Random Orbital question # 10,000

[Farmallluvr]

I have an RBL random orbital polisher,18 mm long throw 5.5 backer (I think)but I am having some problems with the learning curve.
I am finding different pads are available some thick,some thin and different manufactures have different colors that do different things so I am left kinda confused.
What is the rule of thumb for speed?,,fast for cutting,slower for polishing or waxing?
My problem appeared on a black 14 Impala,the tops I used a product with more of a cut then turns to polish and they look awesome.
I moved onto the sides that had less enviromental damage and I used the same style pad but a product that was more of a wax,,it doesn't look awful to others I asked but to me I could see several places where I worked and I wasn't happy.
I had to rush the car out to make room for a sold Enclave to a dearship owner family member so it may be a day or two before I get it back in.
I had the speed all the way up on 6 for the 2nd product but was that to fast for the waxy product or perhaps I just had the wrong pad,I used a white polishing pad instead of a desgnated wax pad ,,any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.
PS I cannot watch video so you will have to tell me,,my system is old and slow,like me

 

[MarkD51]

Yeah, I can understand the immense confusion with the so many Pad Makers, and each having different Pad Types. That many do not necessarily carry over, meaning a White, or Orange Pad from Lake Country is going to be the exact same Pad Material as those same colors from say Meguiars, or Buff and Shine, Chemical Guys, Rupes, on and on it goes.

Thus what I've done myself and perhaps I'm neglecting my many options, but have pretty much limited my Polishing Pad selection down to mostly one brand, Lake Country. Yes, I do have some Megs and Griots as well.

It seems your variability of results came from switching midstream to another completely different set-up and products, throwing a monkey wrench into the mix.

The general rule of thumb and as Mike Phillips commonly teaches, is to do the proverbial test spots with combinations of different products and pads, find the one that seems to work best with time and money as some considerations, and then repeat that process and Pad-Product selection on the entire vehicle.

I would say that provided your first processes on the roof were not too aggressive, or left behind micro-marring or haze-clouding, that you should've perhaps continued on, and not switched over to different products, thus giving you totally different end results.

Sometimes as many have mentioned here, a need sometimes of not being able to do an acceptable level of desired correction with just one process with one type of Pad and Product, that an initial cutting or more aggressive polishing might be required first on the entire vehicle, and to then again do another final correction step with a more mild polish and pad selection to bring out the best finish and final gloss.

Hope this helps.

 

[garyg7133]

I learned very early on that all pads/pad colors are not the same. Some pads also don't hold product the same way as others. For this reason, I have stayed with Lake Country Hydro Tech pads. I get the same results almost every time (some cars are taking more effort than others). I also try to stick with the same group of products. As far as rotation speed goes, always start with the least aggressive/slowest speed and see where it gets you. Same goes for your products. Least aggressive product first. Also, bring multiple clean pads of the same type. Once your pads become contaminated your results may change even if you are using the same product.

 

[Farmallluvr]

My employers are penny pinching folks who trip over a dollar to save a nickel,I sneak a lot of stuff past them or buy it myself but I have to draw the line at pads unless they for my car.
My supply guy is switching slowly over to a larger supply of pads he has Car Brite select and Hi Buff but no Lake Country.
I do buy some Griots red wax pads at a store in town and get good results with them.
I started buffing cars with a rotary almost 30 years ago so I am trying to change with the times,,,lol
Like anything else there is a learning curve I suppose

 

[PaulMys]

I have LC Flats, Thin Pro's, Hydro Techs, and Griot's pads.

Although I can tell them apart, I store them all separately.

Another thing I have done (and this was actually my wife's idea), is to print copies of each of the manufacturers color/description charts and keep them with each of the respective pads/sets.

I rarely look at them, but I'm not getting any younger either...........:laughing: Good peace of mind.

 

[UncleDavy]

I don't do any kind of heavy paint correction but I do enjoy a good compounding/polishing session. I try to keep things simple with a Porter Cable 7242XP, Lake Country CCS Orange pads for compounding and white pads for polishing. Meguiars Ultimate was the compound and polish of choice but I have since switched over to HD Cut and HD Polish+. The HD products are far superior with easy removal and very little dust. Clear coats are generally only 2 mils or 50 microns thick. Any kind of aggressive pads or compounds scare the crap out of me.