I want the Flex, I need the Rupes?

james51381 said:
I was thinking of going to a polisher, but I have never used one. I have read so many posts about a large learning curve of years to use properly.


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Lies! You can learn to use a rotary in 10 minutes flat.

Now it might take a few years to master a rotary, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't use one. Common sense and caution will serve you best when learning this tool. Three quick tips 1) don't use excessive rpms when learning. 2) always keep the pad moving across the paint. 3) stock up on ibuprofen!
 
Omg u crazy lol.
U didnt like how it performed or something?
I only bought the kit from AG because of the bundle price is nice and i get the set of small polishes.... I do plan on getting rid of the 21 through since i have the 15 lol
 
Thanks to all for the suggestions.

Rmagnus - I have been working on maybe 10 cars on the side. This order came after the CFO saw me waterless washing my car at lunch and asked a ton of questions.

I don't have a set time to do the vehicles. They are ok with one correction a week or at my own pace within reason.

I have everything that I can think of to handle something like this: pressure washer, ladders, McCullough steamer, rigid vacuum, and so many cleaners, polishes, lsp.I may need more mf towels.


I live in the SF Bay area and don't know anyone in this field really... So any locals willing to show the ropes on a RB.... I can bbq.

Suggestions for BP and pads for a RB would be awesome. I noticed some BP that are really thick and almost plush and then some that look like there isn't any padding and just he hook and loop.


Thank you everyone again for the help.




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FivePoint.0 said:
Take a look at your signature. ;)

I tend to make hasty decisions. Great tool, but do I NEED it? No...
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I did the same with an $800 cue stick and sold it a week later... Didn't NEED it but it was so beautiful.

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james51381 said:
..... Didn't NEED it but it was so beautiful.

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That sounded like a high maintenance girlfriend I once had. :laughing:

On a serious note.... I hope you are well compensated for this. Big trucks are PIA.
 
I searched on these boards for an average and I believe I saw a figure for $40-$80 a foot for the trucks/RV.
I was thinking about $35 an hour for the cargo vans.

Anyone have pricing suggestions on the cargo vans for exterior correction and front interior cleaning? I was thinking about $400

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james51381 said:
The company wants me to do the same to the fleet and to maintain them.

3 25 foot box trucks and 25 extended cargo vans.

Which one of these machines would be the best choice?

I want to be able to correct quickly without taking all day.

I would prefer to use an AIO, any suggestions for one with a good amount of cut?

Thanks everyone
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james51381 said:
I was thinking of going to a polisher, but I have never used one. I have read so many posts about a large learning curve of years to use properly.
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Anyone can use a rotary buffer or rotary polisher, my last two classes had pretty much all people brand new to the rotary buffer learning how to use these tools on 1966 Corvette and a 1963 Impala. Both classic cars worth a lot more than when they sold new and I had no fear turning these people loose with these tools on these cars. So you could get a rotary buffer and tackle these work rigs.



james51381 said:
You are right about single stage, but the fleet is Marlboro red and about half have single stage.
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james51381 said:
I want to be able to correct quickly without taking all day.
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You want to be able to correct quickly and only go around these large rigs one time. Not twice and you don't want to leave any holograms.

If it were me, I would go with the Flex 3401 because it's a direct drive tool that won't instill holograms. No matter how hard you push down on the head of the tool or what the shape of the body panels are, you cannot stop the pad from oscillating and rotating and this means you can do a lot of work quickly without burning through the paint or inflicting holograms.

The "walking effect" you see some people point out only happens if you're not holding the pad flat. Good technique, correct technique is holding the pad flat so if you feel this tool trying to walk in any specific direction simply take a look at how you're holding the tool and adjust yourself.

IF you want to make the tool really easy to use and reduce the walking effect when you're not holding the pad flat, then get the 4" backing plate and use 5" Hybrid pads.

Anytime you're using a one-step cleaner/wax to do a one-step job you also really want to use a polishing pad to leave the nicest looking finish while still having some cutting power.

