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Random Quote: Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.
what type of buffer is best for the 3M compounding, finishing, waxing of oxadation and detailing of a boat? home depot , lowes or some marine store? Help Please....
I just finished my "below the rub rail" area. I used a buffer that looks like an angle grinder. I notice all the guys on the yard crew are using this style too: http://www.dewalt.com/us/products/to...?productID=173. You unscrew the rubber pad and put one of the 3M hook and loop adapters on it. Then use these em 5711 pads: http://www.tptools.com/p/2514,150_3M...lish-Pads.html. (no affiliation with 3m here...they just seem to dominate this space). I used one pad for compounding, and one for removing/buffing the wax.
My shoulders are killing me. I am now working on the topsides, and I'm definately sick of this job.
If you only do a boat or two a year go buy a 7" piece of sheeee-it buffer from Harbor Freight. They also sell a loop and hook wool pad for around 5 bucks instead of $25 or so for a 3M. At 5 bucks a shot you can change pads every 10 minutes if you want. I have not worn out the fist pad yet. Mine has done my 35Bertram twice, my Hummer about 5 times, wife's Jeep twice, plus some of my buddies have borrowed it for who knows what. It is a POS for about $30 dollars that just keeps on running. Hell it even has variable speeds. From nothing to way too fast. I hate the china sheeee-it; but sometimes you just can't resist. I also have tried to kill one of their 4 and 1/2 grinders. I have not even had to replace the brushes. They give you a spare set on almost everything. I keep asking the help at Harbor Freight if they have a 12 step program for those who just can't resist.
If you only do a boat or two a year go buy a 7" piece of sheeee-it buffer from Harbor Freight. They also sell a loop and hook wool pad for around 5 bucks instead of $25 or so for a 3M. At 5 bucks a shot you can change pads every 10 minutes if you want. I have not worn out the fist pad yet. Mine has done my 35Bertram twice, my Hummer about 5 times, wife's Jeep twice, plus some of my buddies have borrowed it for who knows what. It is a POS for about $30 dollars that just keeps on running. Hell it even has variable speeds. From nothing to way too fast. I hate the china sheeee-it; but sometimes you just can't resist. I also have tried to kill one of their 4 and 1/2 grinders. I have not even had to replace the brushes. They give you a spare set on almost everything. I keep asking the help at Harbor Freight if they have a 12 step program for those who just can't resist.
I have the harbor freight shiiiiieeeeiiiittt and it works perfect... I think I got it on sale for $20... thereal brand is chicago.
I too have been bitten by the harbor freight. Heat gun for like $12, and a needle gun (have to repaint one of my risers). Oh yeah, and a utility trailer that I paid $250 for 5 years ago, I feel like I owe that thing money I've used it so many times.
I have purchased the cheap 10 inch buffer from Walmart and the top of the line Porter Cable buffer. The one I use most???? The cheap Walmart buffer. It does a much better job at applying the wax then the Porter Cable. I use a terry towel to wipe off the haze. Every now and then I'll use the Porter Cable to actually buff the waxed areas. By and large, the cheap Walmart buffer does a better job for me.
My biggest problem when I use an electric buffer to apply the wax is that I just don't know when to stop. There's got to be a point at which the law of diminishing returns kicks in. I'm sure I waste a lot of time by buffing too much when applying the wax.
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Spring Fever - 2007 Regulator 26FS
70 West Marina
Wilson / Atlantic Beach, NC
As far as your original question most buffer/polishers turn about 2000 to 2500 rpm. Some are variable speed or two speed
machines. I use the orbital polishers too, depends on the severity of the job at hand and the likelyhood of damage.
Getting the correct pads and materials will cost more than the buffers do.
Do not use a grinder in the place of a polisher their way to fast and will burn the finish.
I have a PC 7424 random orbital buffer. It is nice for applying wax and light polishing. It is not even close to powerful enough for serious compounding. For that you need a variable speed orbital buffer. Makita is an excellent one. The Harbor Freight Chicago brand is adequate, and the price can't be beat. I have one of those too.
Use a rotary buffer and use at speeds 1500 rpm and below. The professional buffers go to 3000 rpm and if you use that speed you can easily burn your gelcoat. 3M products are a little more expensive but worth it.
Hey look 3M makes nice stuff. I have one of their double sided wool pads on one of my expensive buffers that I no longer use. The pad was $28 dollars and is no better then the $5 dollar pad from Harbor freight. It does have two side so to be fair it cost $19 dollars a side. It ain't worth almost 4X the cheap piece of Harbor Freight sheeeeee---it. My biggest fear is china is going to rule the world markets with their cheap sheeee-it. I remember many years ago, while I was living in Texas, my son brings home a gun called an SKS. Now I like my guns and had many high end hunting guns. I took one look at that cheap piece of sheeeee-it and pronounced this is the biggest pile of crap I have ever seen. We took it to the range and I was shocked. Open sights and 3 inch groups at 100 yards. Next over to the 300 meter range when the guys were firing thier M16/AR15's all with scopes. I stepped up and hit the steel on my first shot. I continued to put rounds down range with great success. The M16 guys $hit their pants at that accurate pile of crap. Then a guy comes over and takes a look. He says man that things sounds lots louder then I remember. I said a guess today you are standing much closer to the gun. He served in Vietnam. That SKS is a stamped pile of crap with a chrome lined barrel good for around 100,000 rounds, you can break it down with a bullet, swap parts from other guns and never have a hang fire. Oh I think my son paid $99 dollars. Now living in the police state called New Jersey I had to give up my guns. At least my son enjoys them now.
buffer speed 
