons so far!

Anyway, a couple of pics for you to look at and make comments, suggestions etc as needed.

Ok the corner of the testing panel that I have left as acquired.










Condition of paint after my play around with it.










Looking direct onto the test panel after polishing.










Not a very good pic, as its slightly blurred but you can see in this the flake is starting to come out again.










Apologies for the quality of pics, were taken on my mobile, but hopeully they give a flavour of my experience so far!

When looking at the paint in the flesh as it were, you can see the difference between the polished and unpolished piece!!

Anyway, C&C welcome 

Regards James


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## The Detail (Nov 19, 2008)

nice good work ,


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## davies20 (Feb 22, 2009)

Good work fella - I really, reallly want to get into machine polishing - as i'm sure many people do!

But hands down to you for having the balls to actually do it! Wish i could!


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## Stallion (Mar 21, 2009)

can i ask a stupid question - If I bought one of these machine polishers would i be able to do it myself (IE how hard is it to use) 

I am very good lol....

BTW - Great job


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## nick_mcuk (Jan 4, 2008)

Good effort matey!


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## james_19742000 (May 8, 2008)

Stallion said:


> can i ask a stupid question - If I bought one of these machine polishers would i be able to do it myself (IE how hard is it to use)
> 
> I am very good lol....
> 
> BTW - Great job


Thanks for all the comments chaps, just thought I would share my first attempt at it, and for someone like me to have go is quite a big jump from hand polishing to machine, the leap was worth it, and gonna take me a while to master :thumb:

Stallion - Yes you could do it yourself, but beware it is a lot harder than I thought it would be, the pro's on here really do make it look easy, the machine is fierece, needs controlling, the first time you use it you can see what a monster you have on your hands, but as I got more used to and more confident it seemed to be tamed!

I bought the Rotary from CYC when it was on offer and asked them to supply a finishing polish with minor correction abilities and a pad to suit, and feel so far they supplied me with the correct stuff, I have since bought some 3M FCP and another green pad to try the more abrasive stuff, and am glad that I did, it did work fast, it done the job for correction, but it does need a finishing polish afterto take out the holograms etc that it seemed to leave behind.

But I know that I will be playing with my available combinations ov
er the next few weeks before I attempt a polish on my car, just feel its worth playing around and getting a good feel for it all, what has worked for so far is to have a session on the test panel for a couple of hours, stop, have a day or twos break, think about what you have done and acheived, have a read on here and then go back and have another go, trying different things you have learnt from here and it seems to be working for me, getting better, more confidence etc

But yes I would certainly say its worth having a go at, at the very worst what could happen, you get you buy your machine and products, play with it, you dont get on with it and you sell it on here, you will get back a good chunk of what you have paid for it so no major loss (just use a scrap panel to play on first!), if you get on with it and everything goes right for you then you have learnt another skill to add to your detailing skills :thumb:

Anyway good luck, and I will post some more pics etc once I have had another go.

James


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## james_19742000 (May 8, 2008)

davies20 said:


> Good work fella - I really, reallly want to get into machine polishing - as i'm sure many people do!
> 
> But hands down to you for having the balls to actually do it! Wish i could!


Just do it, what have you got to lose??


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## Stallion (Mar 21, 2009)

nice one for that james :thumb:


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## Phill_S (Mar 30, 2009)

I'm going for a rotary very soon. I have been using one of the "alternate" machines for polishing that were discussed on here ages ago; one of those Silverline Random Orbit sanders and it's sooo much easier than hand and the finish that can be achieved was just superb. Deffo reckon more people should just bite the bullet and go for it! :thumb:


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## uxi1733 (Dec 11, 2006)

nice work


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## eddiel34 (Mar 22, 2008)

I got one of these rotaries for my crimbo. I've not used it yet, but when I popped along to a meet near me I had a shot of one and got a fright how difficult it was to control compared with the DA.

But after a few shots and a couple of tips from the extremely helpful folk there, I was off and running. My backside is making buttons, as they say, to use mine in anger and I have been reading and re-reading all the guides on here.

Steven, did you do as many passes as DaveKG's guide suggests in the Zenith Point Technique. It seems like a huge amount of passes, but lessens the holograming. 

The one tip that stuck in my mind from the meet was to tilt the machine slightly into the direction you are going an let the machine do the work instead of fighting it.

I can only work outside for the time being and will have to wait for the temp to rise as my car is going to need a proper detailing when this awful weather passes.

Keep us posted on any good pointers you come across to save me making the same mistakes.


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

Looks like a great start into the world of machine polishing 

My rotary technique surprises quite a few people new to mahcine polishing - certainly in terms of the amount of time and number of passes I use per set, but if I am being honest I would say that it is necessary... you could likely create _similar_ results with less passes on a lot of finishes but get to a soft and unforgiving finish and you'll find you will leave faint holograms if you do not work a polish to completion and to do this really does take a large number of passes and a lot of time, care and attention. The additional passes are the difference on many finished between a clear, defect free finish and that of a truly crystal sharp, hologram free perfect finish 

For those thinking about machine polishing - first thing is that it is not something to be scared of... If you are nervous about the processes, get yourself a scrap panel and learn the techniques on that. Machine polishing is a bit like learning to drive - practical experience counts for a lot, a natural ability will stand you in very good stead but experience will go a long way to improving the results you achieve too! Practice, experiment, and learn to relax with the machine - that is the key. Read the forums, the guides, but also spend time working and practising. The more time you spend behind the machine, the easier you will find it and the better your results will be


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## JB052 (Mar 22, 2008)

Suspect a lot of us new to detailing are thinking of doing exactly what you have done. Good inspirational read


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## Orca (Apr 16, 2007)

Welcome to the very rewarding world of machine polishing, James. The very first go is more about getting the feel of the polisher, rather than actually achieving anything.

