Rupes mark ii 15 stalling badly

I want to thank everyone that has provided information and guidance on my thread. After I posted this thread I sent Dylan an email and he replied quickly saying a video would be great as others have said here. He also added Jason Rose to the email and I cant ask for more.
I plan on taking some videos this weekend and I ask for one thing. When it shows it's operator error, go easy on me okay.
 
I'm actually pretty curious to see that video. I've never known my Rupes to be anything but excellent.


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don40vette said:
I want to thank everyone that has provided information and guidance on my thread. After I posted this thread I sent Dylan an email and he replied quickly saying a video would be great as others have said here. He also added Jason Rose to the email and I cant ask for more.
I plan on taking some videos this weekend and I ask for one thing. When it shows it's operator error, go easy on me okay.
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Happy to help and don't think too much of it. Sometimes its something so simple we forget to even ask the question. Something like: "Did you plug the tool into an electrical outlet?"

and yes... that is a question I had to ask a guy once with a tool that wouldn't work right out of the box and the answer as it turned out was "No. I thought it was rechargeable like your other tools" :poke:

So no matter what the answer ends up being after we watch your video take solace in knowing at least you knew enough to plug the tool in before you started :)
 
Dylan

You have been outstanding responding to all issues with the Rupes line, shows your dedication and that of Rupes as well, I hope in the near future to making a purchase of Rupes line when the funds see fit.

All the best
 
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
I wold have to respectfully disagree.

In my opinion and experience, in order for any orbital polisher to remove defects it must remove paint and paint is removed most effectively if the pad is BOTH rotating and oscillating.

I don't think an orbital tool can remove paint if the pad is ONLY oscillating because this would basically be the pad vibrating against the paint. It's the combination of rotation and oscillation that removes paint. I'm open to changing my mind if someone can take a car with swirls and scratches and remove them using only oscillation and zero pad rotation.

Even if it worled.... which I don't think it will.... it would take a LOT longer to correct a car than it would if the pad is both rotating and oscillating.


:dunno:
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In my experience, I agree with this.
 
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
That said, I'm just having a hard time understanding how a pad just vibrating against paint would also be effective at removing paint.

When I look at a pad on a RUPES BigFoot 15 or 21 and if it's not rotating - and by this I mean the pad is making ZERO rotations... then all it can do is basically vibrate or jiggle against the paint. And I've buffed out a lot of cars with these tools and I just haven't personally seen non-rotating pads removing defects.
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To a degree true and not true Mike - the most effective movement is obviously going to be both the orbit and the rotation combined. With the traditional 8mm tools the movement of the orbit itself was hardly enough to do more than 'vibrate against the paint', but the distance traveled in the 15, and definitely 21, millimeter orbits is such that it can continue to remove material even when rotation slows/stalls. 2.5x more movement (with the 21) is a lot more distance and enough that material is removed. Is it ideal? Certainly not and from a standpoint of the pad shedding spent material it won't work for long in that situation as nothing will migrate far from where it originates (removed material, abrasives, etc) but I have observed and can demonstrate that correction is happening when only orbit exists and rotation is stopped.

Different dynamic, but good for visualization of the concept - if a pneumatic sander is slowed down and pressure is applied it will orbit, but not rotate. That orbit (if significant enough) will continue to impart change to the underlying surface - the problem is it does not shed the removed material and loads the abrasive up, thus stopping or impacting the quality of the sanding process. Same idea - the orbit of the polisher will continue to polish, but it might not work for very long until the tool has the ability to start rotation again OR the pad is cleaned.
 
don40vette said:
i paid $400 for a polisher that stalls with zero pressure on a flat panel using Rupes polish and pads. If you keep the machine within 2-3 degrees axis of rotation it will keep spinning but otherwise it just stalls and that is with washer mod.
I love how little vibration it has but is it because at least 50% of the the time it is not rotating.
Im sure if more people that own these were to put marks on their backing plate this would become a huge issue.
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Hello Geeks...

I think I am going to take a stab at this...

I ordered my Rupes 15 MKII when the HD version was first released a few months ago. Since then a have used it quite a few times of course. As I was using this machine yesterday, I started to experience a bit of what the OP is stating. In the past I never remembered this to be the case. As far as I can remember, it truly was a SMOOTH machine with no stalling issues on flat panels. Yesterday, it actually rotated better on vertical panels than on flat panels believe it or not.

I have read this thread recently, but I didn't think much of it until now.

I came across of this statement today from a past thread and this is what Dylan stated...which of course got me thinking.

"The backing plate contact with the shroud should be lubricated with dielectric grease, but you can substitute vasoline if needed in a pinch. Just run a light coating of it on the edge of the shroud, then when you attach the backing plate manually rotate it a few times to spread it out and you're good. "

At this point in time here is what I can speculate. Since owning this machine, I have not taken the time to lubricate the backing plate.

I will go home and try this today.

I hope this resolves the issue for me too.

Forgive me if someone had already stated something like this, but I didn't catch anything to this nature in this thread..

happy detailing!!
 
Would the washer mode do the same thing as applying lubricant ??
 
I have done the washer mod which did not seem to make any difference at all.
I did a couple videos and it did not show me using the machine that would make me not get the proper result.
It definitely shows that if the tool is not exactly at zero percent from level it stops rotating. Im not going through all the crap to get the video on here
Im moving on the the Flex DA.
If you want a Rupes HD that has been used one time give me a shout.
 
don40vette said:
I have done the washer mod which did not seem to make any difference at all.
I did a couple videos and it did not show me using the machine that would make me not get the proper result.
It definitely shows that if the tool is not exactly at zero percent from level it stops rotating. Im not going through all the crap to get the video on here
Im moving on the the Flex DA.
If you want a Rupes HD that has been used one time give me a shout.
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Is it not under warranty?
You might get a Flex and the same thing could happen or worse, not run. S$$t happens.
 
don40vette said:
I have done the washer mod which did not seem to make any difference at all.
I did a couple videos and it did not show me using the machine that would make me not get the proper result.
It definitely shows that if the tool is not exactly at zero percent from level it stops rotating. Im not going through all the crap to get the video on here
Im moving on the the Flex DA.
If you want a Rupes HD that has been used one time give me a shout.
Click to expand...

