Don't use a rotary buffer to buff out a Motorhome or RV - HOLOGRAM CITY

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Don't use a rotary buffer to buff out a Motorhome or RV - HOLOGRAM CITY


About 4 to 5 years ago, Nick Rutter and I were volunteered to undo the damage done to a buddy's RV.

The problem?

Someone buffed out an RV with a basecoat/clearcoat paint system with a ROTARY BUFFER!

It's TIME CONSUMING to buff out big stuff.
And it's not normally what I would call fun.



It took Nick and I a long time to do the job right a second time.

Nick...

Me...
Ugh.... I hate doing big stuff...

After

If you own a nice RV or Motorhome, take the time to research tools and invest in an orbital polisher.

OR

If you own a nice RV or Motorhome and you're going to HIRE a DETAILER to buff out your RV or Motorhome, do some research, that is ask the detailer,

What are you going to do to my RV?



Have them show you the tools, pads and products. If you don't know what they are? Then take a picture and post it this thread and I'm happy to tell you,

Yes - they know what they are doing - go for it.

No - they don't have a clue and you're not only going to regret letting them work on your RV you're going to HATE the results.

 

[osudelt69]

Oh come on Mike, lol! You know you can get decent results with a rotary. Whoever buff/polished that RV has no business touching a rotary on anything lol

I really enjoy Rupes Bigfoot iii 21mm but sometimes you can’t replace a rotary


Sent from my iPhone using Autogeekonline mobile app

 

[PaulMys]

Just looking at that huge rig makes my back ache.

How long did the entire job take you guys?

 

[Vanquish Auto]

Seriously? You can’t blame a tool for this. It is the inexperienced user using the tool. Great work can be achieved with a rotary in the right hands. It just takes patience and experience to learn how to properly use one.

 

[RTexasF]

What a monumental task! Especially repairing what someone else screwed up.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Oh come on Mike, lol! You know you can get decent results with a rotary. Whoever buff/polished that RV has no business touching a rotary on anything lol

I really enjoy Rupes Bigfoot iii 21mm but sometimes you can’t replace a rotary

I respectfully disagree. Let me explain why in CONTEXT.

The RV in the pictures has a car finish, that is a basecoat/clearcoat paint system.

It has HUGE flat panels. If it gets swirls and scratches from normal washing and drying, these can be removed by ANY brand of orbital polisher. So why use a rotary ?

A rotary imparts a scratch pattern called holograms - whether you can see them or not.
A rotary also takes a heck of a lot more muscle to use - why not use any brand of orbital.

I'm sorry, but I've been answering questions on car detailing online since 1994 - I can no longer count how many times I've "answered" someone asking for help to remove holograms out of anything.

Unless you work at Newmar Coaches and you're wet sanding the outside of the factory clearcoat finish and THUS need to use a rotary go remove sanding marks, there's no need to buff out a huge RV using a rotary buffer.

While some people may have the skills and experience to do it without visible holograms - there's no NEED to use a rotary when any brand of free spinning or gear-driven orbital will do the job easier and with ZERO risk of holograms.

You can do as you please but I would never do correction work to an RM/Motorhome using an orbital. It's simply overkill for the job at hand.

I can pull up multiple huge jobs we've undertaken here at Autogeek and we've been able to do all the correction and sealing work with orbitals.

Meguiar's Big Rig Extreme Makeover - Pictures & Videos!

Then focused on the surface without the flash...

That's the #6 RUPES BigFoot in my hands...

Finished....

Again, you can do what you want, I just know from experience, with today's tools, LIKE YOUR RUPES BigFoot 21 - there's no need to use a rotary on a HUGE RV. And I'm talking as a guy that is probably one of the few people that still has their ORIGINAL rotary buffer that I used so much - I wore the sand mold textured aluminum smooth like chrome.




From 1987 - one of the first, if not the first VARIABLE speed rotary buffers - in my office on display with my antique waxes and prototype tools.

The texture you see here is from a SAND MOLD - it's rough and coarse - Now days, everything has a rubber overmold.

Here you can see where I wore the ribs down on the plastic handle.

I normally hold the head or handle with my left hand....

The smooth area is from my skin wearing the aluminum smooth over the course of 20 years.

The edge wear my thumb rubbed...

