I had a Harbor freight random orbit polisher that I used to apply final polish after buffing, I need something to replace it and was wanting to ask you guys opinion before I buy one. Do you prefer orbital or random orbit for polishing, and what machine do you recommend?
Finish polisher
- Thread starter JC Daniel
- Start date
jcclark
Oldtimer
I recommend a Porter Cable random orbit sander/ polisher.
It can be 5" or 6".
I have used one for almost 20 yrs now, for fine sanding,
I do all my clear coat dry sanding with it before buffing.
I don't usually use it for polishing, my buffer is enough but
I'm sure it would work good for that too.
It's been a great durable tool.
www.acmetools.com
It can be 5" or 6".
I have used one for almost 20 yrs now, for fine sanding,
I do all my clear coat dry sanding with it before buffing.
I don't usually use it for polishing, my buffer is enough but
I'm sure it would work good for that too.
It's been a great durable tool.
Porter Cable 6in Random Orbit Sander With Polishing Pad
Porter Cable 6in Random Orbit Sander With Polishing Pad - 7346SP from Porter Cable
www.acmetools.com
'68 Coronet R/T
Oldtimer
I also have a Porter Cable random orbit sander. It can be used in non-orbit mode as well and has lasted me over a decade.
Like above, I use it mainly for sanding.
I use a DeWalt variable speed rotary 7' buffer for polishing. It has a two types of handles and the variable speed trigger lets you start slow so you don't sling compound all over the shop.
Like above, I use it mainly for sanding.
I use a DeWalt variable speed rotary 7' buffer for polishing. It has a two types of handles and the variable speed trigger lets you start slow so you don't sling compound all over the shop.
Hi there,
what do you polish with?..
crashtech
Combo Man & Mod
A Dewalt a lot like '68 uses, pictured above. I guess I should have something fancier, but it works and it has been durable.
Chris_Hamilton
Trying to be the best me, I can be
Dewalt DWP849X. Comes with a silly handle for your other hand. I took that off and just balance my other hand on the head of the tool. Fairly light weight, relatively affordable. There are nicer, lighter,ones out there but they cost quite a bit more. Cut my teeth with a Milwaukee rotary, it was a heavy beast. Everything else after that feels lightweight to me.
I have the same Dewalt and another knock off that I use to buff, I used a yellow wool final finish on the Dewalt yesterday and it turned out very nice. I was always told that I should use random orbit to polish because it leaves no halos? What are you guys using and what results do you get.
jcclark
Oldtimer
The "2 handed" type of RO sanders are much more aggressive than the palm sanders.
I use the electric palm sanders for my woodworking, much more of a finish sander.
The right angle Porter Cable I showed is electric and probably the most aggressive
type of RO sander for an electric one. and less aggressive than a air palm sander.
I like the electric for clearcoat sanding because it works real good at slow RPM's
and doesn't run my compressor.
jcclark
Oldtimer
That is not a random orbital, it's a DA.
Chris_Hamilton
Trying to be the best me, I can be
The pad and compound you use determine whether or not you get halo swirls. I use a rotary for all steps. Had this issue on Friday. Was going to deliver a car to my Customer. I pulled it outside and saw the halo type swirls. Looked great inside but outside had those halos. So I pulled it back in and used some 3M Ultrafina and the correct 3M Ultrafina pad. Took a little over an hour to go over the whole car. After cleanup pulled it back out and the halos were gone. It's good stuff.
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'68 Coronet R/T
Oldtimer
Yes, you are correct.
crashtech
Combo Man & Mod
"Dual Action" was a trademark of National Detroit Tool, one of the first in the US to market an air powered random orbital sander. Their original tool was known as the "DAQ" and was the standard against which knock-offs were measured. Whether the name implied the fact that spinning motion combined with orbital motion comprised the "dual action," or whether the eccentric with a tang that turned the tool into a grinder was the second action in "dual action" might just be lost to history. Most of this is pre-Internet. Personally, at this date, I find DA, dual action, and random orbital to be distinctions without any meaningful difference, other than the fact that many of the old 2-handed tools had a "grind mode" described above which was limited in its usefulness, as far as I remember.
I would like to have something lighter than my Dewalt to use but not one that has so much vibration, I found that the Harbor Freight one I had was terrible for vibration. I have looked at Makita and see they have smaller ones, I bet they would not vibrate like the cheaper ones.
jcclark
Oldtimer
A DA and a Random Orbital are quite different.
Problem is, people use the designations interchangeably.
A DA spins real fast and off-sets a little, the specs shows RPM's, not orbits.
which make it more aggressive, it rotates real fast,
it doesn't orbit it has a off set, it's dual action.
A random orbital hardly spins (or rotates) at all, but it orbits (vibrates)
real fast, the specs shows orbits (not RPM's) which are thousands per minutes.
Read the specs and you'll see the difference.
A true random orbit is really a vibrator mostly used for wood working.
They are known to vibrate your hand numb after a while.
Problem is, people use the designations interchangeably.
A DA spins real fast and off-sets a little, the specs shows RPM's, not orbits.
which make it more aggressive, it rotates real fast,
it doesn't orbit it has a off set, it's dual action.
A random orbital hardly spins (or rotates) at all, but it orbits (vibrates)
real fast, the specs shows orbits (not RPM's) which are thousands per minutes.
Read the specs and you'll see the difference.
A true random orbit is really a vibrator mostly used for wood working.
They are known to vibrate your hand numb after a while.
'68 Coronet R/T
Oldtimer
The Porter Cable DA has a knob to adjust the speed (RPM) and I find it necessary to slow it way down when sanding clear so as not to get pig tails. It does not just spin (rotate), as the drive pin is off center and travels in what looks like a random manner unless you push the slide mechanism into a hole which centers the drive pin and turns it into a grinder.
The grinder action requires a lot of air (CFM) to function properly and wouldn't work on my old compressor. It works on my large compressor now but I rarely need it since I have an electric 4" grinder.