Polishing Question

K

kleraudio

New member
Hey everyone,

Why do some say to keep the PC moving when polishing and others say to move very very slowly, (inch per second)? Is one technique better than the other? Can swirls be removed by "keeping the machine moving"? any input from someone that has tried both techniques would be appreciated.



Thanks



Jim
 
Others may disagree, but I think it is more personal preference. I personally, move my cyclo rather quickly. It makes me feel as if the whole panel gets an equal amount of polishing. When there is a specific defect I am trying to remove, I slow down to concentrate on that spot. The pad is moving so quickly that, even moving the polisher around quickly, will not effect the polishing action. The beauty of an orbital, such as a PC, is that you can let it stay in one spot without fear of paint damage. Oh yeah, swirls can definitely be removed with the machine moving quickly.
 
Sure they can be removed by keeping the machine moving - I personally use both techniques and can't tell a difference. If you spend an equal amount of time polishing, I can't concieve of how moving the machine at 3 inches per second would be less productive than 1 inch per second (of course you have to make 3 times as many passes to make them equal). If someone else can logically/scientifically explian otherwise, I'd like to hear it. Actually if you move the machine too slowly before spreading the product around, there is some chance that you will break down a lopsided portion of the abrasives in the polish at the begining of your polishinig run.



Edit: Bingo "Brwill", it appears we posted at nearly the same time and are on the same page.
 
The biggest difference in the use of a PC relates to pressure - if you, say, let the weight of the PC do the work for you - the PC will simply skate around and you'll get nowhere real fast. You must apply pressure.
 
Assuming pressure is applied, can defects be corrected if you are moving the PC at a faster rate? If moving faster, will the polish take longer to break down, but achieve similar results like if you were going an inch per second?





Jim
 
Now that I look into it, it seems opinions vary on this matter. I've removed heavy swirls either way. I think the polish will break down in the same amount of "time" as long as the PC speed setting is the same. My advice is to lay a strip of tape down the middle of a panel and try each way on each side and see if you can tell a difference. Let me know what you find.
 
I use the 1-2 slow passes method as opposed to the multiple fast passes method. Only taking a few passes makes me think that I'm getting done faster :D
 
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