I'm about to order some 3" polishing pads ($3.60 each) from Top of the Line and a backing plate for them for $6.95.
I'll probably order a few 3" hook and loop sanding discs for $1.00 each from Everclear and a soft backing pad for them for $9.50. (I know that's high for the discs but I can get just a few to get started and make a little money with them, just trying to get started)
Question. What suppliers do you use for these supplies? Are yours a better deal? Do you have a supplier that has all of these items so I can save on shipping?
Just want to ask before I place the order and have buyer's regret when I find out one of you guys has a much better source.
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ~Mark Twain
I'm trying to find out some of these same questions. I just bought a 18v. cordless drill, but I'm taking it back cuz I thought it had lithium batteries, but it doesn't. So now I'm back to ordering a Metabo, but I still need all the sanding stuff
I bought all of my backing and buff pads at my local body shop supply house. They are a bit more expensive but I needed them that day. As far as 3" sanding discs your pricing of a dollar each sounds about right.
Top-Of-Line is a great company and I have purchased many things from them. If you have a problem with anything you order there, they will gladly take it back.
I originally bought a lot of stuff for HL's and now I have gone back to the basics and my truck is a lot lighter too.
jayjacque;32043 wrote:I'm trying to find out some of these same questions. I just bought a 18v. cordless drill, but I'm taking it back cuz I thought it had lithium batteries, but it doesn't. So now I'm back to ordering a Metabo, but I still need all the sanding stuff
I prefer electric tools. They have more power and they are more dependable. There is the problem of needing to plug in but I can always find a plug somewhere.
I have been trying not to chime in much on the headlight restoration forum as I don't want to turn this into a sales pitch, but I just gotta say something here.
We have put a lot of time and effort into researching headlight restoration products, and feel that Delta Kits has a pretty outstanding product line. We are now the one stop shop for many headlight restoration professionals.
The one area that we have struggled the most with in developing a headlight restoration system is in the tools category, especially when it comes to sanders. Everyone has a favorite and swears it is the best, but frankly we have found there are many good options to choose from.
One thing we have learned is that for optimal results you need a sander and a polisher. Polishers and drills just don't have the speed necessary to remove the pits and contamination as fast as a good orbital sander will, and the best sanders we found won't run slow enough to be an effective polisher. We have also found that orbital sanders work better than rotary sanders. I know others here have posted their opinions to the contrary, but these are some of the conclusions we have come up with after testing a variety of different tools, and consulting with scores of technicians and other suppliers of headlight restoration products, so you can take it for what it is worth.
Some of you like cordless drills for polishing, but as much as we like the idea of cordless tools, we just don't feel they are a very cost effective option for most technicians and don't have quite the same feel as the best polishers.
After careful consideration and considerable input from customers we chose a sander and polisher that work quite well, but are still affordable for even the budget minded headlight restoration technicians. However, we have tested a number of sanders and polishers, so I would invite anyone interested in headlight restoration tools to contact us for recommendations based on your personal budget and business model.
A perfect example of what we might recommend that is not currently in our product line is the Metabo that so many of you like. It is a fine tool, and although we do not stock it at this time, we are more than happy to relate our experience with this tool, which by the way, is one of the best we have tested.
Again, this is all our opinion based on a couple of years of research and testing, and a very positive response to the headlight restoration products that we began selling around the first of the year. If you are wondering why you don't see these products on the Delta Kits website or in our promotional literature yet, it is because we are still making some minor changes to some of the consumables in the kit, and still looking for the perfect kit box to store the tools and products in.
a dollar a disc is pretty expensive....you can buy a box of 50 3" hook and loop for 14.95....shipping is 5.99 no matter how big your order,,so if you buy 4 or 5 different grits its not so bad ..in fact several times a year they run a 5% discount so my shipping is free.[url]http://www.onlineindustrialsupply.com...check[/url] it out..as far as sanders and polishers I use a jepson because it is a variable speed drill..whatever you use make sure it is a true variable speed product
mrchip;32076 wrote:a dollar a disc is pretty expensive....you can buy a box of 50 3" hook and loop for 14.95....shipping is 5.99 no matter how big your order,,so if you buy 4 or 5 different grits its not so bad ..in fact several times a year they run a 5% discount so my shipping is free.[url]http://www.onlineindustrialsupply.com...check[/url] it out..as far as sanders and polishers I use a jepson because it is a variable speed drill..whatever you use make sure it is a true variable speed product
Thanks for the tip on this supplier. I actually use Mirka Abralon 3" sanding discs because they sand so much better in my opinion. Online Industrial Supply's price is about the same as I was paying but their shipping is much better. Thanks again....this is the true meaning of a forum:eusa_danc
mrchip;32076 wrote:a dollar a disc is pretty expensive....you can buy a box of 50 3" hook and loop for 14.95....shipping is 5.99 no matter how big your order,,so if you buy 4 or 5 different grits its not so bad ..in fact several times a year they run a 5% discount so my shipping is free.[url]http://www.onlineindustrialsupply.com...check[/url] it out..as far as sanders and polishers I use a jepson because it is a variable speed drill..whatever you use make sure it is a true variable speed product
I notice their sanding discs don't have holes. Does that matter? I was planning on getting a Metabo, and the discs they sell with it do have holes. Also Metabo is 3 and 1/2", the discs on onlineindustrialsupply.com are 3". Without having the tool, I don't what the sand paper needs to look like. Sorry to be so unknowledgable. I just don't want to order a bunch of stuff to Canada and not have it be able to work.
jayjaque....if you go with metabo and you can't use 3" discs..yes the discs are solid..can metabo be fitted with 3" backing pad?..if so fine you should also consider interface pad also..makes a big difference when sanding
