Minimum Panel size for a Rupes 15

[Mooser]

How small of an area could you do with a Rupes 15?

Looking at stuff line narrow fender tops, b-pillars etc. what would sort of a minimum flat panel could you expect to do on a regular basis?

I talked myself out of picking up a cyclo back awhile ago hoping to stumble across a used one but I'm having some non-buyers regret

M

 

[marquez93]

There isn't really a minimum size as long as nothing is in the way. It can't get into tight areas well, but small areas are fine. If that makes sense.

[Chris@Adams]

Do you have a Rupes 15? A Rupes Mini is a great sidekick for the 15 or 21.......

[Dylan@RUPES]

No real way to answer other than "if it fits you can polish with it". Obviously you want a good percentage of the pad in contact, and you wouldn't want to work on an edge or feature that would stop/stall pad rotation.

 

If you're really looking for a small area polisher the lhr75e mini is probably worth a look, or the nano which will be hitting he market next month.

[Mooser]

The mini might be good for getting into specific areas (which I have lots of)  but I'm certainly not looking to polish the entire car with one

I guess what I'm looking at is with a 5" backer, 6" pad and 5/8" of stroke, if the hood has a raised "cowl induction" section down the middle, and the flat section on either side of it that's only 5" wide, does a rupes work fine in that situation?

M

[Dan@Adams]

^^^^^ I would say in that instance you will have no issues using the Rupes 15 and a 6" pad. The pads do have some flex to them, so unless it's an immediate 90 degree raise for the cowl induction portion of the hood, you should be able to polish most of that section no problem, with a bit of the pad spinning above the top portion of the cowl, trying to keep the pad as flat as possible to the surface you are polishing.

 

If it is a very tight 90 degree change in surface, you will want to avoid bumping the neoprene section of our polishing pads onto the flat portion of the hood while polishing the cowl, as you could get some black rubber mark transfer onto the hood. If this happens, you can remove the marks with a shot of Detail Spray, a Single Soft Towel, and a little bit of rubbing, but it can be a bit of an annoyance that we do get some complaints about.

 

I love the Rupes Mini and use it on all sorts of areas when I'm detailing vehicles now - rocker panels, complex areas around headlights, A/B/C pillars, tight areas under side mirrors, etc!

 

Hope that helps

[Mooser]

This is the kind of thing I'm up against (not this car in particular)

 

The area around the hood scoop. between and around the headlights

 

The halo area behind the t-tops

 

 

 

Can't justify 2 new buffers (rupes 75 + something else).

Looks like I'll have to keep an eye out for a cyclo

 

Thanks

M

 

[Dan@Adams]

I think the Rupes 15 would also work fine in most of those areas with the 6" pads. A little bit of pad overhang behind the T-tops would be ok as long as it's not polishing up against any weather stripping (which you could tape off if necessary) and any super tight areas could at least be partially addressed by hand with an Orange Hex Grip Applicator with Paint Correcting Polish, and then a Blue Hex Grip Applicator with Revive Hand Polish, if you really wanted the Bigfoot 15 and didn't want to spend the money on a second machine.

 

The Cyclo rocks too though, and I use mine a lot! It's such a comfortable machine to use and I do get outstanding results with it.

 

You can't go wrong with either option in my opinion

[Dylan@RUPES]

You should generally be able to tackle most of the areas of concern on something like the Corvettes pictured. Keep in mind that the pads are flexible foam, the backing plate has some flexability to it as well, so you can polish into contours or proper technique is to approach from either side - polish 'downhill as far as you can until you can no longer keep the pad flat, then repeat coming 'uphill' - with the exception of VERY harsh lines and angles you can hit most the areas you need to with the 15. 

 

From what I can gather from your response you are looking to take a single tool approach to polishing - using only one tool for all needs - and regardless of the tool choice if you approach with a 1 tool technique there are going to be some compromises in what you can do. No tool on the planet is ideal for all applications. More and more, both in the professional area and enthusiast, people are talking the multi-tool approach. A large tool like the 21mm for the bulk of the work, then a smaller option like the mini for edge work. Its not for everyone to invest in multiple solutions, but if you are very serious about your detailing (or doing it professionally) its an increasingly popular way to go. 

[Mooser]

Currently still using the PC but looking to upgrade to something a little better. I simply can't warrant having a $1100 worth of buffers for the two cars I do once a year and the odd scratch I might take out of someone else car now and again, but would still like something not as shaky as the PC which has served me well for the last 5 or 6 by switching from 6" to 4" pads to get into some of the tighter areas/curves.

Guess I'm not serious enough

 

Thanks

M

[marquez93]

Currently still using the PC but looking to upgrade to something a little better. I simply can't warrant having a $1100 worth of buffers for the two cars I do once a year and the odd scratch I might take out of someone else car now and again, but would still like something not as shaky as the PC which has served me well for the last 5 or 6 by switching from 6" to 4" pads to get into some of the tighter areas/curves.

Guess I'm not serious enough

 

Thanks

M

 

Get a 15 or 21 and a Mini and sell the PC and you'll probably be around $600 invested.

[Feets31]

You can put smaller pads on the PC and use it for your close encounters.  Then pick up the polisher you like and can afford to do the rest of the car.   The PC will take a bit more work, but it will save you some dinero. 

Edited February 13, 2016 by Feets31

[sahls01gmc]

If you get the Cyclo, you can switch your PC over to 4" pads.  Then you only have to worry about buying 1 set of pads since they work for both machines.  And you'll have a machine to do big areas, and your current one can now do detailed areas.  You already know how to use your PC, so you'll only have to learn on 1 new one!