I was wrong! Rotary polishers are AWESOME!!

[Don]

Many moons ago, I bought a cheap Harbor Freight rotary because, well, I wanted a rotary. No real experience using one, and over all that time, I used it ONCE a year ago when my black Camaro had SEVERE fallout damage on the top surfaces. Even then, All I knew was high speed, tilt the polisher, etc - All the WRONG ways to use it.

A few days ago, I was cruising YouTube and came across a few videos by DIY Detailing (Ivan Lecroix) about how to FINISH polish and one-step using a rotary, WITHOUT creating swirls and holograms. The very first thing he said turned my thoughts about rotary polishing in it`s ear ... LOW speed, as in setting 1 (and even lower would be nice). Then preferably use a waffle pad and keep the pad FLAT.

I watched several of his "How to Properly Polish With a Rotary" videos, so I thought I would give it a try on my blue Camaro, I hadn`t done an actual correction on it yet and there were a bunch of swirls and light scratches on the top surfaces, Went out and got a couple of waffle pads, broke out the One & Done Compound and set off.

I tried taking a short video, or picks, but the 50/50 didn`t show up on camera, but ALL but the deepest scratches are gone, and it was so fast and easy as I followed his instructions. Now I`m kicking myself for not learning this a long time ago - it would have saved me A LOT of time and aggravation.

[bad penny]

It didn`t take me long to figure out the "da is better than rotary" fib.

[65chevy]

My Father used a Rotary polisher back in the day only

[Don]

My Father used a Rotary polisher back in the day only

I`m actually thinking of putting my DA into semi-retirement

[Lonnie]

Don:
There is a reason professional auto body shops and restoration shops use rotary polishers: time is money.
Watch any Motor Trend auto restoration or customizing shop program and you will see a rotary polishers being used.
Your use and "practice" with a rotary is well worth the effort and the results show on your Camaro, even if it can only be seen by you.
Next you will be adding a mini-rotary polisher, like Griots Garage R3, to your detailing power tool collection. Maybe a side job on someone else`s vehicle can help offset the investment or at least allow some financial assistance for "asking" for permission from your "other" home finance partner. (Well, I do, sometimes. No, I do not live by the adage, "It is easier to ask for forgiveness than it is permission." Yes, I wish to stay married!)

[Setec Astronomy]

Lonnie, it`s funny, when I joined here 20 years ago, the only game in town was a PC or a rotary, and everyone was afraid of the rotary. Of course we had a lot of members who were pro or pro-level detailers, and one of them gave the advice of a smaller diameter, soft pad, and slow speeds, which is pretty much what Don is saying he gleaned from Yvan`s video.

(a smaller diameter pad, has a smaller circumference, which equates to a lower surface speed for the same RPM, which creates less heat and less chance of burning the paint)