home depot should have one of them for you dole; or you can get them online.

derek, anime knows his detailing stuff; anything he says you can pretty much take to the bank.

 

Good! Now what sort of pads should I buy for this PC for various purposes?

Thanks,
Richard

 

it should come with the ones youll need for simple waxing but anything more im not sure. anime will know though, hes the expert.

 

We've got plenty of "experts" around here. Seriously - wanabe, MikeyC, Ubetit and I'm sure I'm missing a few others are all quite experienced. I'm just filling in for wanabe while he's on vacation

As far as pads - you'll benefit from a proper backing plate and a few different pads. Personally I'm fond of the Sonus DAS kit as a good starter kit, probably because I started with it and I still use the DAS pads regularly. The SFX pads are a little more difficult to use, in my opinion, while the DAS pads are a little larger and easier to control.

The kit comes with three pads (Orange - light cutting pad, Green - polishing pad and Blue - finishing pad), a FLEXIBLE backing plate and a MF bonnet or two.

http://www.Autopia-carcare.com sells them.

Oh, and the pad that comes with the polisher (and the backing plate, if it's included) are really quite crappy, but keep it around for polishing your shower door or other household items

 

hah - for any sort of polish - for a professional level detailer - should be done with a rotary buffer. my choice however is an electric dewalt - its not too heavy - easy to operate. i too have spent many a time detailing - been doing it for about 7 years. i've also run a mobile detail business for about 2 years. i know the work it takes to go from 'rags to riches'. i too strive to do the best for my clients - but saying an orbital is worthless is crap. a plastic one, yes. but a metal cased orbital can be a great way to remove swirls (for those who need it) and to apply wax more efficiently. i am sorry but i just have to disagree.

 

We must be talking about two very different machines. The discussion was about the cheap plastic orbitals as pictured in this thread ("Armor All" labeled). Not some professional orbital buffer.

What brand and type of orbital do you own and use? How much does one cost? Is the speed adjustable? Can you fit 4", 5", 6.5" foam pads to it?

Not that it's not a good machine if it does what you want it to, but I don't think I've seen a single detailer on Autopia mention using an orbital of that nature for pretty much anything, ever. Cyclo polisher, yes. PC, yes. And of course, the more experienced and more confident use a rotary for worse-than-normal defect removal.

MOST people aren't willing to spend the time or money required to become proficient with a rotary polisher and I wouldn't suggest anyone without experience pick one up and go at their paint. There are plenty of instances where the paint is soft enough to go after with a PC for correction without resorting to the more aggressive rotary, which WILL remove more clear than a PC/random orbital, so it's best reserved for a paint job you're sure can stand up to it.

 

anime:

Right: A true pro can do wonders with a rotary. A novice can ruin their car. I actually have several cars, and am a director in our local Mercedes Club. We have several "Tech Sessions" a year, and are going to have one at a local MB certified body shop this spring, and it will be called "How to use an orbital and rotary buffer on your car without screwing it up!" Without some training, I would never attempt to use a rotary on any of my cars. But I know that pros can use them and perform wonders. Personally, I doubt that I will ever be good enough to use a rotary on my cars. But I do certainly apreciate the advice on which orbital to buy, and what pads I will need for it. Indeed, a couple of days ago, I used my admittedly crappy orbital and removed a bunch of light scratches and swirils from my dad's '93 Chrysler. With a better orbital, I'm sure I could do better.
But if I encounter a situation where I need a good rotary buffing, I think discretion will be the better part of valor, and I wil default to one of the pros I know, who, for a reasonable price, will do it right.

Thanks,
Richard

 

dereks2000 - you may have experience and be of value to this forum but your approach has already turned off two of the more experienced people here.

 

so what. this is an internet forum with typed words. because i choose not to sugar coat any of my replies...i am condescending. i think it is condescending of a pro to tell me something is worthless - then renig on what he said. i am not on here preaching about what to use and how because if there is one thing i have learned from all my years detailing it is this - there is no right way - there are ways that are better, there are ways that are worse - there are more efficient ways - and wasteful ways. if a detailer closes his mind to new possibilities - then he isnt keeping up with his game. many detailers still do it the same way they were taught - most dont ever try things on there own. hence the reason i said that my rotarty buffer is easy to use - i guarantee that 90% of you could rotary buff your cars - and get 95% of the results of a pro - but you cant pick it up and expect to be L33T. its the same with anything - practice makes perfect. many people on this board are afraid of consequences so dearly that they wont branch out and try things on there own. sorry if i come across...wrong - but i hate it when someone tells a crowd of people misinformation. i can understand and appreciate animes2k for his knowledge and for his dedication to the craft - but i think he is wrong - i said it, and people get on me like i have no idea what i am talking about...which is expected (sad to say). just because someone's word is worth its weight in gold doesnt mean that its right. I, for one, have yielded excellent results from a metal cased orbital...and a plastic one. i say that the plastic ones arent that great and i prefer the metal ones in my first post, come a few later...we arent talking about a Professional Orbital Buffer. well i made the distinction. i am just frustrated with this holier than thou approach to this stuff. i am sorry if i came across as a -insert degrading word here- but sometimes i get alittle frustrated, and if you think my approach is wrong - check out the rest. i made a simple statement - and now i have 'turned off' two greatly experienced people - atleast one person tried out their orbital and made themself happy - which is even further than what i wanted. all i wanted is to apply some of my knowledge to the thread - and let people know that an orbital can yield positive results.

animes2k - my orbital is made by...i dont know - its not speed adjustable and you can only fit bonnets over the top of its 8" foam pad. the things works like a charm - and makes applying wax 2 to 3 times faster. and a note on autopia.com - who cares. seriously - if everyone on autopia just stopped mentioning a rotary buffer - would that make it inferior or obsolete...or even worthless? nope. there's a difference between a car washer and a detailer.

 

Thank God for the button