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So here was my problem:
I don't have a rotary buffer; the only thing I have for my PC is an Autoglym polishing pad and a bottle of #9; my truck has some nasty scratches left by a can of crappy Turtlewax rubbing compound and polishing compound (very NON-diminishing).
As you can imagine, the PC's not gonna cut it (literally). I am in the process of getting a rotary, but just can't decide between the Makita and PC 7428.
My solution? Make my own rotary
I took the pad that came with the PC and clamped it into a Craftsman 4.5 amp 2500 rpm drill. Now you might think the speed is a little too fast, but with such a weak motor (compared to rotaries) and high gearing, it can barely spin over 1000 rpm at about 3/4 power with the pad on. So, with a bottle of #2, I started rotary buffing on my fairly new black truck. I know, not a best way to start, but I though since the drill is fairly weak, it's not as dangerous as a real rotary.
The result? Surprisingly good!
All but a few of the deepest scratches left by the rubbing compound are completely gone. I started at about 500 - 600 rpm, 1/2 throttle on the drill, and progressed about 1200 rpm by my guess @ 3/4 power. I was really satisfied with the results and did some other panels; took out a lot of scratches I got while off roading. After going over the truck again with the PC and #9 to get rid of some light holograms, I was left with a better finish than I was ever able to get with the PC alone.
So I guess as a backup / emergency solution, a drill works pretty good on scratches compared to the PC. Still not a long term solution though. As you can imageine, a drill is not very easy to control, and the rpms are controlled only by feel rather than an accurate speed control. The drill also got really hot - it just doesn't have the power for stuff like this.
The results though, are an inspiration for me to get a real rotary.
I don't have a rotary buffer; the only thing I have for my PC is an Autoglym polishing pad and a bottle of #9; my truck has some nasty scratches left by a can of crappy Turtlewax rubbing compound and polishing compound (very NON-diminishing).
As you can imagine, the PC's not gonna cut it (literally). I am in the process of getting a rotary, but just can't decide between the Makita and PC 7428.
My solution? Make my own rotary
I took the pad that came with the PC and clamped it into a Craftsman 4.5 amp 2500 rpm drill. Now you might think the speed is a little too fast, but with such a weak motor (compared to rotaries) and high gearing, it can barely spin over 1000 rpm at about 3/4 power with the pad on. So, with a bottle of #2, I started rotary buffing on my fairly new black truck. I know, not a best way to start, but I though since the drill is fairly weak, it's not as dangerous as a real rotary.The result? Surprisingly good!
All but a few of the deepest scratches left by the rubbing compound are completely gone. I started at about 500 - 600 rpm, 1/2 throttle on the drill, and progressed about 1200 rpm by my guess @ 3/4 power. I was really satisfied with the results and did some other panels; took out a lot of scratches I got while off roading. After going over the truck again with the PC and #9 to get rid of some light holograms, I was left with a better finish than I was ever able to get with the PC alone.
So I guess as a backup / emergency solution, a drill works pretty good on scratches compared to the PC. Still not a long term solution though. As you can imageine, a drill is not very easy to control, and the rpms are controlled only by feel rather than an accurate speed control. The drill also got really hot - it just doesn't have the power for stuff like this.
The results though, are an inspiration for me to get a real rotary.