Rupes TA50 Mini Sander with Meguiar's Xtra Cut MF Discs in action!

[Mike Phillips]

Rupes TA50 Mini Sander with Meguiar's Xtra Cut MF Discs in action!


We recently wet sanded, cut and buffed a 24' Shearwater Center Console boat. This project included some real challenges including how to remove the oxidation around the rubber-like graphics on the side of the boat.

Here's the boat...





Here's how bad the oxidation was. So bad we opted to machine wet sand it instead of compound it!





Here's the challenge....

These graphics that spell out Shearwater are a soft form of plastic that feels like rubber.

If you run a FULL SIZE wool cutting pad on a rotary buffer over them you will harm them and even disfigure them.






The Rupes TA50 to the rescue! - I LOVE THIS TOOL!

I've been buffing out cars all my life and I've been waiting for a mini tool like this for doing intricate work and after using one time to remove oxidation I LOVE this tool

This is a must have tool if you buff a lot of cars and have an air compressor... check it out...

First we took a 6" Meguiar's DMX6 DA Microfiber Xtra Cut Disc and cut 2" discs out of it.






The discs fit onto the velcro hook material on the Rupes 2" backing plate.






Then using Marine 31 Final Step Polish I removed the oxidation around the bottom of the lettering...






Next by tilting the tool and working on edge I could get inside all the small areas of oxidized gel-coat inside and around the letters.












In the shots above the tool is actually running at full speed or wide-open but it looks like the pad is not spinning due the the camera settings and camera flash.

This tool never bogged down. It made quick work of doing some real painstaking polishing.



Get one!

Rupes TA50 Mini Random Orbital Sander

Meguiars DMX6 DA Microfiber Xtra Cut Disc, 6 inches

[Mike Phillips]

Chris aka Chris @ AutoCleanse cut the 2" discs out of the 6" discs like I show here with sanding discs in this write-up....

Thanks Chris!


Rupes TA50 Mini Sander - First look...

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

That looks like a sweet little sander/polisher. I bet it made short work of intricate areas!

[JSou]

Best machine I ever bought.

[Mike Phillips]

Here's Ozzy, a freind of Franks, this is the first time he's ever heard of this tool let alone used it...

[Mike Phillips]

Here's Robert DiTralizzi working like a surgeon with the Rupes TA50







Here's our friend John from India using the Rupes TA50 like a pro...






And everyone at my detailing boot camp class this weekend is going to get a chance to use the Rupes TA50 on our wet sanding project yet to be announced.

[WRAPT C5Z06]

First time I've EVER seen anyone from AG post about modifying something.

[Mike Phillips]

First time I've EVER seen anyone from AG post about modifying something.

Technically I didn't modify the tool, just used it outside of what the tool was designed to do.

Mostly because,

A: Everyone else is going to use this tool to polish with regardless of the official manufacturer recommendations.


B: The detailing world, (that includes me), has been waiting for a mini polisher with power since detailing started.


The issue I've been told is the bearings won't hold up to polishing.

[WRAPT C5Z06]

I was referring to modifying the MF disc.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mike Phillips]

I was referring to modifying the MF disc.

That's no big deal...

Since this tool is brand new to the U.S. market it will take a while for pad manufactures to ramp up and start offering pads as well as pre-cut sanding discs for this too.


Back on topic, I'm completely impressed with the power this tool has. I've started added the pictures to the boat detailing project we did here last Thursday which is where these pictures came from, this one....


Pictures: Shearwater Extreme Boat Detailing Class


Besides using the TA50 for removing oxidation out of these very intricate areas around the lettering, we used the Rupes Duetto to machine damp sand the gel-coat hull as it would have taken too much grunt labor to try to remove all the oxidation, swirls and deep water spots by compounding alone.

Check it out....



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Antti machine damp sanding....







John machine damp sanding....





This was John's first time to machine sand a boat using a Rupes Duetto....