PC question

A

airjames

New member
I have a bad tendency to use too much product. After polishing a few panels on a vehicle, I sometimes would go straight to the next panel and press down and the pad will dispense out as product as you I started with. Mosca, with your permission, I would like to use one of your pictures for reference if that's ok with you?? If this is not clear to you, I mean, When I press down on the PC head, more product comes out of the pad and sometimes I think I don't need to apply anymore but this also makes me think I'm marring the next panel because I didn't apply fresh product to the pad before buffing. Any thoughts here?? Thanks,,,,,,,,AR
 
Mosca gave me the ok to post a pic of one of his pictures into this thread. To Help you guys and me see what I'm talking about. Here's the pic:

3620dscf0046-med.jpg


See here, If I polish a few panels and keep applying product in a thin line edges around the pad everytime I move to a next panel as normal. However, after I've done say 1/2 the vehicle, I can go straight to the next panel without applying fresh product to the pad, press down on the PC head with moderate pressure and make it look like that in the pic. Maybe not as thick as that but very similar,,,,,,AR
 
I share the same concern... I'd also like to introduce another part to the question. I assume most swirl removing polishes contain a diminishing abbrasive, would the "surplus" polish being dispensed out of the pad on additional panels (without reaplying polish from the bottle) already have its abbrasives broken down? Am I right in thinking that if you can still squeeze out product from the pad, it may not be as effecitve as fresh polich from the bottle? If so, then that is a case where despite having extra polish in the pad, you wouldn't want to use it at you progress around the car.
 
I like your thinking T. Perinne One would think that the diminishing abrasives are at least somewhat broken down by the heat of the pad and kept using over and over on each panel. Guess this is where I question, just how much product to use. I don't will ever find the answer to that question IMO. The line between applying too much and too little is too thin to be to the point of having just enough and just alittle too less. But this is just me. If I stick with the same pad throughout the vehicle, that pad is softer than a pillow and soaked with product. I don't do this intentionally but just fear of using too less product I guess,,,,,,,AR
 
IMO the picture above shows the polish as either being too much, or not broken down enough. it looks much too thick to be ready to be removed. if you feel you have pad build up from previous panels, its really easy to fix that. clean the pad, then apply the polish as the first panlel. when it comes to how much polish to use, it depends on many different things. how abrasive the polish is, PC or rotary, the condition of the paint, the heat, etc etc. use as much as needed and when the pad becomes too gunked up, clean it out. you can't go the whole vehicle without having the pad caked with polish and i have found that my polishes and pads work much better without all the build up.



Vernon
 
Thats way too much product on there ! Chances are, the product remaining on the pad, is not broken down in an even state all the way across the pad. For the sake of explanation, lets rate the diminishing abrasives at 1-2-3. You have all three grades remaining on your pad, unless you are polishing with equal pressure on 360 degrees of pad surface, on a completely level surface, which is RARELY the case. As long as you are polishing with visible product on the surface, your using 1-2-3 abrasives. I think your fine. Now you have to ask yourself, wheres the highest temp of product on the pad? Heat, although IMO isnt generated at what would be considered a hi-temp with a PC, vs. with a hi-speed polisher. I would have to say more heat is generated at the edges, due to higher speed of travel. But then again, its more exposed to recirculating air. I think im getting off on a different subject here arent I ? To answer your question, as long as you have visible product, and arent loading the pad, you should be fine. It also helps both pad, and, for even product distribution, if you season your pad prior to applying product, IMO. I do this by dipping the pad in some water, gently squeezing out excess water, and giving it a spin on low. Or you can simply apply it by sprayer. Most QD's will work for this also and help in lubrication. This excercise is purely favorable depending on the product your using though. Obviously oil and water doesnt mix.
 
Thanks guys but I feel I need to clear something up. This is very difficult to explain my problem. I explain things better by showing, not telling, but this is the best I can do.



That's not my pic nor is it a pic how I think product should look when it's ready to be removed. When I polish, I can make the product dispense out that thick like in the pic shown and add moderate pressure but not exactly alike the pic.



Everything else I do thank you for. Yet another reason for me, to pick up a rotary: easier to clean your pads with. Thanks again,,,,,AR
 
you can do that but i wouldnt press down too hard. If you have enough product and you want to go to the next panel i dont see a problem w/ that. If your using a glaze like VM its cool, but if your using a SMR then i wouldnt do it cause you might not be working the product right. but if i use vm or if im using a sealant w/ the pc and theres enough product to get me to the next panel then most of the time i do it. But i dont bog down on the machine to get the product out of the pad.
 
