RUPES should make some videos on correcting curved panels...

[SR99]

Thanks Bob, and I guess the point I was making isn't whether curved panels can be corrected with the RUPES. They can. The point(s) are that

1) various people undeniably have problems with this and
2) it has discouraged purchases for some, and
3) to help adjust a person's technique, you have to first see what they are doing wrong as far as technique and machine position, then show them how it can be done on that same panel, and have them demonstrate that they learned how to fix it. You have to be able to definitively see the pad rotations stop too.

On that point, if people do not have a prominant mark on the backing plate, you cannot tell if the pad is rotating on the RUPES 21. With the pad orbiting at several thousand OPM and the large throw, the pad is just a big blur and gives the appearance of rotation when it is not. Human eyes cannot detect pad rotation within all that high speed blur, and there isn't much difference between eyes on this point.

Maybe it's a bit different for the 15 with slightly smaller throw, but I only have the 21 to go by, and the roughly 7/8 of an inch circular orbits at high OPM give the appearance of pad rotation even when it's not. Once you mark the pad you can see this.

If you don't have a mark on your RUPES 21 backing plate and you think you've never seen the pad stop spinning on a concave curve where different sides of the pad are compressed to different degrees, mark it and you'll be amazed. If you don't want to put a permanent mark on your backing plate for whatever reason, just try it with a sticker or a small piece of tape.

An open question is whether the RUPES 21 with its large 7/8" circular orbits will correct even without rotation. I have a feeling it will, so these rotation discussions may be a moot point anyway. A 7/8 inch circular orbit is about what you'd be doing if you tried to correct some scratches using a hand applicator pad, but with the RUPES 21 and no rotation, you are getting several thousand of those orbits for every hundred or so that you do by hand per minute, so it would be a lot faster.

[Rsurfer]

I wonder how many sales RUPES have lost because of the many online comments about having issues with curved panels, and people decide they don't want to deal with that and they buy another machine.

They should make a video starting with a new user of a RUPES 21 or 15 polishing a concave curved panel, with the backing plate marked so you can see the rotations stop.

Then have the RUPES person step in and show the different technique on that panel so the rotations don't stop, and then let the new user adjust their technique to show they can make it work.

It would be maybe a 5-10 minute video, and I guess it doesn't need to be done by RUPES. Seems there's an obvious need for it.

Get a Mini, problem solved.

[parttimer]

Mike posted this in the time lapse segment: I did find that when buffing a curved panel, either concave or convex, the uneven pressure applied to the face of the pad will slow down and even stop pad rotation. The key is to focus on the panel and keep the pad as flat as possible to the surface.

I used the duetto with Rupes pads and experienced the same slow/stoppage on his pickup. It is a design issue as all their devices suffer from it.

[Harry Da Hamster]

Convex curves are not a problem for the Rupes. It's the concave panels where it has a problem, especially a multi-axis concave panel like the ones on my Porsche Cayenne. Picture below is not my vehicle, just pulled from a quick google search to illustrate the problem area on the lower half of the doors. D pillar and just above the headlight are also problem areas. A Rupes 21ES and 75E would be great. But for me, i might polish a car once every 1 or 2 months, and i live in an apartment, i don't want/need/have the space/have the budget for two high end polishers. So for me, i prefer the Flex 3401.

[TundraPower]

I must be the only one that doesn't have this problem. I have the 21, 15, Duetto, and Mini and none of them have issues on curved panels. I polish very slowly with very little pressure though.

[RaskyR1]

I must be the only one that doesn't have this problem. I have the 21, 15, Duetto, and Mini and none of them have issues on curved panels. I polish very slowly with very little pressure though.

No, I don't really have any issues either. On a rare occasion an area may require the LHR75 or my G110v2, but I use those tools on he bumper covers/pillars anyway so I don't see it as an issue.

Since all cars are unique I'm not sure how much help a video would be either tbh.

[Mike Phillips]

I used the Duetto with Rupes pads and experienced the same slow/stoppage on his pickup. It is a design issue as all their devices suffer from it.

This is my experience too. The Rupes polishers have no problems when buffing flat panels but when it comes to curves, both concave and convex, the different pressure being applied to only portions of the face of the pad does slow and sometimes stop the pads from spinning.

The only way I'm able to continue buffing these areas is to adjust how I hold the body of the tool and adjust my pressure while watching the pad to make sure it continues to rotate.

At least this is what my own experience has been. That said I still like these tools for buffing out cars and the more I use them the better I get at using them.

I have a Corvette Stingray to buff out this Saturday, I have not decided what to use on it for tools, pads, products but I"m leaning towards the Duetto.

Just to note, here's the thread where parttimer was using the Rupes polishers on my truck. In the picture below, he's using the "prototype" of the Mini 12 that Rupes sent me back in April of 2013 along with the prototype Rupes Duetto.

Ready for the Mud!

[Mike Phillips]

I wonder how many sales RUPES have lost because of the many online comments about having issues with curved panels, and people decide they don't want to deal with that and they buy another machine.

They should make a video starting with a new user of a RUPES 21 or 15 polishing a concave curved panel, with the backing plate marked so you can see the rotations stop.

Then have the RUPES person step in and show the different technique on that panel so the rotations don't stop, and then let the new user adjust their technique to show they can make it work.

It would be maybe a 5-10 minute video, and I guess it doesn't need to be done by RUPES. Seems there's an obvious need for it.

Making a Rupes video is on our short list of videos to make and I'll share this thread with Yancy so he's aware of what the people are asking to see in the video.

Since all cars are unique I'm not sure how much help a video would be either tbh.

I agree. That said, while all cars are unique they are made up of flat panels, (or mostly flat panels), convex or concave curves.


I'm confident we can get a swirled out car with a little of everything to use for the video. Currently I'm working on getting a couple of Ferrari's here for this video.

[Harry Da Hamster]

Convex curves are not a problem for the Rupes. It's the concave panels where it has a problem, especially a multi-axis concave panel like the ones on my Porsche Cayenne. Picture below is not my vehicle, just pulled from a quick google search to illustrate the problem area on the lower half of the doors. D pillar and just above the headlight are also problem areas. A Rupes 21ES and 75E would be great. But for me, i might polish a car once every 1 or 2 months, and i live in an apartment, i don't want/need/have the space/have the budget for two high end polishers. So for me, i prefer the Flex 3401.

Forgot to include the picture...

Free spindle + long throw + edge only pad contact = no spin

[WRAPT C5Z06]

There are some areas of a car that are *impossible* to polish out with a Rupes(or any other random orbital), but CAN be polished with a 3401. I can't sum it up any better.


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