Thread: new to rotary buffing

hi all i have a a4 p reg in silver so paint is pretty old, no rust just a few light scratches nothing to deep, the wife has got me a high speed rotary buffer for xmas not to sure what make all i know is its got 6 speed settings and cost £169 from some website,was just wondering what is the best polish to use for getting rid of scratches and to give it a great shine, ive tried g3 compound on a mates car and thought that was ok but also heard good stuff about dodo juice and believe it or not mer for a good shine,thanks for any input guys, roll on xmas lol

Hi mate, well first off id like to say be carefull when it comes to the rotary, if in the wrong hands it can burn through your paint in a flash so needs to be handled correctly. there is a technique you will need also to get the right finish on the car.

G3 is a no no mate, best compounds to use are 3M, Menzerna. you also need to correct pads, correct backing plate and above all the correct prep work on the paint before you even hit it with a rotary mate, if your just after a shine on your car and not bothered about correcting the paint then you should have got a DA which is a lot lot more novice friendly(im assuming your a novice mate due to the products you have used in the past and not sure on your background of machine work) and the DA will be easier to use also but seeing as you have a rotary then you can try and use it and see how you get on. if you need any more in depth info mate then drop me a PM and i can go through it in more detail for you.

hers some links on the best compounds
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing/polish/menzerna-1-litre/cat_25.html]Menzerna Polish - 1 litre - Clean Your Car[/URL]

thanks for quick reply mate,ive used a da a couple of times and got ok results i know all about the burning of the laquer and swirling on the paint work and ive got my mums micra to practice on before i even go near my audi lol.not really to worried about the correction just would like the car to get its shine back, i know the buffer comes with a selection of pads and other things so hopefully will have enough things to get me going whats so bad about the g3 compound does it damage paintwork ect? also what kind of backing plate and pads would you reccomend? thanks alot again for your quick reply i really appriciate your time

As above, I urge you to be very, very careful with the rotary; as said, it can take seconds to burn paint (I've seen the results and on test panels, the rate of removal, if you're not careful, can be very high).

I recommend you follow our guides: What Does Polishing Do? | Car Care Advice | Polished Bliss and also this guide will offer some advice as to which polish and pad to use: What Polish Should I Use? | Car Care Advice | Polished Bliss

On an Audi I'd recommend you try 106FA (finishing polish which is ideal of Audi paint) Menzerna Super Finish (106FA) | Menzerna Car Care & Detailing Products and a soft pad: Lake Country 140 mm Rotary H-T Pads | Lake Country Car Care & Detailing Products - Crimson just to get a feel for the machine without using anything too aggressive.

This combination will yield some good results - not perfection, but you'll see a meaningful improvement.

thanks alot john will give all the above ago will read the guides and go from there will post some before and after pics when i get aroung to doing it she wont even let me open it till xmas day lol

With that polish and pad, and working carefully, you should be ok.

Do take your time, just set aside a small area to work on (ideally, get a scrap panel) and think about exactly what you're doing before you start and as you go.

Use the back of your hand to test the temperature of the panel too.

Originally Posted by John @ PB

As above, I urge you to be very, very careful with the rotary; as said, it can take seconds to burn paint (I've seen the results and on test panels, the rate of removal, if you're not careful, can be very high).

I recommend you follow our guides: What Does Polishing Do? | Car Care Advice | Polished Bliss and also this guide will offer some advice as to which polish and pad to use: What Polish Should I Use? | Car Care Advice | Polished Bliss

On an Audi I'd recommend you try 106FA (finishing polish which is ideal of Audi paint) Menzerna Super Finish (106FA) | Menzerna Car Care & Detailing Products and a soft pad: Lake Country 140 mm Rotary H-T Pads | Lake Country Car Care & Detailing Products - Crimson just to get a feel for the machine without using anything too aggressive.

This combination will yield some good results - not perfection, but you'll see a meaningful improvement.

+1 that mate, if you read john's guide you should be on your way mate, like john said though a scrap panel is ideal for first time rotary users and it can be fatal to paint if used wrong.