I was on the verge of breaking down and getting a PC and foam pads to polish my 8yr. old paint job when I stumbled across this in one of my dad's tool totes. It works perfect and is only missing the retaining nut (which shouldn't be to hard to find)..

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...seBVCookie=Yes

I looked it up and actually found that craftsman still makes it and it is indeed a dual speed orbital sander/polisher

Can I just buy the foam pads now and get to work? I have Meguiar's #83, #80, and #26 on the shelf

 

Hey I don't see why not. I only just learned after having a PC for over a year that it was made as a wood sander and still is not marketed as an automotive polisher other than auto care suppliers. So it seems like you'll have the same safety of an orbital buffer with that machine there - why not. But you say it's only got two speeds? I guess I'd be thinking will it be spinning too fast and over-do it or spin too slow and not get anything done.

 

Being an orbital polisher, it makes it difficult to burn a hole through your paint... Sounds more than adequate for the job... Shame about the two speeds thing instead of being able to fine tune it. I say try it.

What are you going to do with the no. 83 and 80? Orange pad and white pad combo? #26 is a fantastic wax (I don't think it lasts long, however), but I've been wondering about an 83/80 combo to remove swirls on my car.

 

if it is a dual action orbital, it would probably do the job fine, just get yourself some good pads and a backing plate, if you don't have one... .. if it is a rotary, then you need some experience before using it.

as for the #83, 80 and 26 .

#26 is a great wax .. very easy to use, and provides stellar results.

#83 is a dual action cleaner polish that is a borderline rotary only product .. you really need to know how to use a PC to get the most out of #83 .. there is even talk amoung the Meguiar's staff about changing their recommendation to rotary only use for #83 .. it is very hard to get the diminishing abrasives to completely break down with a PC.



#80 is one of my favorite products for the PC ..

take a look at this thread to see what it can do ..

https://ls1tech.com/forums/appearance-detailing/596012-today-s-detail-6-hours-56k-stay-away.html



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Wow, looks nice! Lemme ask...

You were on a tight schedule for that car, obviously...

If I were to take more time with it, could I pair the no. 80 with an orange pad for some cutting power to remove swirls? Would it work? If I did, what could I use to follow up as a final polish with a white pad, no. 9 maybe?

Thanks for allowing the mini-hijack, thread poster.

 

I have a foot pedal control from my mom's old sewing machine I could always use to slow it down

Where can I buy the appropriate pads and backing plate for a good price? I don't want anything top-of-the line since I don't do this for a living. Also, for the compounds I have, what color pad is best matched for them?

 

I imagine the no. 83 would best be paired with an orange pad.

I'd apply the no. 26 by hand though you could use a blue/black/grey pad if you wanted to.

 

I'm going to have to go with a NO on this one.

For one....it doesn't look like it's a dual action (I might be wrong on this one).

Even if it is....it's 1400-1600 RPM. Porter Cable is 1000-6000 RPM (and I use 3000-6000 RPM depending on situation with it).

Plus the FOAM PADS actually do work with the PC. It's not just the compound and the machine....the material on the pads is a critical component of making the job come out right.

It may be less than $100 difference between that and a PC....put ask yourself how much a repaint or jacked up paint will cost????

I have used the PC for quite a while now...and have many local friends that have now bought it for their cars. Just break down and get it.....you won't be sorry!!!