I have a Porter Cable rotary. (Yes I believe I have decent working knowlege to use it). The max rpm is 1500 which I think is sufficent. I don't have the amp rating though. Assuming the above is okay:

I don't have any backing plates and I need pads. so I was thinking of using this. No backing plates needed and there's two pads vs one. I also could use some polishing liquids also.

Decent choice? Is this a good deal at about $100?

http://www.autogeek.net/foam-polishing-kit.html

 

I use edge 2k pads, and they are decent with a PC RO. I hear they are some of the best pads for rotaries though. You need to get the right adapter for your rotary. I you want to buy by pads with only a few uses, I can sell them to you for a great price, I'm thinking of going back to normal pads with backing plates

 

Yeah, when you price the pads themselves, it's more expensive. why the switch?

 

The edge2k pads don't work as well the the random orbital because they are too heavy. You can't apply as much pressure as with normal pads without bogging the PC and stopping the spinning action. The bearings on the adapter fail quite often as well when used with a random orbital as it doesn't like the vibration. However, since you are going to be using it on a rotary, none of these issues are a concern for you. People on autopia rave about these pads for the rotary for the ease of use. I've got 1 each of the orange, green, and white pads, and 2 blue pads as well as brand new bottles of Optimumum: Hyper compound, Compound, Polish, and Poliseal in 32oz sizes, which are ~$20 each new. The company I ordered from messed up my order and I got 2 of all the optimum products. I can sell you the bundle with all the pads and polishes for $100. You can see if the adapter fits your PC also, and if it does, I'll throw it in for an extra $10. Let me know if you are interested

 

Let me check and see what size my porter cable is. From Optinum's site, the speed they want to use their products at is about 1500 rpm.

 

1000-1400 rpm is the recommended range

 

You're in the U district? I'm southcenter/bellevue.

 

Yep, in the U district, we can meet up somewhere inbetween or something.

 

Forgot to ask, how much have the pads been used? I still haven't checked my rotary out yet. I assume the adaptor needs a 5/8" connection.

 

The white pad hasn't been used ever, and the other pads have been used for 2 details. There is no staining, and they look brand new as far as I can tell.

 

Thanks Hai for the stuff and the deal. I don't have the adaptor yet but I tried some of the Optimum on my dad's avalon. But I had to use the wool pad I had.

What stuff have you used on the G? Just the polish and seal?

 

I've used the Optimum, compound, polish, and poli-seal on the G using the PC. OHC is a little too aggressive to use by PC, but with a rotary its supposed to finish down very nicely, and followed by OP, should be LSP ready. Poliseal makes for a great all in one with a slight polishing ability which leaves behind some protection.

 

What pads did you use w/ what? If a certain combo doesn't remove what I want, do I go to a more agressive pad or polish 1st?

 

With a rotary, that is something I can't answer. I usually step up to a more aggressive compound with the same pad if I'm not getting results. I start with OP/blue, and if that doesn't work, I go to either OP/green or OC/blue. It really comes down to experience though. The optimum polishes have a long work time to fully break down, and they are also more pad dependant that other polishes. Just go slow when you first start, and find out what works best for you. Autopia.org will have alot of good info for rotary polishing, I'm not super familiar with the topic

 

Finally was able to get the edge adaptor for the rotary. I practiced on my dad's avalon. It was trashed so......

I used a wool pad and some of the optimum compounds. Did a good job but left swirls. So that's what I was left with until I got my adaptor.

I tried the green and orange pads w/ the optimum polish. Both left swirls. I had to go to the blue and the opti-seal to get rid of the swirls. Surprising that I had to go to that fine of a combo to get rid of it. It's okay though as the opti-seal lays down a sealant at the same time.

The pads worked very well though. No slow down as I've read w/ a DA unit. The foam is tons easier to use vs wool btw. Much safter too.

I think the rotary must be a bit harsher thus needing a really fine combo vs DA. The foam + rotary = really fast working of the polish/compound.

Thanks again Hai for the stuff. It's good that I have 2 blue edge pads. It might be the harshest one I'll need. I'll report again when I do the G and the wife's RX300. Both don't need much. On the G, I'll try blue + opti-seal. Then blue+opti polish. Then orange + seal or polish. (in that order if the 1st,2nd.... combos don't work)