Community Forums

smlranger · 11-23-2005, 05:14 PM

DW wants me to give her ideas for Christmas presents...so..saw a nice orbital polisher at Sears. While I can see using it without a lot of effort on a car, was wondering how fatiguing it is to use one on a MH...primarily because the surface is vertical.

Is the juice worth the squeeze?

smlranger · 11-23-2005, 05:14 PM

DW wants me to give her ideas for Christmas presents...so..saw a nice orbital polisher at Sears. While I can see using it without a lot of effort on a car, was wondering how fatiguing it is to use one on a MH...primarily because the surface is vertical.

Is the juice worth the squeeze?

Fred and Bonnie · 11-23-2005, 05:25 PM

smlranger, I just picked-up a 10" buffer at Sears, however I prefer to use the hand method for application and micro fiber towels to remove the wax. I use the buffer for a final polishing with a micro fiber bonnet. Probably not the easiest on the body parts, but the results are great.

Fred

Tenn.Vol. · 11-23-2005, 05:46 PM

Let me see, 15+ yrs. ago I bought one of those orbital polishers.
It was powered by AC and had the dual handles. It worked good and
the only thing I could find wrong with it was you need two. Because
changing the polishing pad to the buffing pad was time comsuming.

But I did talk my DW into buffing while I did the application!
We did the entire MH in short order, dragging the AC cord and up
and down the latter, the WHOLE thing. Have not used it again.
But it will put it on faster then she can take it off, NU-FINISH
that is. And works good on the large flat surfaces, of an RV!
Maybe Santa will bring me another one for Chrsitmas? TENN.VOL.

Cruzer · 11-23-2005, 06:24 PM

I saw a nice system on the Meguiars website. I use there polishes, waxes, and other items and have had great success. But, it was pretty pricey. I found out that it was made by Porter-Cable so I checked around and found one on the web and bought it. It uses a velcro backing pad so it's easy to remove the polishing pad and slap on a waxing pad. It has variable speed and it's very easy to use with one hand if you need to reach while on a step ladder. It is real professional quality and works fast. I used to do my autos by hand but this is a real time saver on a 40' coach. Being a professional tool, you won't be in the Sears price range any more though. I don't remember exactly what I paid for it but it was well over $100. Still, if you like quality stuff, it's the last one you'll ever have to buy. Chances are your kids will will it to their kids long after you're pushing up daisies.

ohiorvers · 11-24-2005, 01:16 AM

As someone else said, once you get one buffer, you will want two, one to apply polish, one to buff. I have both a 10" and a 6" buffer. If I had it to do over again, I would stick with the 6 inch size. The larger one is heavy to hold over your head.

Radarr · 11-24-2005, 01:54 AM

Here's what I use and it works well without killing your arms. Go to WalMart Automotive dept, the lower shelf in the polish area, a 6" hand buffer for $15, get some extra pads, a light weight 50 ft extension cord, some mircro fiber towels and your all set. I won't recommend a cleaner and a wax, because everyone has their own preferences. I've been through them all and I haven't found the perfect one yet.

The first thing you have to do, is clean the surface really well, remove the old wax, polish out any scratches, mirror the finish and then apply a good top coat wether that be a wax, which needs to be applied often, or a urathane polimer that will last at least 8 months to a year. This method with 2000 urathane works well for me.
Next, if you have aluminum wheels, remove the nut caps, the cleaned wheels real well even using a degreaser. Then get a good aluminum wheel polishing kit( as shown in FMCA Mag), take your time and polish each wheel to a new mirror shine, then more importantly, use the same urathane finish on the wheels.

If you don't wax or urathane finish on the wheels and you leave them only polished, they turn yellow and start to dull real quick. When I use the urathane finish on the wheels, they are easier to keep clean.

radarr

smlranger · 11-24-2005, 02:47 AM

Radarr:

I use the Mother's Powerball on the wheels, along with Magic Mix polish system....it works great.

What urethane polish are you using? Sounds like you use the polisher to apply the polish and buff by hand.

John_Canfield · 11-24-2005, 03:17 AM

Hi Gary,

I'll bet almost every man (and maybe a few ladies) has a long-ago figured out wash/wax protocol.

What I liked doing for the wax part of the car care thing was using a 5" Bosch orbital sander/whatever with a hook and loop foam pad to apply the wax. It was easily operated with one hand and small enough to get into corners and follow curves. Applying the wax was the hard part for me; buffing it was always easier.

When I had my Corvette I tried all kinds of expensive wax and prep products; what I always come back to and have used over the years is NuFinish.

I suppose I need to start thinking about waxing our coach

Maybe if DW asks what I want for Christmas I can tell her a waxed coach.

JnGOnTheGo · 11-24-2005, 04:22 AM

I have two 6 inch Porter Cable polishers, one for applying and one for removing. I also have learned when applying and removing the wax the key is to change your pads often. I have a dozen terry cloth pads (they are the reversible ones so really I have 2 dozen sides to use). I only use one side of the pad for about a 2 or 3 foot square area and then I reverse the pad or get a clean pad. If you don't change the pad often then all you are doing is swirling around dirty wax.

Radarr · 11-24-2005, 03:13 PM

slmranger,

I use the Aluminum wheel polishing kit that is offered in FMCA Magazine. It comes with a varity of polishing wheels that will attach to a power drill. I use my cordless drill with variable speed. Get the surface shinie to a mirror reflection, hand wipe off the black residue, and then hand apply (I think Trutle Wax 2000 Urathane), let dry and wipe with a mirical cloth.

I would really like to take the wheels off to do the job. I have done a lot of metal polishing in my life, I like perfection, but I don't like killing my back handling those tire and wheel assemblies. Besides, I don't have tools big enough to break the nuts loose. Yea, I know, but thats another story.

Radarr

ichn2go · 11-24-2005, 11:38 PM

I too, use wash and wax. West Marine or Boaters World sells an adapter and pad for a drill motor that I use on the boat and ocassionally on the MOHO. Its cheap and works for me. The orbital seemed clumsy and took too long to get the job done..Good Miles

Radarr · 11-25-2005, 12:11 AM

Yea, I have one of those 11" orbutial polishers also, it requires both hands and wrapping an extension cord around my neck to use it. It's ok for an auto, but doing high walls on a coach from a ladder-no way, I need at least one hand just to stay on the ladder.

How, the little hand polisher that I refered to that is available at WM, it works quite well and it's a one hand operation, leaving the other hand to hold on to the ladder.

radarr

DriVer · 11-25-2005, 03:58 AM

Could someone please give us a detailed explaination about using an orbital polisher, the technique, how much wax to use, and how to buff out the finish.

I know one thing polishing a 40 foot box by hand takes a long time and the results are mixed given the effort involved.