All about polishing wheels, discs and attachments for car polishing

The most indispensable tool during repairs or construction work is considered to be a drill, electric or battery-powered. It helps to carry out a lot of preparatory work, from mixing the solution to grinding wooden or concrete structures. To perform the last operation, you will need a grinding attachment for a drill, which has many modifications that can be used to work on metal, wood, concrete and plastered surfaces.

Purpose

Specialized attachments for drills sometimes quite successfully replace a full-fledged narrow-profile tool. This approach allows the home craftsman to significantly save money by eliminating the purchase of expensive equipment.

Sanding attachments do an excellent job of removing paint from walls and ceilings, cleaning metal from rust and finishing primed surfaces. All that remains is to polish the treated areas with felt or felt. Naturally, such a decision justifies itself only in everyday life. The industrial segment requires high power, good output and high speed. But a household nozzle, alas, cannot provide this. The scope of application of such devices is private houses, cottages, apartments and garages.

When installation on a screwdriver is necessary, a special adapter or hex shank is required. It all depends on the specific model of the tool and its functionality.

A screwdriver is convenient for many, but it has one serious drawback - the low speed of rotation of the chuck. Therefore, it is not very suitable for cleaning the same rust, where decent speeds are needed.

On the construction market you can find a wide variety of devices for processing almost any material, from wooden parts to finicky glass surfaces. The common form factor of a drum or cymbal can be used in both vertical and horizontal positions thanks to special adapters. Thus, the drill can act as a sharpener, providing sharpening and grinding of parts.

Guide to setting the recommended speed:

• STEP 1 - Remove serious defects - speed 5 to 5.5
• STEP 2 - Remove swirl and minor defects - speed 4.5 to 5
• STEP 3 - Pre-clean wax and improve shine - speed 4.5
• STEP 4 - Protect your paintwork from aggressive environmental elements - speed 2.5
• Product Residue Removal - Sonus DAS Microfiber Dust Hood - Speed ​​3.5 to 4

Note: Not all paints require the full four-step process. Follow only the steps necessary for the condition or your paint job.

Here are some basic car polishing tips to keep in mind as you learn how to polish your car with a dual action polisher.

• Make a test place! Make sure your technique and process produces the results you want before you begin polishing the entire car.
• Use the correct combination of pad, varnish and speed for the current condition of your paint
• Always keep a pad on the paint surface
• Always start with the least aggressive varnish and then increase it only if necessary
• Use overlapping movements
• Slow down! Don't run the sander too fast or it won't do the job.
• Work in a small area (2 by 2 inches) so you can focus on the area
• More polish is not better! Use only 3 – 4 pea-sized swabs and add more as needed
• Never dry out your buff! Add polish when you see the polish is thin and starting to peel off
• Never pour liquid onto a surface in direct sunlight or on a warm/hot surface.
• Never use more than one type of varnish for polishing or sanding
• Keep pads away from trimmings and sharp edges
• Cover some areas with masking tape to prevent stains, cracks and chips.
• Never remove deposits from the polishing wheel while the machine is on.
• Place the cord over your shoulder and keep it away from the machine.
• Tie a loose knot around where the extension cord meets the polisher cord to keep it connected
• The polishing wheel for the drill must be in good, fresh condition.
• Make sure you have good lighting so you can see the entire surface
• Apply medium pressure only when removing defects
• Check your work frequently to make sure your process is working.

Advantages and disadvantages of sanding attachments

Despite the abundance of solutions, such devices are still auxiliary and are not suitable for solving specific problems. One of the main drawbacks is the weight of the drill. It is difficult to hold a heavy instrument with outstretched arms or above your head. Because of this, the quality of surface treatment and the duration of the procedure suffer.

But where high precision is not required, such as stripping materials or peeling walls, this point is not critical. In a word, a grinding attachment for a drill is a household device that does not pretend to be of a professional level.

A clear advantage of a tandem of a drill and an attachment is its low cost and accessibility. By spending a few hundred rubles, you can get a return that is more than adequate for your household needs. Whereas buying professional equipment will cost a pretty penny. And it is not a fact that the tool will be needed after the necessary work has been carried out.

