Bah, need some help/advice with PC

[vocaltrance]

So i've been detailing a few of my friends' cars (along with mine) for about a year now, and i'm failing to see good results so I was wondering if you guys could give me some advice. For paint prep, I wash (2 bucket method and wool mitts), clay as needed, and use KAIO. then, depending on swirls I use either a white/orange/yellow with SSR1/2.5 with the PC set at speed 5. It seems like the right plan of attack, but it just doesn't seem to be as effective for me as it is for others.



For example, this past weekend, I was detailing my friend's white Subaru Forester-- his hood was fairly oxidized so I used KAIO w/ a yellow pad and it looked better, but not as well as i thought it would. I then used SSR2.5 w/ a yellow and it didn't seem to have even gotten even 30% of the swirls removed! There were still a ton of swirls left on his car, even though it seemed I made his car shinier/cleaner, but I still felt bad about it.



Anyway, what do you guys think I'm doing wrong? a yellow pad with 2.5 should DEFINITELY be making large improvements. Could I be using too much product? Could I be applying too much pressure on the PC (the pad doesn't move when I'm using it)



After sealing and waxing (with black pads) I noticed there was a LOT of product caked into them (had a really tough time removing the product, and I'm still not sure it's all gone), so I'm really not sure what I'm doing wrong. Also, when claying, I used PLENTY of lubricant and it seemed like the clay was still streaking the paint and leaving lots of residue on my palm so I've had to use a sponge to get rid of the clay on the paint. I've been looking into getting new products, but funds are tight, and if I can't get things right with what I have already, I'm not sure I'll improve with new products.



Sorry for the long post, and thanks a lot for reading it and for the advice!

(I don't really have many posts, as you can see, but I've been reading/viewing C&B's since the day I joined. I don't want to seem like "that guy" who posts once just when he needs help, even though it may seem that way, but it's hard to give others advice when I can't produce a quality finish.)



-Ed

 

[rkf76]

Have you tried other pads with said products? For example, I began my MB detail last week with a yellow pad but it didn't seem to be working too good for me so I stepped down to an orange and it did the trick.



You could definitely be using too much product, could also not be working the product enough, and by your own admission you're using too much pressure. If that pad doesn't move when you use the PC, that's a problem because you're taking away it's ability to do it's job. That, along with you using too much product seems to be the most obvious reason for your subpar results. Just keep practicing your technique, try out different pad/product combos to find what works for you. Practice makes perfect, or at least better.



When sealing and waxing with the PC, you may use a bit more product on the first couple of panels, but once the pad gets loaded you'll begin to see that you'll need to use less product to get the same coverage as in the beginning.



As for the clay thing, I've not had this problem. What clay and lube did you use?



Don't be discouraged by your unimpressive results so far, finding the right pad/product combo and matching it with the proper technique can take some time. Just keep at it, try different things, different techniques, and soon enough you'll have some C n B's to post up!!!

 

[2StepsAhead]

Is this a LC yellow pad? If so maybe you're inducing micro marring with a yellow pad and an abrassive polish.



Also too much product reduces the cut.



I usually can make a big dent in swirls with a 6in orange LC pad and Optimum Compound, I put 4 pea sized drops on and smear it around the panel or working area then I turn the PC on 3 and spread it a little more then kick it up to speed 6 to break it down. Using work lights is really beneficial to see when the polish is breaking down.



I would start using a less aggressive pad and a less aggressive polish first and working your way up via product then pad on a small test area until you get your desired results.



Also don't work in big area, I usually tried to cover a panel at one time but I don't get the correction I was looking for, some people recommend 2x2.



If you're having a hard time removing product it usually didn't break down enough, that means either too much polish or too little work time so don't be afraid to test and tune.

 

[Accumulator]

vocaltrance- Welcome to Autopia!



It sounds like you've run into the limitations of the PC when fitted with large (~6") pads. I only use 4" pads when doing significant correction. You can really apply pressure with those and it'll still keep doing its full random orbital motion (won't just "jiggle" when you apply pressure the way it does now).



Sounds like you're using too much product. Try cleaning the pad out more often. Pads that're caked with product aren't all that effective.



FWIW I don't use AIO before I polish. I use my polishes first and then use AIO (if I'm gonna use it at all). Unless you have some hideous oxidation (as in, worse than I've ever seen on b/c paint) the polishes will cut through the oxidized paint just fine.