You mentioned a "grabbing" feeling. If it is a sort of "stickiness" where the polish kind of glazes and hardens then you're using too much polish - use three or four Smartie sized blobs ... and that's all. With some polishes, when they work clear you should continue to go over and over on lower speeds gradually relieving pressure - this is the key to that "mile deep" look.

eddiel34 mentioned that leaning into the direction can lessen the grabbing sensation. Actually, it is the BACK of the polisher that controls the direction. Lift the back end of the polisher ever so slightly and it will go one direction, lower it and it will go the other. You can use that to assist with direction control of the machine and use your other hand to simply guide the head ... and keep dropping off to feel the heat build-up on the panel.

Once you've had a couple more sessions, you'll have a much better feel for it and you get a kind of "sense memory" ... like when you're learning to ride a bike, keep falling off one day and then you can just do it the next. The only other initial lesson is to get the amount of polish right for the area you're working. Keep your work area down to about 18" square and use an appropriate amount of polish for that area.

Beyond that, it's "practice ... practice ... practice".

For a little encouragement, here's my experience from first go to being quite proficient in five sessions: http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6628


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## james_19742000 (May 8, 2008)

Orca said:


> Welcome to the very rewarding world of machine polishing, James. The very first go is more about getting the feel of the polisher, rather than actually achieving anything.
> 
> You mentioned a "grabbing" feeling. If it is a sort of "stickiness" where the polish kind of glazes and hardens then you're using too much polish - use three or four Smartie sized blobs ... and that's all. With some polishes, when they work clear you should continue to go over and over on lower speeds gradually relieving pressure - this is the key to that "mile deep" look.


Am I right in thinking that when you have worked the polish, it has gone through the spreading, working and finishing phases, that its best to work the polish to point where it has almost 'disappared' or at least appears to have anyway, as when I was playing with it and worked it maybe too little it was quite hard to wipe any residue off, where as if I worked it a bit more you could just use a gentle wipe over the polished area to wipe it clean, I get gut feeling the latter is the better option but was worried that working it to that point woudl then induce marks etc as it appears that no polish is left on the panel if you know what I ean, or do you get a feel for it being inbetween almost i.e. polish all gone, but not dry enough to induce damage?

But am enjoying the expereince so far, was really pleased with my limited knowledge that I acheived what I did, but plan on doing a few more practice sessions before doing my car!

Just for interest, I am working up to doing my car which is a solid black New Beetle, as its a solid colour would I be right in expecting some of the black paint to go onto the pad when polishing as it doesnt have a clearcoat? Or are there any other things I need to know about polishing a solid colour as opposed to a clearcoat painted car??


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## Orca (Apr 16, 2007)

As always, it depends ... but yes, I like polishes that work all the way through to clear, but not all do. Once clear, gradually relieving pressure (even supporting the polish from underneath) for a few more passes over can leave the panel needing only a very light wipe and a very glossy, deep finish.

Single stage paint will transfer colour to the pads. There should be a thicker layer of actual paint, so if you are using a PTG remember that you'll be dealing with about 50/50 primer to paint, rather than 50 primer AND paint with 50 clear over. Others here should be able to confirm that or give better figures for the age of car.

What I will say is that single stage black is THE most impressive when machine polished well - "burnishing" is the key ... once corrected, of course. That's where you go over and over and over on a low speed with little pressure, a fully worked out polish and an almost dry pad. You might not appear to be doing anything, but when you lift off and stand back you simply will not want to wax it - it will look perfect.


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## james_19742000 (May 8, 2008)

Orca said:


> As always, it depends ... but yes, I like polishes that work all the way through to clear, but not all do. Once clear, gradually relieving pressure (even supporting the polish from underneath) for a few more passes over can leave the panel needing only a very light wipe and a very glossy, deep finish.
> 
> Single stage paint will transfer colour to the pads. There should be a thicker layer of actual paint, so if you are using a PTG remember that you'll be dealing with about 50/50 primer to paint, rather than 50 primer AND paint with 50 clear over. Others here should be able to confirm that or give better figures for the age of car.
> 
> What I will say is that single stage black is THE most impressive when machine polished well - "burnishing" is the key ... once corrected, of course. That's where you go over and over and over on a low speed with little pressure, a fully worked out polish and an almost dry pad. You might not appear to be doing anything, but when you lift off and stand back you simply will not want to wax it - it will look perfect.


Brilliant many thanks for that, it wasnt just me that felt the finish on my test panel was getting better and better as it was just passes with the machine just running slow with almost nothing appearing to happen, cant wait til I do the car really, but not doing it until I am happy and confident enough!!!

Thanks for the input chaps


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