Identify this polisher? - I think it's a GEM?

[Mike Phillips]

Identify this polisher? - I think it's a GEM?


I was talking to my good friend Lenny at last week's Tuesday Night Lew's Crew Cruise-in and because he's been in the auto industry for a LONG time, I asked him if he had any old buffers in his collection of automotive tools?


To my surprise, he had two tools I've been looking for to share in my upcoming class at Mobile Tech Expo, at least I think one of them is one of the tools I've been looking for. Over the years I've heard about GEM orbital polishers. These are heavy duty and heavy weight orbital polishers. The housings are cast aluminum and they come in two models, a 14 pound version and a 16 pound version. Back then these were heavy tools and by today's standards they are VERY heavy tools.


There are no markings on this polisher. At least not that I can see. I removed the bonnet and there was nothing to be seen and I used a flashlight to peek into the space between the housing and the backing plate and nothing there either. It kind of looks like the modern versions on the GEM website here.


Anyway, I thought I would share this picture and see if anyone on our forum could identify it and confirm that "yes" in fact it is a GEM orbital polisher.


I believe this is a vintage GEM Orbital Polisher from GEM Industries.

[Aaryn NZ]

Wow!

Thank you for sharing Mike. That is pretty heavy, you would sure want to be aware & be very careful with it, imagine bumping a panel with that! Especially with todays modern cars - body shop instead of PDR man. Ouch.

That is very cool. I bet that your class will be top notch & very very interesting Mike. Fair to say I'm gonna sulk a bit that I wont be there.

Aaryn NZ.

[FUNX650]

Over the last 50, or so years, there
were (and still are) quite a few Com-
panies making their copies/versions
of the “original” orbital polisher; yet:
It’s very possible that’s a GEM.


{Some of the older ones had
brand name, patent/serial NO.,
etc. cast into the handles.}





Bob

[Mike Phillips]

Over the last 50, or so years, there were (and still are) quite a few Com-panies making their copies/versions of the “original” orbital polisher; yet:
It’s very possible that’s a GEM.


{Some of the older ones had brand name, patent/serial NO., etc. cast into the handles.}


Bob

I scoured the blogosphere looking for a picture of a vintage GEM orbital polisher with no luck.

Posted a pick to my FB page too to see if any FB folks can identify it.

[mmhammer]

Identify this polisher? - I think it's a GEM?


I was talking to my good friend Lenny at last week's Tuesday Night Lew's Crew Cruise-in and because he's been in the auto industry for a LONG time, I asked him if he had any old buffers in his collection of automotive tools?


To my surprise, he had two tools I've been looking for to share in my upcoming class at Mobile Tech Expo, at least I think one of them is one of the tools I've been looking for. Over the years I've heard about GEM orbital polishers. These are heavy duty and heavy weight orbital polishers. The housings are cast aluminum and they come in two models, a 14 pound version and a 16 pound version. Back then these were heavy tools and by today's standards they are VERY heavy tools.


There are no markings on this polisher. At least not that I can see. I removed the bonnet and there was nothing to be seen and I used a flashlight to peek into the space between the housing and the backing plate and nothing there either. It kind of looks like the modern versions on the GEM website here.


Anyway, I thought I would share this picture and see if anyone on our forum could identify it and confirm that "yes" in fact it is a GEM orbital polisher.


I believe this is a vintage GEM Orbital Polisher from GEM Industries.

Sure looks like an older model of the one I had. The thing is a workhorse, slow by today's standards but pretty quiet, heavy and swung a big pad 10-12 inches. You can build up your upper body using that on the side of a pick up bed!!

[Don M]

IMO that IS a GEM polisher, it looks exactly like the ones I used at the detail shop I learned at in the early 90's. They still use them today and get excellent results. The biggest drawback is the weight (when doing sides) on the horizontal surfaces, you let the weight of the buffer do the work.

[Mike Phillips]

.


So far... blogosphere consensus is that it is in fact a WEN orbital polisher.

I had three guys say this on my FB page from a post yesterday,

https://www.facebook.com/Mike.Phillips.Autogeek/





And one guy shared this picture and it looks to be the same basic design...





I'm "Props Guy" when I teach classes, this means I prefer to have props or "things" that are related to the topic of the class I'm teach to "Show & Tell", basically I'll pass this around the class so not only will everyone see a picture of it on the wall during the power point presentation but they also get to touch it, feel it and see just how heavy it is. I find this makes for a MUCH more interesting class than the normal class where someone stands in front of a crowd and drones on and on and on...


MTE --> Next Friday in Orlando!