Tools and consumables for car polishing

An ordinary car enthusiast hardly knows which material is intended for what, since there are a huge number of them. However, every little detail plays its own role both in painting work and in polishing a car. For polishing work, use the following standard set of tools and consumables:

• car polish or polishing paste;
• polishing wheels;
• polishing tool;
• various adapters for attaching circles;
• compressor.

Autopolish is a thick paste and is intended for polishing metal. Such products polish the body perfectly, so without such consumables the work will not be carried out. Polishes are divided into two groups according to their use: for simple and deep polishing.

Polishing discs are the main material in this process. Car polishing wheels are designed to distribute polish evenly and add shine to the metal surface.

A polishing wheel is a disk of varying thickness, density, diameter, made from various materials suitable for polishing cars. Based on the material used, the following types of polishing discs are distinguished:

• felt;
• felt;
• woolen;
• fur;
• foam;
• abrasive;
• terry.

Polishing tools can be different: polishing machine, grinder and drills. It all depends on who is more comfortable working with what. Adapters are needed when a drill is preferred to secure the polishing disc.

Experienced bodybuilders use a little trick to save on such additions. In any auto repair shop, over time, a non-working angle grinder or angle grinder inevitably appears.

Interesting! It is enough to dismantle the shaft from the old tool and secure it in the drill chuck. The result is no worse than that of a standard adapter.

A compressor will be useful when using a pneumatic polishing tool. However, when using power tools, such equipment will also be useful for washing the body or other work.

In an auto repair shop, the compressor is one of the most important tools. It is used to perform many repair and body work.

Variations

The type of nozzle largely depends on the characteristics of the material being processed and the required technological operation. In stores you can find the following design varieties.

1. Plate. Used for finishing metal surfaces and polishing products.
2. Disk. The design is great for hard to reach places.
3. Cupped. Most often used for polishing decorative coatings and removing rust from metal.
4. Drums. The nozzle is needed for working with sheet ends, crevices and rounded holes.
5. Soft. The design is ideal for processing mechanically sensitive materials such as plastic, painted wood, etc.
6. End The attachments have found their application in the high-precision industry, for example, jewelry. The size and shape of the head is selected in accordance with the required technological operation.

The quality of grinding using a drill directly depends on the size of the tool, its power, spindle speed and skill of the operator.

Each nozzle has a certain very specific appearance, so they must be considered separately, taking into account the scope of application.

Plate attachment

These polishing attachments are available in two types, depending on the base - plastic or cast rubber. The latter option is used more often, since there will be no damage to the surface, especially wood, due to strong pressure. The base of the device is covered with special paper, which is attached quite securely due to the sticky layer.

The hardness of the sandpaper is of great importance - this can be preliminary or, in the professional language of builders, rough processing of various surfaces. The same nozzles, but with softer and finer-grained paper, are used for finishing before painting. Before plastering the walls or applying putty, sanding is done using such attachments. The process is very dusty, so you must use respirators and special glasses.

Special bowls

Nozzles that look like an inverted bowl, where metal brushes are located to remove scale, traces of rust or sanding wood surfaces. In carpentry, they are used to specifically highlight the texture of wood. The metal components ruffle the fibers and then a buffing wheel is used. Then stain and varnish are applied, as a result the item has a unique wood pattern, the texture clearly stands out under the varnish coating.

Bowls filled with softer material are used when it is necessary to perform fine polishing work.

Disc nozzles

A polishing attachment in the form of discs is installed on a drill. It differs from the designs described above in that the wire has a different direction: from the center to the edge. Such attachments also include fan varieties or a petal circle (when petals made of sandpaper are attached parallel to the base). Such products are used for cleaning hard-to-reach places and require a certain skill and dexterity.

Another version of the petal circle is also used in practice: when all its small components are fixed in the form of a common cylinder. Such nozzles are used when cleaning aluminum parts of radiators for cars, end and side surfaces from frozen flux after leaving a special furnace where they are soldered.

Cylindrical nozzles

In appearance they are very similar to a rotating drum. They are made from hard rubber, the working surface is located on the side at the end. Belts of a certain diameter, slightly larger than a cylinder, are made from emery cloth - they are put on the nozzle, and then the fastening bolt is tightened. As a result, the nozzle increases in diameter and securely holds the abrasive belt.

