Hello from Texas - a DIFFERENT kind of detailer....

[UniqueDetailer]

Hey All,

I'm an old part time detailer - used to do it 20++ years ago.

I remember when Backfire came out and was on the old forums. Then got distracted by life but I'm back! Sort of....

I'm too busy to do my own car now with a real job and I also run a hifi audio channel and page that gets over a million views per month. Here's where the detailing comes in:

I'm huge into tube amps and such and recently started buying tube testers from the 1930's through the early 1960's.

They all need to be refurbished by brining the old metal case back to life, carefully cleaning the metal (or aluminum) face plates, and if the case is wood - cleaning and decontaminated 90 years of smells from the vinyl or cloth exterior.

This has brought me full circle back to here with detailing products, gear and technique.

I recently ordered from AG as that was the place "back in the day" and let's just say I was not pleased. When I started searching online I found out about their decline and discovered Sky's The Limit.

I still have my Flex 3401 and the small Kompact 3 (which I loved the size but hated the user experience). The 3401 pad is much too large so I recently bought a Griots GG8, but quickly upgraded to the G13. I really enjoy that G13 and will keep the Kompact 3 and sell the 3401. I use 3" pads on the GG13 and 1" on the Flex so I can get in the tight places easier. Even though the K3 is not a great experience it doesn't make sense for me to sell it to buy something else that can run the small pads.

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post pics on my first post but if I can I'll upload some pics of the restoration work I've done on them.

I just placed my first order with STL this morning and am anxious to see how it goes. I've got some pretty big detailing plans for the stuff this weekend!

Well, thanks for reading about me and I look forward to leaning a lot more from you all. I wonder is this this puts me in the more "unique detailing" category (hence my screen name).

 

[Merlin]

Welcome to Sky's The Limit forum!

There are a lot of great folks here that can help with questions you may have.
I've polished many things from exotic 1 of 1 cars to rifle stocks.
I'd love to see some pictures.

 

[UniqueDetailer]

Welcome to Sky's The Limit forum!

There are a lot of great folks here that can help with questions you may have.
I've polished many things from exotic 1 of 1 cars to rifle stocks.
I'd love to see some pictures.

Thank you Merlin. Here are some before and after pics.

I have to strike a balance between getting it cleaned up and not striping away the markings and such. For instance you can see the red acceptance stamp on one of the outside of the cases - this is pretty delicate.

The ones in these pictures are a TV-2 military tester (circa WW2 - the one with all the dials), A I-177-B 1952 military tester (the rectangle one) and a TV-10 (the one with the product shot and then just a after shot.

 

[Capt.Obvy]

Welcome to this forum, UniqueDetailer.
Great detailing work on a "unique" (pun intended) piece of non-automotive item.
Thanks for the pics of them.
I do have a question for you:
What are your thoughts on comparing the Flex Kompact rotary to the Griot's Garage G8 mini dual action, IE likes and dislikes??

 

[UniqueDetailer]

Welcome to this forum, UniqueDetailer.
Great detailing work on a "unique" (pun intended) piece of non-automotive item.
Thanks for the pics of them.
I do have a question for you:
What are your thoughts on comparing the Flex Kompact rotary to the Griot's Garage G8 mini dual action, IE likes and dislikes??

Hello!

Perfect timing. I actually just completed some testing of units today and ended up (surprising myself) going in a complete different direction.

From a past life as a DIY detailer, I had my trusted FLEX 3401 and Kompact 3 rotary. I always ended up kinda fighting with both of them which is what drove me to try the GG8. I had never "understood" the Flex machines so I thought it was time to try something different.

Result? Meh. Nice, but the GG8 didn’t really suit me for some reason. It also seemed not able to cut the way I needed it to. Can't really explain it. It was a mediocre (personal) user experience (that's on me, not the polisher).

Next up I tried the Griot’s GG13. That one felt better to use, and the results backed it up — a solid upgrade for sure. But it still wasn't great to me. Keep in mind I am dealing with - on a normal basis - paint much worse than most people will ever see. So I need cutting power AND the ability to have finesse and finish nicely.

Then I tried the Flex XFE - definitely better than either of the Griots. I felt it easy to hold onto and get comfortable as I felt the Griots was too long and thin for such a small unit.

But something kept calling me back. After watching some great video tips and techniques on YT, I again grabbed the FLEX Kompact 3 rotary. I focused hard on technique — angle, pressure, product control — and suddenly…I saw the light!

I didn’t just use the rotary — I got it. For the first time ever, I was producing faster, better results with less effort. Not saying this applies to everyone, but for my workflow and the vintage test gear I’m restoring, it clicked.

Keep in mind I used the same pad and same compound in all instances to keep it the same.

Only gripe? Once I got the hang of it I wished the rotary were a bit larger…

Solution: The FLEX XFE I got via Amazon goes back and I just ordered the FLEX PE 14-2 150 from STL today.

It's probably fair to say if you're not trying to do heavy defect removal the GG* would be better. However I will say this - using the navy Scholl pad with Scholl S3 Gold XXL in all instances the quality of finish along with the depth and shine using the Scholl with the rotary was several levels better than any of the DA's (again using the same exact pad in all instances). And the Scholl Concepts is noticeably better than Menzerna (I was a Menzerna fan boy up until last week when I tried the Scholl's).

Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any specific questions and I'm happy to answer them for you.

Edited to add: The Flex rotary felt much more precise and nimble vs. the griot's.

 

[Capt.Obvy]

THANKS a lot Unique!
You review is EXACTLY the kind of information I am looking for in this forum.
The Flex Kompact rotary is something I need to consider for doing headlight restorations and correcting and finishing those hard-to-reach areas on a vehicle that, quite frankly, most detailers do not do or just touch up by hand, like door jams and under door latches recesses or under rear wings/spoilers.

 

[UniqueDetailer]

THANKS a lot Unique!
You review is EXACTLY the kind of information I am looking for in this forum.
The Flex Kompact rotary is something I need to consider for doing headlight restorations and correcting and finishing those hard-to-reach areas on a vehicle that, quite frankly, most detailers do not do or just touch up by hand, like door jams and under door latches recesses or under rear wings/spoilers.

I'm glad it was helpful!