Compounding Polisher

Be sure your polisher has a speed control that will allow it to be slowed down to 1000 RPM. Speeds over 1500 RPM should not be used because the aluminum will get overheated.

More details on how to use this polisher can be found on the Using the Compounding Polisher page

Drill Type: The drill-based polishers have the advantage of high torque at low speed. The drill shown above is a 1/2 inch variable speed reversing DeWalt Model DW130 that turns at about 450 RPM. The slow speed means that it can be dragged slowly across the damaged area without overheating the aluminum. The right-angle car polishers turn at 1000 RPM or higher and must be moved a bit faster across the aluminum to avoid overheating the aluminum.

A disadvantage of the drill-type is that an adapter is needed to connect the drill chuck to the 5/8"-11 threads on the backing plate. We offer this adapter below or you can make your own.

The DeWalt drill shown sells for about $190 at Home Depot. There are 1/2" drills that cost less than $50 but they just don't last. Typically the front bearings and gears fail in less than 40 hours because these drill just weren't intended for heavy duty continuous use. The DeWalt has many hundreds of hours of run time on it.

Be sure that the drill you pick has handles near the front of the drill like the DeWalt shown above. The closer the handles are to the chuck, the easier it is to control. Do not use a drill with a pistol-type handle at the back. This type of drill is very hard to control and very hard on the wrist joint.

The drill type works best from knee-high to shoulder high because you can "lean into it". The car buffer works better where you have to reach out, such as on the roof. Having both types of polishers will speed the work, but if you're only buying one polisher, then get the car buffer.

Pads: Both the drill-type and the auto buffer-type use the same compounding pads. The pads are about 10" in diameter and the backing plate is 7.5" in diameter. The pads are attached to the backing plate via a Velcro-type "hook and loop" system. The backing plate has 5/8"-11 female threads that mate directly to the auto-buffer drive spindle. An adapter, shown below, must be used to connect the back-up pad to the 1/2" drill chuck.

Long Nap vs. Short Nap Pads: Long Nap pads work better where a heavy layer of oxidation is being removed such as encountered in restoring an old travel trailer. Short nap pads are better for removing the mill-grain on new aluminum or for blending scratches.

Be sure the pad you use is 100% wool. Polyester pads are intended for working on paint. Compounding aluminum creates very high temperatures  where the pad contacts the aluminum. Polyester pads may break down and leave tiny black dots of melted plastic on the aluminum.

Polisher, Pads and Accessories

Compounding Kits are offered below.

Prices include shipping.

Item	Catalog No.	Price
WEN Model 945 Polisher. Variable speed, 1000 to 3000 RPM. Has a 5/8"-11 spindle for attachment of standard backing plates. Comes with 3-position auxiliary handle and lock nut wrench. Backing plate and pad not included. See below. Power: 120 VAC, 11.0 Amps	WEN945		$80.00
Compounding Pad, Long Nap.    100% twisted 4-ply wool fibers, 1.5" long. Curved edge. 7.5" inside diameter. Overall diameter, including wool fibers is about 10". With "loop" material for attachment to backing plates with "hooks". Washable. Best for heavy corrosion removal.	57-377		$14.00
Compounding Pad, Short Nap. Same as the long nap pad above except the nap is 1" long. Best for removing mill grain from new aluminum or blending scratches	57-175		$12.00
Backing Plate, 7.5" diameter with "hooks".  Has 5/8"-11 female threads for attachment to the WEN polisher above and other similar tools. Imported	69-080		$20.00
Adapter. Allows the backing plate with 5/8"-11 female threads to mate up with a 1/2" drill.	Adapter		$6.00
Pad Cleaner. Used to run against the fibers of the compounding pad to keep the fibers separated. A very essential tool. A gummed-up pad will not work. Imported	Pad Cleaner		$6.00

Compounding Kits

We offer two kits below, with or without the WEN 945 polisher.

Small Compounding and Polishing Pads

Polishing small or oddly shaped parts such as door frames or wheels can be done easily with the small wool and foam polishing pads shown opposite. The backing plate is 3" diameter and uses the same "hook and loop" attachment method as the larger compounding pads. The wool pads are used for the initial compound polishing. The yellow pads (firm) and white pads (soft) are used to remove the swirls left by the wool pad and provide the finish polish.

Two different wool pads are available. The 3" pad is designed specifically for the 3' backing plate. It has a dished-in backing that curves the wool up and over the backing plate allowing the pad to be used "on edge".

The 4" flat pad is designed to be used with the Cyclo polisher but works remarkable well with the 3" backing plate. It has more dense wool than the 3" pad and is preferred by many users.

When used with the Cyclo polisher the 4" pad provides a very aggressive polishing medium.  For example, it can be used in conjunction with the F7 grade of Nuvite to remove the swirls left by the compounding with F9 grade. When used with the Cyclo polisher the wool is used directly on the aluminum and the black foam pads and cotton fleece are not used.

The foam pads do a good job of removing the swirls left by the wool pad. The foam pads will leave a visible pattern on larger parts and flat surfaces but with small and oddly shaped parts the pattern is usually not visible.

The backing plate has 5/8-11 threads same as the large backing plate so an adapter is used to provide a 1/4" spindle that will fit a drill chuck. Any small drill can be used. Keep the speed to around 1000 RPM. The items are available individually or as a kit. The kit contains the following:

• 3" backing plate
• Drill chuck adapter   
• Two 3" wool pads with curved lip
• Two 4" flat wool pads
• One yellow (firm) pad
• One white (soft) pad