These attachments are used for grinding glass, wood and metal; their current application in practice is sanding radius holes.

This type can also include a grinding drum for a cordless or electric drill, the varieties of which are shown in the photo.

Soft attachments

A felt circle, attachments made of twisted rope, foam rubber, and soft leather are used in production when it is necessary to perform gentle surface treatment. They are fastened with two washers, like, for example, a sharpening wheel for a drill, when you need to make a miniature sharpener for a small cutting tool.

Soft devices are used for working with paint surfaces; they differ from other types of polishing attachments in their delicacy towards any materials . They are often used to remove technical debris after processing from surfaces that are vulnerable to abrasion.

End circle

Such devices are available in the form of various geometric shapes made of abrasive stone or softer material for delicate processing of various surfaces. Nozzles are used in hard-to-reach places for high-quality processing of smaller parts and products made of precious metals.

Abrasive attachments easily replace a file and are used for precise finishing of metal surfaces, while soft attachments are used only for polishing.

Grinding stone

Such devices in production eliminate various errors in working with structures made of various metals and concrete products, for example, sagging formed during floor pouring. The grit size of the fixture significantly affects the quality of grinding or polishing work.

Nozzles for car polishing. Result of application

Hi all. Today's set will be dedicated to car polishing attachments that I purchased on Aliexpress. I somehow set out to tidy up the paintwork of my car. After watching enough on YouTube and reading all sorts of different articles, it became clear to me that there is nothing complicated about it. All you need is the necessary tool, a little time and a lot of patience. Fortunately, the most expensive device, without which the polishing process is simply impossible (and even if it is possible, it becomes much more difficult) - I already had an angle grinder. So the matter remained with polishes and attachments for that same sander. Since I was very passionate about the idea of ​​​​giving my iron horse an elegant shine, I first of all went to the nearest market, where the accessories I needed were sold. And here the first (by and large, last) obstacle awaited me - they wanted $10-15 for a polishing attachment. And taking into account the fact that you need at least two attachments, and preferably three, I had to pay from $30 to $45 for them, which is not so little. And since I didn’t want to part with such an amount, I had to consider other options - buying the things I needed in China. Fortunately, there are no problems with this; there is an overabundance of attachments of all sizes and colors. You can immediately buy the set you need, or you can, like I did, try to save a little more and buy everything separately.

In order to select the necessary parameters of the ordered product, you can study the inscriptions on the sander. In my case, everything was written out there.

Two main values ​​are important here - the diameter of the circles suitable for use (in my case, 5″ or 125 millimeters), as well as the mounting size (I have M14). Knowing all this, you can order.

1. The main attachment, which is installed on the sander and to which the polishing wheels are attached, was purchased here and at the time of purchase it cost $2.99.

2. A set of 4 polishing wheels of suitable diameter was ordered here for $2.48. There are sets for 6, 7, 8 and more laps, but it seems to me that this is too much.

The parcels did not have full tracks, but the delivery times from China to Belarus were approximately the same. If anyone is interested, the movement of one of the parcels across China can be seen here.

After receiving the orders, I went to the dacha to bring my plans to life. So, in order to add shine to your favorite car, we will need: - ordered attachments; - angle grinder; - polishes (abrasive, “fine” and color-matched polish - optional); - a sheet of sandpaper with a grit of 2000 (not included in the photo).

Now a few words about the ordered attachments. I have no complaints about them. The base (hard rubber nozzle) came without any packaging, the seller even spared the pimples. She sat perfectly on the sander. The nozzle is made of a piece of black rubber, there is no foreign smell, and it looks quite neat in appearance. On its back side you can see the diameter, as well as the maximum number of revolutions at which it can operate.

The front part of the nozzle is covered with a “hedgehog” made of Velcro. It is in this way that the polishing wheel is fixed. They fit perfectly and fit securely. In all the time I spent working on the car, not one of the circles came off. And after the work is completed, it looks like new, only a little whitened

Unlike the base, the polishing wheels came to me sealed in a plastic bag. I have a set of 4 attachments, which were more than enough for me to completely polish the entire car body. The nozzles have different hardness, which can be easily determined even by touch. In the next photo they are arranged in order of decreasing hardness: orange is the hardest, yellow is the softest (although in this property it is very similar to black).

