Bob, I am a tinsmith and use these tools every day. A grinder has the lowest
speeds you state, and are way to fast for polishing, They also use a much
higher amperage draw than a polisher and will not slow as a polisher will
with pressure. They do not have a variable speed range and will burn
through any gell coat at their rated speeds, read the can a can of compound
from any reputible manufacturer such as 3M or Norton. I am not the one
busted here mister, I am the guy you see using these tools every day to
remove/clean up welds and prepare steel surfaces. If you wish to remove the
gel coat a grinder will work, but to polish, not with out an impossibly
light hand. Besides, read the owners manual and tell me you would polish
with a tool designed for "rapid stock removal with 80 to 100 grit paper and
swirl-free polishing with 120 to 150 grit paper" as stated in the manual on
page 7. These tools are for polishing metal to a high lustre, not for
cleaning up a GRP surface, unless of course you call removal of the gel coat
cleaning up. Go to http://www.porter-cable.com/index.asp for the manual. I
am sure that considering the rated amperage, 3.5 amps the tool you state
will slow enough to polish fine with a careful hand, but it is not a
professinoal grade grinder, it is a professional grade polisher, and
Poarer-Cables grinders use 7.3 to 15 amps and will not slow down enough for
GRP, a grinder is not for polishing a polisher or buffer is for polishing.
..ae=230&search_expr=7336SP&pg=0&search_posted_for m=1
"Bobsprit" wrote in message.
...
Grinders spin way to fast.

Good lord. My B&D Grinder is 3000-7000 RPM. A brand new Porter Cable
POLSIHER #
7336SP is 2500-6000 RPM.
Unless your boat is pretty new, you'll be using the upper RPM ranges once
you
know how to handle it. Some grinders do up to 10'000 rpm fixed with NO
load,
and even that's fine with a big pad. It slows down a lot when applying
wax/compound. Even skilled autoshops will use them, though paint buring is
a
risk.
Sorry, BOB CARROL. I actually own and use these tools, so you can't come
in and
hope to make crap up.
BUSTED AGAIN!

RB