I don't mind *wasting* product per se; I'm not trying to pinch pennies or anything like that. But I've found that using the least amount of any product usually yields the best results.



I only use enough polish to keep it from drying/caking on the areas of the pad that tend to dry out fastest. I sure don't get enough polish on the pad that I can just squeeze it out to do another panel. I usually have to *add* polish to do an entire panel.



Yeah, IMO having too much polish in play tends to interfere with both the cutting and the breaking down. Too much product means too much lubrication for effective (or at least efficient) cutting and conversely IMO it also slows down the diminishing of the abrasives. The PC doesn't generate much heat to begin with, and anything that compromises what little it *does* generate will retard the breakdown. Leads to a vicious circle where nothing's working quite right.
 
I think there is a fine line between using too much and not enough when applying it with a PC.



I agree with Accumulator If you use too much it takes much longer to break the polish down and I also think it's harder to break it all down completely so that will introduce marring. If you use too little of product it will dry or breakdown too fast and won't yield the desired results.





My sig show IP and FP breakdown stages and you can see how much I use and what it looks like breaking down. - I used more polish and stopped before I normally would also with IP to help show what "micromarring" looks like up close.



Like 6']['9 said doing that with glazes, wax or sealants is fine but not with polishes. I'd try using less product and see if that helps.







:xyxthumbs
 
Accumulator said:
Leads to a viscous circle where nothing's working quite right.
Click to expand...



Vicious or viscous? :)



Would you say that running the PC at a higher speed is more effective (say 5 or 5.5) or at a lower speed (say 3-4)?



Thanks!
 
I apply at 3-4, distribute 4-5, work 5-6......turbo or forget it ! This is where the PC makes the huge difference. Anyone can apply the product by hand, even distribution the PC takes the lead, but the actual "work" performed by the PC is unattainable by hand......
 
Good to know. I spent most of time at the 5 setting, but reading the various websites (CMA, etc) started to make me believe that 3.5-4 was the way to go.
 
Lore, again, it depends on what your trying to accomplish, products used, and pad selection......Willing to experiment is your best assett.....
 
Lore said:
Good to know. I spent most of time at the 5 setting, but reading the various websites (CMA, etc) started to make me believe that 3.5-4 was the way to go.
Click to expand...



I don't know what model PC you have but on mine which is the 7336SP, there is no 3.5, 5.5 etc... It's either 1-2-3-etc...



Thanks for all the help guys. It's been awhile since I used my PC. I should get out, provding weather permits, get out and work with it again. I'm pondering some other techniques and how to apply the product. For instance, usually before I started noticing my too much product problem, before moving to the next panel, I would apply product in a thin line around the outer part of the pad, but not on the edge. I'll see what I can do,,,,,AR
 
Airborne Ranger said:
I don't know what model PC you have but on mine which is the 7336SP, there is no 3.5, 5.5 etc... It's either 1-2-3-etc...
Click to expand...



:nixweiss My PC is labeled only 1-2-3 AR, but it detents halfway between; I think that's what everybody means by 3.5, 5.5, etc.
 
Airborne Ranger said:
I don't know what model PC you have but on mine which is the 7336SP, there is no 3.5, 5.5 etc... It's either 1-2-3-etc...



Thanks for all the help guys. It's been awhile since I used my PC. I should get out, provding weather permits, get out and work with it again. I'm pondering some other techniques and how to apply the product. For instance, usually before I started noticing my too much product problem, before moving to the next panel, I would apply product in a thin line around the outer part of the pad, but not on the edge. I'll see what I can do,,,,,AR
Click to expand...



I also have the 7336SP. By 3.5, 5.5, etc, I mean the notches between the numbers. The PC's speed is very adjustable since each slight movement of the knob will increase/decrease the orbital speed.
 
Yeah, it's variable between speeds *except* for between 5 and 6. On every PC I've ever seen the actual speed of the machine goes straight from 5 to 6 with no intermediate speed. You can set the speed dial to "5.5" but it won't actually run "faster than 5, slower than 6".
 
Accumulator said:
Yeah, it's variable between speeds *except* for between 5 and 6. On every PC I've ever seen the actual speed of the machine goes straight from 5 to 6 with no intermediate speed. You can set the speed dial to "5.5" but it won't actually run "faster than 5, slower than 6".
Click to expand...



Hmmm....I'm gonna hafta check that one out....
 
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