The diameter of each circle is 125 millimeters.

Height (thickness) 30 millimeters.

The back side of each attachment is covered with a soft material that adheres well to the base.

This is what everything looks like assembled.

Thanks to the shape of the pattern (not even, but with protrusions), polishing wheels perfectly polish so-called holograms - uneven shine visible on paint in good lighting.

Those same holograms, by the way, look like this (the photo is not mine - I took it online):

So let's get started.

By the way, there are no difficulties with polishing a car. First, wash the car thoroughly, remove all dust and sand from the surface of the body (from those areas that we will polish). Then, using a not very active solvent, we remove specks of bitumen, resin and other contaminants that could not be washed off with water.

To be honest, I think that my machine has never undergone such a procedure before. Before I got to work, the paint did not shine at all, was covered with many small scratches and incomprehensible inclusions, and was rough to the touch. Upon closer inspection, it was not blue, but like this:

We take water, sandpaper and begin to rub the body/particularly damaged areas until the varnish begins to peel off with the dirt embedded in it. Unfortunately, there aren’t very many photos of the process, because either my hands were wet or dirty, or the polish dried out (which should not be allowed)…

The main thing here is not to overdo it and not to rub the varnish down to paint. Although the rubbing process can be felt perfectly, as soon as the sandpaper begins to glide easily over the surface, it’s time to move on to another area. I worked in stages - front fender, door, second door, rear fender, trunk, etc. We wash away everything that has been rubbed off. You should get this unsightly matte surface. And yes, if you don’t specifically set such a goal for yourself, it’s very problematic to remove all the varnish to paint using 2000 sandpaper...

Wipe everything dry. We take an abrasive polish (I bought it by weight, 100 grams cost me $5, enough for the entire body and still have a little left), the hardest (orange) nozzle and start polishing. First one element, then another. And so the whole car. Here in this photo you can clearly see the border on the untouched (left) and already treated (right) side of the hood.

After the whole car has gone through roughing, we change the polishing wheel to a softer one and take a “fine” polish. In my case, the wheel was black and the polish was DoctorWax DW8307. The process is completed using the softest wheel and colored polish (K2 ColorMax).

As a result, here is a photo of the roof - remember what it looked like before (photo with inclusions)?:

I now have the same pleasant, even blue color with a mirror reflection of surrounding objects all over my car. So I was more than satisfied. The purchases turned out to be good. I was completely satisfied with the result, and the costs were minimal. In total, it took me about $15 for attachments and polishes, and about 5 hours of work (I worked on the car in the evening after work for 2-2.5 hours). If I bought the necessary attachments offline, this amount would increase to about $50. And if I gave the car to a specialist for polishing, I would have to pay about $100-120.

To summarize everything that is written here. I can say that the attachments are definitely worth their price. In addition, they turned out to be very durable, they will definitely be enough for more than one car. In addition, the process itself turned out to be not so difficult, so anyone can do it. There are nozzles of different diameters on sale (even for a drill), but something tells me that it is unlikely that it will be possible to process the entire body with such a tool. But if you need to polish a small scratch or a small area, then these will do too. Here, as they say, it depends on the taste and color...

Basically, that's all. Thank you for your attention and your time.

Types of materials for making nozzles

Grinding discs are selected according to the material from which it is made.

1. Emery cloth - it has a wide range of grit and hardness.
2. Soft materials, which include a vinyl drill attachment, perfectly remove traces of corrosion from metal surfaces, as well as old primer and putty. During operation, the metal does not heat up; delicate processing increases the efficiency of grinding.
3. Grinding stones. The main application is to correct complex defects during construction work; they are easy to process metal structures and concrete surfaces.

A wide variety of materials and attachment configurations allows you to use the drill for grinding any surface. For example, a drill attachment for polishing a car will bring a painted surface to a shine, and small attachments used in jewelry production will clean the most inaccessible places on items.