I feel comfortable talking about rotary buffers, I've used them as long and in a lot of cases now days, longer than most in the Interweb world and I have the buffer to prove it.


But yeah, feel free to use one yourself, but not me, not unless I'm sanding the entire thing down first and "yes" I've been there and done that too.


:cheers:

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Seriously? You can’t blame a tool for this.

Only the rotary buffer inparts hologram scratches.

Orbitals can impart micro-marring and shadow-effect, but not holograms.

The blame is not just on the tool - it "could" also be the pad and chemical.

In the real world, too many RV owners will not pay a Pro Detailer a fair price to correctly machine polish and seal an RV. So they get what they pay for, they get people that use rotary buffers, a tool that can be purchased new at Harbor Freight for $40.00 and my guess, these people have no formal training like I offer in my classes, thus the reason they are buffing out an RV with a rotary buffer. If they were to attend a quality class - they would learn about other tools that will do the work with out the risk of holograms.

It is the inexperienced user using the tool. Great work can be achieved with a rotary in the right hands. It just takes patience and experience to learn how to properly use one.

Agree.

I never said the rotary was a "bad" tool. I'm saying it's overkill for specifically doing correction work on RVs.

I has a guy take my 3-day class a few years ago, I can look up the class and pictures of him in it. He did one million dollars in business detailing RVs in Florida last year. He uses the BEAST and BLACKFIRE One Step. I'm sorry to say, he's not a "forum guy" or I'm sure he would chime in.


Just so there's no confusion, I've never said the rotary buffer is a bad tool - believe, teach, preach and practice,

The right tool for the job


If someone wants to do "correction work" to an RV that's their choice. All I'm saying is the job can be done with one of the multiple, multiple orbital polishers on the market including the Porter Cable and ZERO chance for holograms.


:cheers:

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

And FWIW


I don't recommend people to do rotary only buff-outs when for about $150.00 you can purchase a simple free spinning random orbital polisher to use for the second step AFTER a rotary buffer to - key word --> ensure <-- there are no holograms down the road.


That said, here's a rotary only by yours truly WITH the Sun Shots


Bumblebee - Testing out the NEW DeWALT DWP849X

Stick a fork in this old 2-door Chevy, kick it out the door and call it DONE!

Before

After

 

[Dr Oldz]

I have never done an RV. Would the Beast be a better choice? If I were doing it, that’s what I would grab(again never buffed an RV so hence my ?) I think the ability to use a 6.5 inch pad would be beneficial is my one thought.

Another thought is holograms are “usually” easily removed with a typical free spinning DA like the PC. So would a lighter free spinning DA polisher be beneficial for the fatigue factor?

 

[Dr Oldz]

Too add.... cool pics of that old rotary. I’d say you got your money’s worth out of it.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

I have never done an RV. Would the Beast be a better choice?

If the finish was really bad and one of your primary goals is speed, then gear-driven would be the more efficient tool choice just because there's zero chance for pad stalling. A RUPES Mille or Makita PO5000C could be options too.

Because there is so much flat surface area, a 21mm long stroke would also be a good choice, tools like the RUPES or Griot's models.

Anytime you had to buff out an intricate area like around windows of doo-dads protruding off the surface plane, then gear-driven would plow through these areas. I guess it just depends on how perfect you want to get 100% of each millimeter of the surface - or not. Me? I'd take a more BIG PICTURE view and focus on the major flat areas and pay less attention to the minutia. It's the big areas that people are going to see.

I'm a big fan of the BEASTS but I also like 21mm long strokes for final polishing. If I had to buff out a swirled out basecoat/clearcoat RV and a 21mm free spinning long stroke would work that's what I would use.

If I were doing it, that’s what I would grab(again never buffed an RV so hence my ?) I think the ability to use a 6.5 inch pad would be beneficial is my one thought.

That would work.

I'm a fan of the RUPES 7" White foam finishing pad for use on either the BEASTS or the 21mm tools. Again - only if this pad my my product are enough to remove the defects in one step.

Another thought is holograms are “usually” easily removed with a typical free spinning DA like the PC. So would a lighter free spinning DA polisher be beneficial for the fatigue factor?

Yep and agree. Thus the RUPES BigFoot 21 Mark III if it worked.


I actually hope I never have to buff out anything big again. I'll take cars like this all day long.