first time using pc7424

F

fullvllan

New member
after a ton of reading and waiting for good weather, i finally got a chance to use my pc. i must say im very impressed, though my technique needs refining. i was able to remove the majority of swirls/spiderwebs, but there are still some subtle ones left. also i guess i also have some hazing? not sure how else to describe it, looks like streaks but only at different angles.



i used 1zpp with orange das pad at speed 3, followed with 1zmp with green pad at speed 3, then 1z wax by hand.



so im not sure what working down the polish means or looks like. at first i tried going slow and steady as directed on the autopia how to page with PP until it started caking up and bits of solidified polish started flying outta the pad. was that polishing too much or too long? i got a bit cautious after that and didnt work it in as long for the rest of the car.



also not sure if i like 1z wax, its very watery and kinda hard to tell if i missed a spot... i think ill try to put it in a spray bottle.
 
Howdy,



I have used my PC 4x's now and I noticed the same thing at first.



I then SLOWED the movement of the machine and worked the polish in.



I did notice a few swirls still but a definite improvement. The finish is great.



My Saab has small metallic speckels that i had not noticed before.



With time, I'm sure I'll be proficient in the use of this tool..





Steve
 
fullvllan,



I'm glad you are happy with your results, great job, but looking at your process you aren't actually seeing what is truly possible with your PC/polish combination.



First off, congrats on your first purchase. Great choices.



Now, your PC speed isn't high enough. All polishing should be done around speed 5 or you won't break it down correctly. On top of that, if you were seeing chunks of polish, you were using WAY too much product. Whatever you were using, cut it in half. You should be polishing a 2x2 area at a time, no more. 1ZPP is great stuff and it doesn't really *dust* too much but rather kind of disappears. Move the polisher around very slowly, and let the machine do the work.



You didn't mention what pads you were using, but PP should be used with a medium level polishing pad.



After that is done, your finish should be near perfect and all defects should be gone. If they aren't, go over the areas again and again until they are gone. I've literally worked on a single scratch for 15 minutes before getting it out, so don't be afraid. Just keep the machine moving slowly and take your time.



After PP is MP with the lightest polishing pad you have. Some kits only have one polishing pad, so you would need a second pad just like you used with your PP. Again, work it in the same way as PP on speed 5.



Once that is done, you should be amazed at what's left. 1Z GW is very odd at first, but looks magnificent and last a very long time. It *is* hard to see, but putting it in a spray bottle and applying via PC (speed 4 or 4.5) with a finishing pad does a great job at applying it evenly. You can even go over the whole car twice if you want to ensure full, even coverage.
 
thanks for the tips, hopefully ill find some time and good weather next week to give it another shot. but i dont think i was using too much polish, i did the x across the pad. i put the polishes in 4 ounce squeeze bottles just to make it easier to put on the pad, and ended using about 1/3 of the bottle for both PP and MP. maybe i put too much the first time and didnt notice, i was pretty stoked with actually getting to use the pc.



one thing that i did forget to mention is that when i first started, the pc seemed to vibrate a lot. i dont use power tools very often so i was sure if it was the counter weight or just the motion of the pc. after doing a couple sections i switched from the 6 inch counter to the 5in and it was vibrating just as much. though when i switched from the sonus orange pad to the sonus green there was less vibrating and easier to manage. any thoughts or maybe by then i was getting used to using it. think ill try switching back to 6in counterweight and see how it is next time.



i have some before pics, ill get some after pics next time round



i think picture 3 is a nice example of orange peel



1: hood

2: trunk

3: driver side door

4: quarter panel



http://www.eden.rutgers.edu/~andrewf/pics/800x600/

http://www.eden.rutgers.edu/~andrewf/pics/1024x768/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top