Rotex 125 - Polish/finish accessories advice

[Epoulin]

Hi
I've been reading in and out of this forum to make sense of the overwhelming amount of info available.
Looks like I need help sorting it out.

I've already seen that wood itself can be brought to a polish by going all the way up in the Platin grit.  I'm trying to figure the polishing and waxing over finish products.
1- 1 finish I often use is water based dye with layer of shellac and then wax
2- I also intend on future pieces to spray on some lacquer

I'm getting confused on the polishing accessories.  I think that eventually i'll be getting most of it but would like to prioritize vs my need so that I can make gradual purchase...I already have a bunch of paper grit to buy.
- So it seems clear that the green pad will be essential here
- What about the other items like felt( soft and hard ) ; Vlies ( looks like non-woven pads) ; sheepskin.  What and when do you ue those items.  Which would be better for paste wax?
- Is anyone using the compound sold along with the combination of sponge.  Seems simple but does it apply to furniture or is it for automotive purposes?

Appreciate any light or advise you can provide to guide me in the right direction.
Feel free to share your experience.
Thanks
Eric

 

[Nat X]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with any of Festool's polishing accessories and they all work exactly as advertised, but you can accomplish the exact same thing for much less money by not using any of them at all.

Skip the fine grits of paper and use Mirka Abranet after you pass 400. The papers all load up way too easily--especially with polyurethane.

Switch to Abralon on an interface pad after that. Same thing as Vlies at like 1/4 the price.

Get some polishing pads from Chemical Guys that fit your existing pad perfectly rather that forking over another $40 for a smaller diameter green "polishing" pad from Festool. It's worth noting that this really only works with the Rotex sanders in rotary mode. If you don't have one, hand polishing works, too, just takes longer.

Use decent quality over-the-counter polishing compounds. I like Meguiar's Mirror Glaze line because I can't see any difference between its performance and any of the expensive German brands' and because I can buy it at Auto Zone for like $10/bottle on a Sunday afternoon when no Festool dealer is open. Works great on plastics as well.

For wiping the compound residue off, get some of the borderless microfiber cloths from The Rag Company and launder them according to their instructions. They are both dirt cheap and fantastic for this purpose.