You can start out with just the stock backing plate and 6.5" pads and there are plenty of pad options for this backing plate.

The foamed wool pads are also a great pad for doing heavy grunt work and the benefit to these pads is they won't tear up like foam. Perfect for neglected work rigs with single stage paint. For the clear coated rigs you would want to do a Test Spot first and make sure you're not leaving any fiber induced haze.

It's also a pro grade tool, it's going to hold up to the kind of punishment you're talking about putting it through.


For a cleaner/wax you can purchase in gallons, which is what you want for production fleet work, look at the Meguiar's D151, which is about as heavy a cutting cleaner/wax as you can get ans as you want to get to finish out nicely.

XMT 360 is a light cutting cleaner/wax and is available in 32 ounce bottles and would be a good choice also if the paint is not too neglected. XMT 360 is very easy to wipe off and that's going to be a feature you're going to love on rigs this size. Anything that's hard to wipe off on rigs this size is going to tire you out.

Optimum G-P-S is a "very" fine cutting cleaner/wax, (less cut than XMT 360), and would also be a great choice for large rigs as a one step if they are not in too bad a shape.


That's my reco...


:)
 
Have been using a Flex 3401 for quite some time and as what Mike say's the 'walking' is probably due to improper technique. Due to it's forced rotation I find that it handles much like a rotary. Proper technique is certainly required.

Will need to check out the Rupes to see if it lives up to the hype. :-)
 
I can't speak as to how the Rupes works as I haven't tried one yet. I can however speak through lots of experience about working with commercial vehicles, to include box trucks, buses ,vans, semis, race car trailers or other enclosed trailers.

I own a couple rotaries, a couple Flex 3401s, a Cyclo and a few traditional DA polishers.

It really depends on what the vehicles are constructed of and what types of paints or metals are used. Box trucks are typically constructed 3 different ways.

One solid fiberglass sidewall with either a roll up rear box door or the semi trailer type swing out doors. A rotary will work well on the side walls until you get to painted or aluminum bolts and or rivets. The forced rotation will rule in these sketchy areas.

One solid aluminum or steel sidewall with spot welded or riveted vertical support channels on the inside of the sidewall, with either a roll up rear box door or the semi trailer type swing out doors. A rotary w/wool will likely thin or remove the paint in between or around the spot welds or painted rivets. (depending on the type and thickness of the paint)

A sidewall that is constructed of pre-measured, pre-cut and pre-painted sheet metal panels that are "buck riveted" (solid aluminum rivets with no hole in the middle of the rivets) or "pop riveted" to the vertical support channels, bottom rail and top rail.

The third one listed above is what I see more commonly than the first two. These pre-painted sheetmetal panels typically have very thin single stage paint that abrades to nothing very quickly, so a rotary and wool will be the worst choice on these boxes. In fact, any abrasive compounds or polishes should be avoided on this type of truck / trailer.

A traditional DA will take way too long to deep clean the paint on these boxes as well. Having not used "but having read a lot" about the Rupes polishers...I'll just venture a guess that once you're on one of these box trucks with a Rupes and you get to the aluminum "Bucked rivets" where you'll need to apply a lot of pressure on the edge of your buffing pad to get the entire strip of rivets shined up...(remember this is just an educated guess) the pad rotation of the Rupes will stop dead in it's tracks.

The rotary would be cleaning only one side of the rivets and slinging black aluminum polishing splatter all over your already cleaned panels... but the Flex 3401 would just work and work at the entire rivet cleaning and shining it up very well without slinging product everywhere and without a slowing or stopping pad rotation.

Another point would be that...on most any commercial vehicle, you'll be concentrating on getting the ground in road dirt stained paint deep cleaned and not thinking a lick about paint correction (with exception to the cab). A rotary is the most inefficient tool to achieve this goal.

The Rupes would probably work fine for this on all the flat surfaces where little pressure is needed, but again...getting into tight areas where a lot of pressure will be needed, you'll be working quite inefficiently as the pad rotation slows or stops. There are a ton of these "pressure required areas" on most commercial vehicles regardless of how they're constructed. The forced rotation will be your best friend on most all commercial vehicles.