Let's sum it up

There are many modern materials for performing complex restoration and protective work on a car. You can treat the body parts in advance to prevent scratches. After damage to the body, you will have to restore the coating and remove the damage. You can perform the necessary procedures using a drill. But all work must be carried out carefully and only after gaining certain experience.

With such a tool at high speeds you can easily burn the paint on the body, which will require repainting in the future. All you have to do is watch the video and determine if your power tool has the necessary settings. If such opportunities exist, you can save money without difficulty. But another important condition will be the purchase of good consumables.

Tips for choosing

In a good half of cases, grinding attachments are sold under the brand name of electrical equipment manufacturers. It's good if both devices are of the same brand. Then there shouldn't be any compatibility problems.

It is better to look towards well-known brands. They care about quality due to high competition in the market. Although products from no-name manufacturers are much cheaper, the chance of running into a mediocre product in this case is much higher.

Popular manufacturers:

• "Bosch"
• "Makita";
• Dremel
• "Bison";
• "Matrix";
• Fit;
• "Enkor";
• Verto.

It makes more sense to overpay for quality than to constantly buy waste grinding attachments that wear off after several uses.

Nuances at work

The main problem when working with a drill is the correct position of the tool relative to the surface being processed. If you do not maintain a clear horizon when working with a circle with a diameter of 150 mm, then traces in the form of radial scratches will appear on the surface. To eliminate these negative consequences, you need to practice on some rough surface or use special devices.

There are two main types of grinding using a drill.

1. The worker holds the tool in his hands - we indicated the negative consequences above; positive qualities include using it in hard-to-reach places and when processing parts of complex geometry.
2. The tool is rigidly fixed to the table - this method is good because the quality of grinding becomes high. The disadvantage is the low mobility of the drill.

During operation, the tool heats up, so it is necessary to take breaks to allow the heated parts to cool down. It is mandatory to use protective equipment: glasses, gloves, respirator. By neglecting this, you expose yourself to the risk of injury, and dust does not contribute to the normal functioning of the human respiratory system.

When processing stone, glass and wood, all protective equipment must be used, otherwise the worker should not be allowed to take part in the sanding or grinding process.

How to polish using a drill?

The process is quite complex and includes many subtleties. If you do not have experience in performing this task, you should use training videos and watch videos from specialists. This way you can master the basic techniques for carrying out all tasks, learn the necessary movements, and look at the speed of movement of the tool on a metal surface or on the glass of a headlight. Polishing your car can be done using a simple attachment, but the following restrictions must be observed:

• Only high-quality polishing paste is selected; you must check its compliance with the data on the packaging;

• it makes sense to perform testing on inconspicuous body parts, on the internal surfaces of the hood or trunk;

• the drill is adjusted to the required polishing parameters so as not to burn the paint on the surface of the car;

• Also, during polishing work, visual monitoring of the process is constantly carried out, changes are made;

• The nozzle is not pressed too hard against the surface to be polished, so as not to burn the paint with too high a temperature.

It is important to ensure that the polishing attachment is suitable for the selected type of paste. The scope of the work performed also matters. For example, metal requires a certain material for processing, and for headlights, manufacturers offer special sets of products. The polishing mixture must have a good shelf life; there is no point in using spoiled materials, as this can cause real harm to the body.

DIY nozzle

If we are talking about some rough and rough work, then it is quite possible to get by with a homemade device. One of the easiest ways is to remake a classic round file. It is enough to remove the handle from the tool and process the seat so that it fits tightly into the chamber and is securely held.

To make a rough disk attachment, you will need a piece of plywood, a pin and a bolt with threads on both ends. Sandpaper will be used as a grinding wheel. We cut a circle out of plywood, attach a pin to it and glue sandpaper on top. After abrasion, you don’t have to remove the latter, but simply stick a new sheet on top.

Why do you need to polish a car body?

But how can you make your car look more attractive and presentable? One way to maintain a presentable form of transport is by polishing. Polishing removes scratches, small chips and other subtle defects. The basic concept of polishing is that car mechanics remove a thin layer of paintwork. This allows you to get rid of scratches and chips, as well as return the car to a fresh, presentable look without damaging the paintwork.