How to Use a Rotary Buffer

A rotary buffer can be an indispensable tool for any car lover. A rotary buffer allows you to keep a showroom shine on your vehicle’s paint job without hours of hand polishing. However, it can take time and patience to learn how to properly use a rotary buffer.

Things You'll Need

• Buffer
• Old towels
• Old car hood
• Buffing pads
• Polishing ads
• Buffing compound
• Car soap
• Car wax

Instructions

1. Practice your rotary buffing on an old car panel, such as a discarded hood. Buffing actually takes some of the finish off your car, so you want to make sure you can properly use a buffer before attempting it on an actual vehicle.

2. Wash the hood thoroughly. Use high quality car soap and towel dry the panel well after washing.

3. Apply a small bead of buffing compound to the hood of the car and run the buffer on a low setting. The higher the setting, the faster the buffer will spin, making mistakes much more noticeable. Guide the buffer along the hood but do not press down too hard.

4. Buff the entire bead of compound from the hood of the car and move to another section. The buffing compound contains abrasives to remove scratches from the surface of your paint, so take care when using it.

5. Wipe the hood down with another towel to remove any traces of buffing compound.

6. Use a small amount of car wax on the hood and place a polishing pad on your rotary buffer. Start the buffer on a low speed, increasing it slightly as you move from section to section. Wipe the hood down again after you’ve applied the first coat of wax.

7. Apply a second coating of wax and buff the hood at a high speed to get the most shine from your buffer. Move the buffer in the direction of the metalwork whenever possible to avoid streaking.

Tips & Warnings

• Use only rotary-safe polishes when working. Some compounds contain large grain polishes that can cause serious damage if used with rotary buffers.

• Do not press down hard on your buffer. Too much pressure will cause your buffer to eat into your paint job, causing serious damage.