Hi, I'm brad and I suck at polishing (maybe just new)

**Blougheed** · 07-13-2014, 05:10 PM

Hey guys! I am new to the forum. And relatively new to polishing (I've always clayed washed and waxed my own car... But I've always wanted to polish. Strange dream?

Anyways. I started my polishing career with a meguiars g110v2 soft buff 2.0 pads (red yellow black) and some ultimate compound and polish.

I needed some new pads so I bought some hexlogic pads (5.5inch) (yellow, orange, green, white, blue and black)

I also bought a dewalt dwp849x rotary as I found a wicked deal on one.. And though a da polisher works great I thought it'd be good to Learn both.

I also decided to try m105 and m205 polish. I'm getting good results with my da.. Not perfect but good. But the rotary was giving me trouble.. Firstly it walks all over the place.. Very difficult.. I'm a big guy.. 6 foot 4 big build.. I should be able to handle this thing.. I try to be mindful in keeping the pad flush and following contours.. But it keeps dancing around. Its hard to keep good speed like this. And also I'm finding the Polish dries up quite quick.. Like.. If I prime the pad property and put a small line of Polish on the pad and spread it quickly. Before going to full speed (1400rpm) and I maybe get 1 and a half section passes and it seems like it's gone! And then I reapply and finish.. The Polish is like cake to the paint.. I have to either scrub it hard or use some Detail spray.

Can you guys give me some inside information about what I'm doing wrong? I don't expect to be a pro off the hop. But I can imagine I'm doing things wrong than I didn't know about

**Kamakaz1961** · 07-13-2014, 05:39 PM

The problem is the rotary itself. If you are inexperienced with a Polish machine you will do more harm to your paint. A DA polisher would be your best bet.

Stick with the Meg DA. I do not know the color of Pads for the Megs but I do know for the Hex Logic.

I would use the Orange Pad with the Megs 105. If it starts drying just do a quick spray with a QD on the Pad. That should lessen the effect of dust.

Use the White Pad for the Megs 205. That should correct the fine scratches from the Orange Pad and bring out the shine. I am not familiar with the Meg's DA. I use a PC 7424 XP (my guess, comparable to the Meg's DA). If so the setting speed should be 5 for the Orange Pad with Meg 105. 4 or 5 Speed setting with the white pad and 205. The 105 will dust quickly so that is why you need to periodically spray the pad. The 205 will not dust as much.

DO NOT use the Dewalt anymore...PERIOD. Based on what you are saying you might not be experienced in using that machine. I am experienced and I will not use a rotary as I feel there are considerable more chances of messing up paint with a rotary.

I hope this helps

**Kengo123** · 07-13-2014, 06:13 PM

For controlling the rotary, hold it at the top or head of the polisher instead of the handle. This will help balance out all of the walking.

Also steer with the tail end of the polisher as opposed to the head, which is what peoe tend to start off doing

Centering the pad, using less pressure and learning to gently guide the polisher ill help eith the balance too

**Blougheed** · 07-13-2014, 06:48 PM

Originally Posted by Kamakaz1961

The problem is the rotary itself. If you are inexperienced with a Polish machine you will do more harm to your paint. A DA polisher would be your best bet.

Stick with the Meg DA. I do not know the color of Pads for the Megs but I do know for the Hex Logic.

I would use the Orange Pad with the Megs 105. If it starts drying just do a quick spray with a QD on the Pad. That should lessen the effect of dust.

Use the White Pad for the Megs 205. That should correct the fine scratches from the Orange Pad and bring out the shine. I am not familiar with the Meg's DA. I use a PC 7424 XP (my guess, comparable to the Meg's DA). If so the setting speed should be 5 for the Orange Pad with Meg 105. 4 or 5 Speed setting with the white pad and 205. The 105 will dust quickly so that is why you need to periodically spray the pad. The 205 will not dust as much.

DO NOT use the Dewalt anymore...PERIOD. Based on what you are saying you might not be experienced in using that machine. I am experienced and I will not use a rotary as I feel there are considerable more chances of messing up paint with a rotary.

I hope this helps

Thanks for the reply. I do understand that the da is better for me and in most cases all around.. I however do want to know how to use it... And well. If nothing else as a pride thing (when I got into photography and bought a dslr I actually bought a film camera to learn exposures aswell as the new features of digital)

That's all really

**mwoolfso** · 07-13-2014, 07:23 PM

If you have a local junk yard, get a hood or something else that needs work and then practice with the rotary. :-) A guy in my area was even OK fi I just walked around the lot polishing away.

**jamesboyy** · 07-13-2014, 07:38 PM

Welcome to autogeek....as for your situation you dont suck at polishing or detailing(no one does) you just need a little time and patience also you dont need to start off with the strongest machine either (rotary) get yourself a DA (harbor freight sells one) spare hood, door etc then practice even try polishing by hand so you can see how the products work at a slower pace

**Wheelzntoys** · 07-13-2014, 08:09 PM

Rotary: practice with glaze or a fine polish.

**Blougheed** · 07-14-2014, 06:28 AM

thanks for the replies.. I will get a panel from the junk yard and start to practice!

I hope I can control the walk because it seems impossible to get the feel for the machine, especially if its walking all over the place.

**KneeDragr** · 07-14-2014, 07:02 AM

I cant comment on the rotary but I do know from experience that Megs UC will cake pretty quick if you are generating a lot of heat. My guess is your machine and pad choice are doing that. WG Uber is much better behaved in that respect. Or you may be able to find another pad that corrects as well but does not get the paint as hot. Ive seen several reviews where they test pads and measure temperatures, might want to look up a few.

**tuscarora dave** · 07-14-2014, 11:04 AM

You'll find a little relief from the walking around and hopping that a rotary polisher (especially with foam pads) can do by practicing what I call "the twist". The twist refers to how you guide (or steer) a rotary polisher over paint by applying a twisting force on the trigger handle of the machine. Twist the trigger handle to the right and the machine and pad tracks to the right, twist the trigger handle to the left and the machine and pad will track to the left.

If you've ever seen a janitor buffing floors in a school building or in an office complex etc., he applies the twist to his giant rotary floor buffer in this same manner, though he pushes down on the right handle so his floor buffer will track to the right of the hallway he's buffing out. He then pushes down on the buffer's left handle and his floor buffer tracks back to the left side of the hall...so on and so forth, working back and forth to the end of the hall.

Same exact principle, different tool.

When your buffer and pad are perfectly flat against the paint, any side of the pad, at any time can begin to pull the machine in any direction. Applying the twist applies a little more force on one side of the pad over the other. This will cut and finish more efficiently and cause for a much smoother and controlled operation of your rotary buffer.

Throw a soft finishing pad on your rotary, as someone else mentioned, grab you some glaze (non abrasive) and practice "The Twist".