Kinda like cutting your nose to spite your face. Its not rocket science. I familiarised myself rather easily with all my tools viz. Flex from walking on me, Rupes MKI & MKII from stalling easily, all from a single section of correcting. Most people who don't get the results they looking for from a long throw polisher, from my experience and observations were those lacking finesse, patience, precision and were generally more inclined to the caveman type of polishing technique. Its all in the wrist action....

I fine tune or adjust my technique in accordance to the tool I am using. Go with the 3401 if you unable to hone your skills, its a real easy tool to master, keep it flat and it won't walk on you.
 
Just to add my $0.02.

Even if you move from the Rupes to the Flex, you still need to make a conscious effort to keep your pad flat. Yeah the Flex 3401 is forced rotation and will not stall when you tilt the machine. But if you tilt the machine too much then your pad is not making full contact with the paint consequently reducing the effectiveness of your polishing. (Rotary is a different story - that I know you can tilt and still do work)

So IMO, switching to the forced rotation machine is not the solution. You need to practice in keeping your pad flat. As they say, practice makes perfect.
 
Where is the op located? Wondering if they're close by to any of us. If you're in Socal by chance if be willing to meet up and bring along my Rupes to compare and test out the issues at hand.
 
don40vette said:
I have done the washer mod which did not seem to make any difference at all.
I did a couple videos and it did not show me using the machine that would make me not get the proper result.
It definitely shows that if the tool is not exactly at zero percent from level it stops rotating. Im not going through all the crap to get the video on here
Im moving on the the Flex DA.
If you want a Rupes HD that has been used one time give me a shout.
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So if im reading your statement correctly the video you have shot shows the machine working correctly? I know it can be frustrating to get such a expensive piece of equipment and it not "work" like we thought. The pad staying flat is of massive importance no matter what da style polisher you are using. A flex with forced rotation will spin still but if you only have 25% of the pad making proper contact correction will be halted substantially. Polishing is a skill that is acquired through much practice. We all don't play golf like the pros but they play a ridiculous amount of golf everyday to keep their skills at the exceptional level. Just look at Tiger Woods he got injured missed playing and practice time and looked like total garbage compared to his normal. I think you just need more "seat" time with the machine. A cheap junk yard panel is a great thing to practice on who cares if you ruin the finish on it they are 50 bucks or less. I have seen many people including myself have the stalling issue but I have since dialed in my techniques and i now have no such issues.
 
Detailsbydaniel said:
So if im reading your statement correctly the video you have shot shows the machine working correctly? I know it can be frustrating to get such a expensive piece of equipment and it not "work" like we thought. The pad staying flat is of massive importance no matter what da style polisher you are using. A flex with forced rotation will spin still but if you only have 25% of the pad making proper contact correction will be halted substantially. Polishing is a skill that is acquired through much practice. We all don't play golf like the pros but they play a ridiculous amount of golf everyday to keep their skills at the exceptional level. Just look at Tiger Woods he got injured missed playing and practice time and looked like total garbage compared to his normal. I think you just need more "seat" time with the machine. A cheap junk yard panel is a great thing to practice on who cares if you ruin the finish on it they are 50 bucks or less. I have seen many people including myself have the stalling issue but I have since dialed in my techniques and i now have no such issues.
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The guy sounds like he knows what he is doing. If he can wet sand and buff out two black cars with a rotary, he must know what he's doing.
 
Just an update directed at the OP. Using my 21 MKII on an E Class Merc today, the car has some very aggressive curves on both horizontal and vertical panels. I kept this thread in mind while correcting so paid extra attention to pad stall and the MKII is powering like a champ through all curves. I've infact even resorted to trying to stall it and that proved to be difficult if the pads flat and the speeds above 4. My 15ES would have easily stalled on the aggressive curves so I'm certain the extra 30% power is doing its thing, no hype just real life tests and experience.
 
Rsurfer said:
The guy sounds like he knows what he is doing. If he can wet sand and buff out two black cars with a rotary, he must know what he's doing.
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I don't recall ever stating I use a rotary nor did I mention any of my work. I was just trying to get the op to realize every machine is different and he needs more practice. I don't know why this forum has to get smartass remarks to people just offering a different view or opinion. We're all to help eachother succeed and increase our skill level. We can all leave high school back where it belongs from now on hopefully.
 
don40vette said:
Come on guys, the right speed, right amount of polish, the right angle. If that is the case then Rupes should have all that information.
I have a Flex 14-PE2-150 rotary that I have used after wet sanding two black cars that turned out like mirrors.
I know, some will say go back to the rotary. It is fast and does a great job but it makes a mess.
I just have a hard time believing that if I get off one or two degrees of perfect center that the machine stops spinning
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Detailsbydaniel said:
I don't recall ever stating I use a rotary nor did I mention any of my work. I was just trying to get the op to realize every machine is different and he needs more practice. I don't know why this forum has to get smartass remarks to people just offering a different view or opinion. We're all to help eachother succeed and increase our skill level. We can all leave high school back where it belongs from now on hopefully.
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Are you the OP? Maybe you need to go back to high school and learn to comprehend.
 
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