A bit about buffing machines and random stuff
There are three types of buffing machines used to polish clear coat.
The first is a rotary buffer. It does exactly what it's called and rotates like a drill. Most rotary machines have a 6 inch head. There are a few three inch buffers, that are used mostly for car detailing. Rotary machines are what the pros use to bring back the finish after the surface has been sanded. The problem we have with rotary machines is they can be very unforgiving. If you leave it in one spot too long, there is a high likelihood of cutting through the clear called "burning". They can also be deadly on any edges and will take off the clear all the way to the base coat quickly. The other problem we have, is a rotary machine can be very hard to physically control. Now the car guys don't have this issue. They are working on an object (car) that isn't going anywhere. They can hold onto their buffer with both hands and lay into the surface. If we were to try that on a little bitty stab I can assure you the very second you touch it with the buffer, it's going to go flying across the room. Rotary machines are used to remove deap scratches and sanding marks.
The second type is called an "oscillating" machine. An oscillating machines head does not rotate, rather it vibrates in little small circles. Oscillating machines are very safe to use, but are of little use in removing scratches and sanding marks.There primary use is for applying polishes.
The third type is called in the industry a "DA", which stands for "dual action". Dual action machines rotate as well as oscillate so they are a high-bred of a rotary and an oscillating buffer. DA machines are safe to use, but have limited capability to remove sanding marks, but are likely the best for our use. Pros use them to remove minor scratches and to apply glazes and polishes. The Griot's buffer I use is a DA machine. The way they work is if you just turn the unit on without touching the surface, the head will spin, but as you press it against our surface the rotation slows and becomes more of an oscillating buffer. In fact if you add too much pressure to the surface the head will stop rotating completely. The positive to these types of buffers is they are safe to use and easy to handle. With the 3 inch machine I use, I can hold the wing or stab with one hand and the buffer with the other so I can stay in control.
http://www.autogeek.net/griots-3inch...FQ2VfgodO3wHuw
What I do to remove the 2,000 grit sand paper scratches is to hold the head lightly on the surface so the machine acts more like a rotary buffer. The downside is you can't apply heavy pressure or the head will stop rotating, making it difficult to remove all of the sand paper scratches. As I start to work the surface, I now apply more pressure so the head rotates less, but oscillates more for fine polishing. So you see it is a compromise. We really need a rotary buffer to remove sanding scratches, but are hard to control and the oscillating units work great for detail work.
There is also an issue about heat that a lot of guys don't understand in buffing. You see, most heavy duty cutting compounds need heat to work properly. This is where the car guys have an advantage. They will use a big 6 inch rotary buffer with a wool bonnet that can generate a lot of heat. These type of compounds break down as they heat and help remove deep scratches. We don't have the luxury of using a buffer that can generate heat so we are limited in the amount of sanding scratches we can remove. This is one reason I have had a difficult time with compounds that require a lot of heat to work correctly. You see, we can not generate enough heat with the small buffers we have to use. The bottom line is I always have a few minor sanding marks that I am just never able to remove. It seems as though the System 51 product I am now using doesn't require as much heat to cut. I am getting exceptional scratch removal with minimal effort. That being said, if you look really close you can still see a minor amount of sanding marks, but has been a drastic improvement.