Tod/Group, Ditto Rachel's comments regarding HD sander/polishers. I had the Milwaukee she referenced, but when it finally burned out, I replaced it with a Makita #9227C 7" Sander Polisher. I like it better than the Milwaukee ergonomics-wise, and it has a 'soft-start' feature that keeps you from inadvertently showering your boat yard mates with rubbing compound (spins up slowly). I have done about five boats with the new Makita, and it has performed flawlessly. It is a variable speed (0-3000rpm) model. I rarely use it beyond 1/2 speed. The small orbitals are OK for fine car finishes, but are better suited to back massages than cutting oxidized gel coat! Straight circular polishers are better suited to gel coat use than automotive paints, as it is easier to burn through the latter. If you do use a large circular on auto paint, be very careful, and do not use too aggressive a compound. As for your DeWalt 4.5" grinder--don't even think about it. It is a fixed 10,000 RPM machine, and is great for sanding, grinding, and cutting (I know--I have and use several), but would be a nightmare for buffing/polishing (too aggressive, and with too much potential for inadvertent damage). For this reason, I doubt you will find a bonnet or pad that will fit small grinders. BTW, I use 3M 'Heavy Duty Rubbing Compound' followed by 3M 'Finesse-It,' and finally Colonite Fleet Paste Wax on most boats. I find the Colonite lasts about two years on white hulls, and about 8-12 months on dark (Northern California). While I have seen some seemingly amazing results with Penetrol, I have yet to embrace it as a panacea for oxidized hulls. There was an active thread on the Flicka Group regarding some longer term problems with Penetrol. Apparently the cumulative buildup of Penetrol is nigh impossible to remove, and tends to yellow with age. One poor soul tried all manner of chemical warfare before turning to wet sanding the entire hull to get down to virgin gel coat. I was on a boat yesterday that had one year old Penetrol, and it already looked pretty bad (dark hull). I queried the owner as to his procedure, and learned that he did not do a good job of rubbing out the hull prior to application. What he now has is a combination of chalky gel sealed with Penetrol, and the removal thereof looks messy at best. I took my fingernail and tried to scratch away some of the buildup to no avail. Since I have been conscripted to help with this project, I will report on the ultimate process. Until then, I am continuing to monitor about four boats with varying ages of (correctly applied) Penetrol before I advocate or adopt its use. Best, Scott
The closest thing I have is a Dewalt high-speed angle grinder, but I don't see any sort of reference to the ability to put a buffing bonnet on it.
http://www.dewalt.com/us/products/tool_detail.asp?productID=145
I'm sure I'll be doing a lot of serious buffing, so if it's not too much trouble, if you could point me in the right direction I'd be grateful.
Tod