Detailers>>orbital vs rotary

I've got three different polishers.

My Porter Cable polisher/sander is a 6" dual action polisher that I use with a wool bonnet to polish my pontoon boat toons. You can also get a 6 or 7" foam pads used to apply polishes and apply waxes. It's easy to use, and will not do damage to your finishes if you're using the right polishes and foam applicators.

My high speed rotary polisher is what professionals use to apply polishes. It too uses different foam applicators. It's like holding onto a bucking bronco, and it's not difficult to burn through a finish--especially at corners and cracks. It will literally liquefy a finish if used properly--and it puts out the best finish. That said, I'm not a professional, experienced polisher.

My orbital polisher is used to remove the polish after using the above polishers or applying car wax by hand. It uses a 9" terry cloth applicator. It is something anyone can use.

Each has its special use. I use the Porter Cable the most.

Gdlow wrote:
I just had mine done by a professional group...they used both...a straight drive (?) to cut the oxidation and the orbital type to polish...

That pretty much is what I have been reading everywhere. Thank you.

Seems the Gel Coat that is on the RV should be able to be sparkly. Will be testing a 3M product this weekend since it finally suppose to be under 100 here wooowhoo!!!

Thanks again.

I just had mine done by a professional group...they used both...a straight drive (?) to cut the oxidation and the orbital type to polish...

What product are you using to remove the oxidation? Unless you've had the 5th painted, you don't have a clear coat like a car.

I would use an oxidizer remover and follow with a marine wax, using an orbital buffer. If you have scratches you're trying to remove, then you will need a rubbing or polishing compound. The Porter-Cable is a standard for that type of buffer.

Check out the autogeek site,there is alot of information there on detailing.
The porter cable orbital is very good and it can cut some oxidation with the right pads.
The orbital polishers are better to use for the inexperienced operator,there is less chance of damaging the finish.
If you have never used a rotary buffer before,I would not even think about using one without alot of practice.They cut fast and you will induce alot of swirls into your finish.

When I worked in my dad's bodyshop we were still using mostly lacquers so everything had to be polished out before the paint job was done. We had both polishers and buffers, they were two different machines that looked the same but different amounts of power and running speeds. The polishers were strong enough to double as sanders, with a disk rather than a pad.

Both were rotary, but we were starting to work with small air-drive orbital buffers, for buffing out paste wax jobs and for some very light sanding. These had two advantages: lighter weight than the electrical polishers, and a low skill person could use them without doing too much damage to the finish.

A big professional grade rotary polisher, with the right compound (more important than the choice of wheel) can eventually cut through anything. If you don't know what you are doing, you can get through the whole finish in spots faster than you can notice. When we brought in guys off the street to apprentice, we started them on sanding, polishing and buffing. It would take about a year to master the polishing wheel.

Whether or not you get swirl marks depends more on how you use it than which device you use. Orbitals are safer for low skill levels. Less power, and less weight, are better for low skill levels. This is why consumer grade buffers and polishers are usually light, low powered, and orbital. They can do the same job as professional polishing wheels, but the job will take a lot longer. Getting into trouble also comes more slowly.

The best work is done by hand, but often that takes more experience than a low power orbital wheel. In our work, everything (sanding, polishing, buffing) has to be finished by hand anyway, because a wheel doesn't reach everywhere and there are things you just don't want to get close to, particularly with the fragile finishes on plastic trim pieces used today.

I use orbital and change the pad every few minutes. Though my favorite is by hand for sure.

newman fulltimer wrote:
the orbital is clutched so any rough it stops spinning and a polisher is staight drive so no slowdown but if not careful can burn the wax

That's a good description.
FWIW, if you aren't used to using one of these then go for the orbital. It will do the job (though not as fast as a direct drive and a pro) but wont hurt anything. Just don't apply too much pressure or lean on it. Go back and forth and then do the same up and down. Go slow progressing about an inch a second.
There are some great how-to videos on Youtube.

I'm not so sure that 5th wheels, or any RV, have a clear coat. I could be wrong. My feeling is that, as with any fiberglass application, the surface layer is a gelcoat. And with oxidation on a gelcoat, there isn't much one can do. I'm calling on my experience with boats.

the orbital is clutched so any rough it stops spinning and a polisher is staight drive so no slowdown but if not careful can burn the wax