Honestly, the rotary is my least used tool when working with commercial vehicles.

Have I mentioned diamond plate, aluminum top rails, aluminum bottom rails, aluminum fuel talks etc.

If you're being payed to remove fuel tanks or tape off diamond plate and polish them to a high shine, a rotary and metal polishing wheel will be your first step on these so you'll want to have that setup handy. The wheels typically leave their own marks and will need to be followed up with a foam pad to even out the wheel marks.

On the other hand, If you'll simply be forced to do the best you can with the little time you're allowed for each vehicle, (which is commonly the case on commercial vehicles) The forced rotation (with soft foam pads and a good metal polish) will be your best bet on tanks, top and bottom rails and especially diamond plate.

The hinged rear box doors are typically the pre-painted sheet metal panels that have the very thin and dirt stained paint. Concerning the roll up type doors...they're typically painted wood with galvanized and or rusty steel flat faced door bolts. A rotary will be useless here and with polishing up to and against all the flat faced door bolts you'll find the need to tip your polishing pad on it's edge a lot to get tight against and in between the hardware, so again the forced rotation will be your best bet.

Really...the mention of all those polishers I listed is not to tout the fact that I have a collection of polishers...but to show that I need and use all of them. I have doubles of all of them because I work on big, very cruddy commercial vehicles and often need help with these vehicles. So if I have help, we both need to have the right tool to be efficient.

I'd be willing to bet that once I do get a Rupes polisher (and I will have one eventually), it will hardly ever see commercial work with the exception of hoods and fenders.

These are just my thoughts combined with a lot of commercial vehicle experience. Pick them apart if you will, post your experience if you go in a different direction. I am constantly learning and sometimes I'm proven wrong. TD
 
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TD, I believe with the KB washer mod, it's very hard to stop the rotation of the Rupes. I'll let you know from experience in a few days!
 
Nice. I'll be interested in seeing what you think of it. From what I've read, it seems the Rupes polishers were designed to "allow the pad to do the work" and the application of much pressure is not recommended. I think a lot of us that read that will remember that the comment is in response to someone claiming that the Rupes is somewhat under powered. Working on commercial vehicles as I've described in my previous post could possibly or would even likely exceed the limits of a reported under powered machine.

I remember all too well the reaction of a lot of folks when I made the comment that the Flex PE-14 was like a toy in my life of commercial vehicle detailing. This work is hard on tools when you're striving to be efficient and the more I read about the Rupes polishers, the more I'm glad to have the Flex 3401s.

All I know for sure is that I'd hate to spend the money for a Rupes just to find that it's going to sit on the shelf like the PE-14 did.
 
That is a great post. Thank you for the insight, tuscarora dave. :applause: :props:
 
Thank you guys for the info and suggestions. I think I will pull the trigger on the 3401 and then in a few months buy the Flex rotary, depending if this is something I want to expand from the current order.

I was planning on $40 a foot on the rigs and about $400 for the cargo vans. Can someone give some input on these price points? Here is what im planning on doing to the majority of them:
Wash
Clay/autoscrub
AIO for the newer vehicles
Polish/Compound the neglected ones ($200 upcharge?)
Dress trim/tires
Clean and dress interior
Polish chrome
Polish glass if needed (I dont know if I should charge more )
Headlight/Tail light repair if needed ($70 up charge)


After the initial detail, I want to do a rinseless on the maintanance if the vehicles arnt that bad.

I am sure I am forgetting to list things, but basically get these vehicles as close to "new" as possible. We are based out of San Francisco and I would like to give a fare rate to the company.

Can you guys help me with a decent pricepoint for these vehicles. The company is very flexible with time and money for the most part.
 
james51381 said:
If I were to go with the Rupes, which one should I get? I have mostly 5.5 mf and foam pads. And 6.5 soft buff pads. Any recommendations on pads?

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If you're doing vehicles that big get the 21. It is amazing on large flat surfaces. :xyxthumbs:
 
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