I hear that buddy. If I could go back in time I wouldnt be too proud of my work I don’t believe. Although it was always the best with what I had available. Technology has definitely helped us detailer a along.
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Yeah, an orbital is a totally different animal.
You sort of have to approach it like machine sanding, which is a totally different technique than the sort of "grinder" action of a rotary.
I don't know if you've ever wet sanded with an orbital, and if not, give it a try on a scrap panel. Once you do, you can sort of transfer the technique to orbital compounding/polishing.
Back in the day, I'd call myself a "hack" when it came to Rotary use, preferring at all costs to not have to use one. While I leaned the basics, I never had the high level of expertise to come along and refine let's say a Lacquer finish on a vehicle that just rolled out of a paint booth, then wet sand, and compound-polish.
I haven't picked up my Rotary in many years, and the last times I used it, preferred generally to solely use Machine Glazes, and the fairly large diameter Waffle Foam Pads. I might see a time where I may wish to outfit it with smaller Backing Plates, possibly an Extension Shaft, and using some of the D/A Pads like I've seen some use.
As some have mentioned the reasons for buying a D/A, I think the reasons are fairly common, in that many hobbyists like the idea that with a D/A, it is harder to damage a paint finish.
Trust that I screwed up with a Rotary myself on a couple occasions, once burning a rear quarter panel edge down to primer, and thank God it was basically a junk-mobile, and the owner did not care, and then another time at a rear Chrome Bumper, and the Pad-Backing Plate became jammed in the recess between Bumper and Body, whipped around, and I had a nice lovely burn-mar that took a good deal of time by hand to eliminate the damage I caused.
I can recall once watching a Vid from the Junkman, and he was once explaining the variety of Machines available today. When he picked up the Flex 3401, he did say "Now this bad boy can burn a finish if you're not careful". Yes, harder to do than a Rotary I assume, I never used a Flex 3401.
For now, and for my personal uses, the D/A suits my needs just fine.
More recently, I was watching an acquaintance buff out a Burgundy 1969 Camaro SS-350 with a Rotary. Since it needed just a light clean-up and polish, I asked him if he's ever used a D/A for polishing, and he said no.
His opinion was that if he was not "heating" the paint up, a D/A was then likely to be a poor choice of a machine to polish and refine a paint finish, and in no way could be comparable to what a Rotary Machine can do because of that quality.
I said "well yeah, and no". That yes, heat is generated in any instance to a degree, and with either machine when using abrasive compounds and polishes, but heat can also be a deadly enemy to paint too.
I further used the analogy "that when a person only has hammer as a tool, everything then looks like a nail".
Thus I further explained that a detailer can reap great advantage by having a variety of tools in his/her arsenal. As one example I mentioned, let's say you're polishing A and B Pillars on a vehicle, and then using a 7" Backing Plate and Pad on a Rotary to accomplish correcting-polishing such? Far from optimal.
After his first attempts, there was quite a good deal of buffer haze left, meaning go back again with milder polishes, 2 more times he had to.
And of course this is common procedure with a D/A as well in certain cases, but I again mentioned that what he was doing could've been more easily accomplished with a D/A and the right Pads and Products in one go, in that less is often more, and the principle idea is to accomplish the task set before you and doing the least amount of paint removal possible.
I mean, it didn't not make the truck look better. It just wasn't the wonder machine that it was made out to be. Looking back it seems a lot of what I read may have been people who were not comfortable with a rotary trying to convince themselves.
Question now is what to do with it? 3/6 pads are open and used, both compounds have been opened.
I should be able to get my hands on a rotary with 3m pads/compounds. I'm kinda thinking if I give it a real buff I should be able to use the orbital to maintain the finish. It is pretty nifty for waxing.
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The degree of correction with a D/A will depend upon the combination of what Polishes-Compounds and Pads are used. And as well arm speed, downward pressure and the number of section passes.
That, and the period of "workability-time" of any chosen correcting product.
Although I've never much used them, commonly for a greater degree of correction with compounds with a D/A most then resort to using Microfiber Pads. Or the most aggressive Foam Pads. And yeah, you'll remove deeper isolated scratches, but also may cause buffing haze, especially on softer paint finishes, and thus will need to come back again and follow up with a milder product, and less aggressive pads.
Principles are of course the same. The eye, inspection, and experience are paramount. With modern day finishes, as they say, the thickness of a clear coat is about as thick as a Post-It Note. There's only so far one can go before compromising and permanently damaging the top layer clear coat.
Which Griots Garage polisher did you buy?
An 21mm longthrow polisher with an aggressive combo of compound and pad can do some great cutting. And it don't takes that off a longer time to compound than with a rotary. Have in mind that I still think that for pro detailers that compound heavy defects I would use a rotary polisher as a first step. But for refineing a paint I think you do that faster with a longthrow polisher with better results. If you used to a rotary polisher the easiest step to a DA is to get a direct-drivenDA like Rupes Mille or Makita po5000c or Flex 3401vrg polishers.
I bought the 8mm throw. Back in "the day" I used a Makita with 3m pads and compounds. The Makita worked great but to get set up from scratch would have been about $150 more than the orbital.
I figured with the rave reviews on the orbital plus how often am I going to need to cut with a rotary when I'm just doing my vehicles I could get away without it.
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Just curious......did you use 6" pads and backing plate or go to smaller plate and 5 - 5.25" pads?
The work at hand might have been more than the machine is capable of regardless of pad size but smaller pads do make a difference.