Come on guys, the right speed, right amount of polish, the right angle. If that is the case then Rupes should have all that information.
I have a Flex 14-PE2-150 rotary that I have used after wet sanding two black cars that turned out like mirrors.
I know, some will say go back to the rotary. It is fast and does a great job but it makes a mess.
I just have a hard time believing that if I get off one or two degrees of perfect center that the machine stops spinning
Come on guys, the right speed, right amount of polish, the right angle. If that is the case then Rupes should have all that information.
I have a Flex 14-PE2-150 rotary that I have used after wet sanding two black cars that turned out like mirrors.
I know, some will say go back to the rotary. It is fast and does a great job but it makes a mess.
I just have a hard time believing that if I get off one or two degrees of perfect center that the machine stops spinning
This is on page 2 of Mike Phillips' how to book for the Rupes polishing system.
I was frustrated as heck with that thing. Like I said, I kept going back to the Porter Cable. But I dedicated some time when I wasn't on the job to acquainting myself with it. It paid off because the results have been better than I would have imagined.
Come on guys, the right speed, right amount of polish, the right angle. If that is the case then Rupes should have all that information.
I have a Flex 14-PE2-150 rotary that I have used after wet sanding two black cars that turned out like mirrors.
I know, some will say go back to the rotary. It is fast and does a great job but it makes a mess.
I just have a hard time believing that if I get off one or two degrees of perfect center that the machine stops spinning
It's fairly well known that these new long throw machines are a more acquired learning curve. All things things you are throwing out that are unpleasant make all the difference in the polish process. You gotta keep it flat to make it spin, you gotta have the right amount of polish or you load the pad and it doesn't work correctly, and arm speed and the speed on the machine are very important as well. You can't use the new rules on setting 6 very well you will run through pads quick and run the risk of damaging your backing plate, the Velcro part and on the pad as well this is called de lamination of the pad. These are highly efficent machines and require percision to operate. Anybody can pick up a scapul and make a cut but a surgeon does it with the most efficent way due to hours of learning and practice. Sorry you find it unrealistic but that's just polishing in my book, it takes time to make a fine wine or whiskey
Wow! That's the first time I've heard of long throw machines being that critical. Don't have those machines, or Mike's book on them, but this is the first time I've ever read anything like that on this forum...been here since 2011 and read a lot, so it must have slipped through the cracks on me. That said, I have used the 3401, but I do not own one. I've experienced how it can walk on you, but I adapted quickly and if you're the coordinated type it'll teach you how to use it properly. Don't yet own a 3401, but I'll be taking Rsurfer's advice when I step up to another DA. For now my G110v2, rotary, and Dynabrade attachment for my rotary (though heavy) are quite capable of doing anything I need. My G110v2 cost me more than the other two I have, so I'm sort of lucky I haven't needed to spend the money yet on a 3401...but it's in the plans...I just don't need it at the moment.
Though it's real heavy, the Harbor Freight rotary with my Dynabrade (turns my rotary into a forced rotation DA tool ) attachment with newer thin pads = swirl killer combo...on small budget.
I know...I know...
I need to step out of the stone age, and into the new age 3401. LOL! ...but it really does work.
smart man to have two GG6's, one can serve as a back-up if needed. the little sucker has some torque and is harder to bog down/stall than the other traditional/free floating spindle DA types...
99% of video demos are shown on FLAT surfaces, which makes it look easy. There is definitely seat time needed with long throws to learn to lessen the stalling problem on anything that's not flat. Side note, ever since I got my pad washer for cleaning on the fly, I've noticed a damp pad spins a lot easier than a non damp one.
It's not that they are critical in a bad way it's just a learning curve. We all had to start polishing at some point and learned then so why can't we retrain on new equipment? It took me about 3 panels to figure out how to make the machine run more effectively. I used to much pressure initally and found myself favoring pressure to the right side which is my dominant hand. I corrected my position and technique and now I can polish with one hand on hoods and roofs with ease. They are exceptional machines but require you to pay more attention than a flex that will spin on its own all day long. I find the flex to be much more strenuous over a full day of polishing personally, but they are still wonderful machines as well just not my flavor of choice.
I use my Rupes mk1 & 2 on my mk1 Audi TT. more curves than my wife. Well almost. I'm a lucky guy
Anyhow, the TT is an '01 and has not been garaged in New England for 15 years. I used the Rupes machines as a beginner. The car looks great and I had no issues. No pressure. Let the machine do the work. And yes, I did put a marker on the backing plate.
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