Rotary VS Dual Action for Compounding

[mwoywod]

For one every book I have read have mentioned it. And I have seen many cars with burned paint from previous details done in car washes. I don't need to kill myself to know that pointing a gun at my head and pulling the trigger can be fatal.

Here's another false equivalency for you.... Based on all the articles I've read, reckless driving kills people. So there's really no point in learning how to drive because everyone knows that driving a car can be fatal.

[RZJZA80]

Regardless of skill level, it only takes a split second to burn paint with a rotary and any type of pad. The same cannot be said about DA's. I'm talking about on the same car, everything else being equal, not that one in a million chance you hit very thin clear a little too hard. You can absolutely only use a rotary and nothing else, but with the polishers we have today, why? Regardless how good you are the fact of the matter is it's still more of a risk using a rotary than a DA, this cannot be disputed. With DA's as good as they are and compounds and polishes being as good as they are, DA's do everything a rotary does and almost as fast, sometimes faster depending on the paint.

The only time I may break out my Makita 9227c is after wetsanding a freshly painted car. I see no reason to bother with it on OEM paint whatsoever.

[jslym777]

Regardless of skill level, it only takes a split second to burn paint with a rotary and any type of pad. The same cannot be said about DA's. I'm talking about on the same car, everything else being equal, not that one in a million chance you hit very thin clear a little too hard. You can absolutely only use a rotary and nothing else, but with the polishers we have today, why? Regardless how good you are the fact of the matter is it's still more of a risk using a rotary than a DA, this cannot be disputed. With DA's as good as they are and compounds and polishes being as good as they are, DA's do everything a rotary does and almost as fast, sometimes faster depending on the paint.

The only time I may break out my Makita 9227c is after wetsanding a freshly painted car. I see no reason to bother with it on OEM paint whatsoever.

A split second? Where do you get this information? Which rotary, being used correctly, can produce enough heat that fast?

[RZJZA80]

A split second? Where do you get this information? Which rotary, being used correctly, can produce enough heat that fast?

I have burned paint once in the last 10 years with my Makita and foam pad and yes it was a split second, caught the edge of the back of an Escalade and burned through the paint and into the plastic. Being used correctly isn't the point, the point is it takes an instant for something to go wrong so it's a risk factor regardless of skill level.

[jslym777]

I have burned paint once in the last 10 years with my Makita and foam pad and yes it was a split second, caught the edge of the back of an Escalade and burned through the paint and into the plastic. Being used correctly isn't the point, the point is it takes an instant for something to go wrong so it's a risk factor regardless of skill level.

Are you sure it was burn through and not more of a scuff from catching the edge? Most rotaries operate under 1000 rpm for todays materials, so they do actually stay pretty cool. If you are cranking up the speed then you are being negligent in the first place.

I was going to make a video but I found these floating around

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iexTYmbbr04 - pad going right over the edge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyUF5X619M4 - extreme heating

[RZJZA80]

Are you sure it was burn through and not more of a scuff from catching the edge? Most rotaries operate under 1000 rpm for todays materials, so they do actually stay pretty cool. If you are cranking up the speed then you are being negligent in the first place.

I was going to make a video but I found these floating around

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iexTYmbbr04 - pad going right over the edge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyUF5X619M4 - extreme heating

The plastic material was melted so I'm pretty sure it was burned through, wouldn't you agree? No negligence on my part, however out of the entire SUV that one part above the tail light is plastic, go figure. If it was metal like the rest of the SUV there wouldn't have been a problem.

[mwoywod]

I have burned paint once in the last 10 years with my Makita and foam pad and yes it was a split second, caught the edge of the back of an Escalade and burned through the paint and into the plastic. Being used correctly isn't the point, the point is it takes an instant for something to go wrong so it's a risk factor regardless of skill level.

When using a rotary paired with a wool/lambswool pad and a machine speed set between 600-1400rpms and you are cognizant of reducing machine speed to 600-1200rpms on plastic front and rear bumpers...as long as the lubrication of your compound hasn't dried up it's virtually impossible to burn paint. I've been using the rotary on a daily basis for the past 4+ years without ever burning paint. Actually, the only polisher related mistake I've made was before I owned a paint depth gauge and struck through porsche clear coat using a PC7424xp and a 3" megs microfiber cutting pad.

My point is that there is a risk factor regardless of what machine you are using.

[jslym777]

The plastic material was melted so I'm pretty sure it was burned through, wouldn't you agree? No negligence on my part, however out of the entire SUV that one part above the tail light is plastic, go figure. If it was metal like the rest of the SUV there wouldn't have been a problem.

Tape off vulnerable edges? Doing this will also protect the pad from damage too.

[SWETM]

Just that with the precision you can get with the rotary is why I'm intrested to learn to handle a rotary polisher. Maybe with the lower operating speed with under 1000rpm and lower makes the rotary safer now days. And even lower speed in the beginning. Is it possible with right technique on rotary to handle it as a weekend warrior? I think why many new people that are starting out to polish cars go the safe route start with a da.

Have someone tested twisted wool/acrylic cutting pads and or low hair hight wool cutting pads on a da? And if you they cut faster than a mf cutting pad?

[dlc95]

When using a rotary paired with a wool/lambswool pad and a machine speed set between 600-1400rpms and you are cognizant of reducing machine speed to 600-1200rpms on plastic front and rear bumpers...as long as the lubrication of your compound hasn't dried up it's virtually impossible to burn paint. I've been using the rotary on a daily basis for the past 4+ years without ever burning paint. Actually, the only polisher related mistake I've made was before I owned a paint depth gauge and struck through porsche clear coat using a PC7424xp and a 3" megs microfiber cutting pad.

My point is that there is a risk factor regardless of what machine you are using.

I've had a similar experience. Never burned or struck through with a a rotary, but have my first time with the PC.

It was also posted earlier something about comfort level. Of the two I'm way more comfortable with wool on a rotary over a modded 21 MK2, 5" plate, exact fit xtra cut mf pad and a heavy cut compound. I've mentioned it before and I qualified the statement by saying "in MY hands". I mean, I was on speed 2 with that thing..

Much of the trepidation was from not having much of any cushion, and the rate at which that thing chopped paint. With the Makita I was probably at 1000, or 1200 rpm, and a wool pad. Lots of cushion, the plate was covered at the sides with wool...