DeWalt 849 in the hands of a novice...help!

C

crashcrew271

New member
Joined
May 9, 2011
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
I recently purchased a DeWalt 849 as a package deal with 7.5" foam waffle pads. I went to detail king and purchased everything from heavy cutting products to to final finishing products. As soon as I realized I probably shouldn't have purchased the 849 it was to late and already shipping....so I have one now. My question is should I buy a DA to assist me in the process? Which one would you suggest and what extras with it? Would this DA get the swirls / holograms out if I really screwed things up?

I am going to practice on a scrap hood both black and white since those are the two colors that I will ultimatly be working with. I am going to buff a 2009 black lexus IS250 and a 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe. The Lexus is mine and that is really my main area of concern. It has light swirl marks and it is in pretty decent shape besides that.
 
I would def get a DA because it's so much safer then a rotary. I recently burned paint on my bumper with a Makita because I was being careless. I had my DA but I wanted to try the Makita and it burned a small area. Rotary is very dangerous and should not be used on bumpers if your not a pro.

I would get DA with couple orange, white and blue pads.
 
I would still get a DA to compliment the rotary. Chances are you going to have severe holograms after using the rotary and use the DA with a lighter polish to remove them.
 
I went ahead and bought the Porter Cable 7424XP with a few of every color pad just to be safe. I planned on starting with the white pad to be safe and see if it can work out the blemishes and then step it up one notch at a time till I get the job done and then work my way down. I think it will be best to practice with the rotary on an old hood untill I can get it better with it and not burn my nice car.

I'm using compunds and waxes from a company that no one has mentioned on any forum I have read. They say it is just as good if not better than those name brands and a lot cheaper (not exactly cheap but better priced). Is this a bad thing to stray away from the name brands since I really can't get any help from anybody on this site?

Should I apply the sealants and waxes with this Porter Cable 7424XP or should I get an orbital (cheap one) to apply these cause I don't want to do it by hand.
 
crashcrew271 said:
Should I apply the sealants and waxes with this Porter Cable 7424XP or should I get an orbital (cheap one) to apply these cause I don't want to do it by hand.
Click to expand...

The Porter Cable is fine for applying sealants and waxes, no need to buy any other polishers.
 
Meghan said:
The Porter Cable is fine for applying sealants and waxes, no need to buy any other polishers.
Click to expand...

Yeah just get some black or blue pads and some bonnet if you want to remove it by machine. :xyxthumbs:
 
Do you suggest any certian type of bonnet for removing wax (mico fiber, terry..etc)? Like I said I am completly new to this and I am trying to learn so I want to say upfront I am sorry for the novice questions but I haven't read anything about this. Also money right now is not a concern to me. I have a steady job over here in Afghanistan firefighting but when I get home next month on R&R I want to have everything I need to complet the task and make it look amazing like what I have seen on some pictures here.
 
I would buy 2-4 mf bonnets and put them over orange pads because they are more dense then others.

Also with the bonnet you have two sides to use, you can flip it over and use other side once it gets too caked.
 
I personally don't care for the Dewault at all. I love the Makita. But I also like my DA. I use both frequently, and feel they both have their positives and negatives. So when you have both...you're good to go. :dblthumb2:
 
Kris you just recently bought a DA? Or you always had one?
 
Ok...I already have 2 MF bonnets so I should be good there. I just figured out that my DA I bought comes with a 5 in backing plate and 5.5 in pads. When I bought my extra pads I got 6.5 in pads. So now I need to get a 6 in backing plate. Man being new to thins might cost me more than I thought. Is it still ok to use the 6.5 pads with the correct backing plate on this DA if I get the 6 in counter weight or should I just use those and practice with them? I gotta get some help or someone who knows whats going on to buy everything for me...lol!
 
i think the 5 inch backing plate would work fine with the 6.5 inch pads. no need for an extra purchase. and dont worry about the counterweight, it does not affect rotation too much IMO.
 
crashcrew271 said:
Ok...I already have 2 MF bonnets so I should be good there. I just figured out that my DA I bought comes with a 5 in backing plate and 5.5 in pads. When I bought my extra pads I got 6.5 in pads. So now I need to get a 6 in backing plate. Man being new to thins might cost me more than I thought. Is it still ok to use the 6.5 pads with the correct backing plate on this DA if I get the 6 in counter weight or should I just use those and practice with them? I gotta get some help or someone who knows whats going on to buy everything for me...lol!
Click to expand...

I would skip the 6.5 inch... unless you already bought them, save it for rotary one day. Because the DA is not really strong enough to spin the 6.5 pads. You will get better and faster results when using 5.5 inch pads.
 
slickooz said:
Kris you just recently bought a DA? Or you always had one?
Click to expand...

I bought one a while back, probably around December...maybe earlier. But, I've always had one...just not a good one, ha. Now I've got two PCs. I'd like to get a Griots too.
 
Yep I already bought the 6.5 in pads. I didn't mean to I just wasn't paying attention. I heard that they would creat too much heat and with the 6.5 in pad it would need a new heavier counter weight. So I am just going to buy the backing plate to fit and the 6 in counter weight. I guess I can use them for something. My DeWalt is a 7 in backing plate.

What speed should I run my DA at for minor swirls? Better yet where can I find out what settings to set it on for the complete process? Also is there any set guidlines for speed and which pad color to use with this DA
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top