at war with my 7424xp. Spinning issues

**heckhole** · 10-01-2015, 01:42 PM

I use a combination of my PC & rotary to buff. There are times where I feel the PC works better and other times where my rotary is the only thing that helps me get home from the shop before 3am.

I've recently gone to war with my PC. Only my thin microfiber pads will spin and oscillate. I'm using my 5" backing plate with lake country pads and it seems once I've washed the pads, they lose their true round and the PC just can't handle it. The microfiber pads can morph into any shape and still spin properly.

But I have not had any luck with finishing down using MF. it just takes too long and under halogen lighting I see an unacceptable amount of marring.

What is my solution for foam pads for my PC? I love using the hexagon style pads for cutting, in my experience they cut better and faster than any combination I've tried with a rotary. I am having a hard time finding a finishing pad that will still spin after using it for 10 minutes.

I've recently taken on a massive contract that could keep me busy for years. I don't have time to be cursing at my PC anymore.

**Kamakaz1961** · 10-01-2015, 01:55 PM

If I were you get a more powerful DA. I have the PC7424 XP and it is a great DA, however, on the weaker side. I now use my PC for 1" to 3" Pads and do minor correcting with that. You mentioned you have been awarded a big contract. Time is your factor in being successful or not. The PC IMO will actually "waste" time in the long run.

You will save a tremendous amount of time by upgrading to a more powerful DA.

I am not going to suggest which one as there are a bazillion threads about which DA to get.

I do know that the most talked about and compared DA's are the Flex 3401 VRG and the Rupes DA's. More recently, the new Boss system has been in the who's better threads too.

IMO, any one of those should suffice as a big upgrade. I would delegate the PC for smaller duties.

**heckhole** · 10-01-2015, 02:23 PM

The newer RO's work better than the PC with the hex pads or microfiber pads?

I can work out swirls and minor scratches faster with my PC than my Rotary for the most part, but I have a more finish-ready paint using my Rotary and over an entire car, I can cut my time almost in half with a rotary, but I have rarely been able to buff an entire car with a rotary.

Last night I fought with a black X5, I couldn't get some swirls and minor scratching to come out with my rotary, orange pad & Meg 105. It took 2-3 complete passes around 1400rpm and the heat being generated was just too much. Switched to another spot & my PC with a yellow hex & Meg 105 removed it on the first complete pass. Just had to spend an extra few minutes finishing the hood down in certain areas.

I don't like using my PC for entire cars, don't get me wrong. But for spot areas that run a high risk of burning through, or are just cumbersome to use a rotary in, I love my PC. Are you saying that I would be able to do a FULL car faster with say, a Flex RO?

I wouldn't mind putting away the rotary all together except for projects that require speed vs quality. My current contract is going to be a mix of both.

**VISITOR** · 10-01-2015, 03:16 PM

Originally Posted by heckhole

Are you saying that I would be able to do a FULL car faster with say, a Flex RO?

the flex DA is consistent in it's rotation since it's gear driven (will not stop), it's like having the best of both (rotary & DA) worlds. the G21 is another great option as well as it will cover more ground (2-3X more) with it's larger throw than the standard traditional PC-style DA. if I were doing this for a living (or consistently busy on the side), I would definitely consider at least one or both of these...

**choijw2** · 10-01-2015, 03:28 PM

PC is great but I use it for final polishing or waxing.
and use Rupes 21es as main.

if i were doing most of work with regular DA polisher,
i would use GG 6" over PC,

it has much more torque and will cut faster than PC at same setting.

**heckhole** · 10-01-2015, 04:14 PM

I love my Dewalt rotary, I use it majority of the time, there seems to be some times where it's almost ineffective on certain cars.

I've ran into a few Mercedes where my rotary did nothing but create heat and generate insane heat and my PC ended up being the life saver, oddly enough.

I primarily use the PC for spots near sharp edges, odd door contours, etc. With the hexagon pads and pretty much any compounds I've been happy with how fast it works, even happier with mf pads but don't enjoy the extra time it takes to finish out what a MF does in my experience.

For example: the X5 Hood paint seemed 50x harder to correct than the rest of the car. I was doing 3-4 complete passes in a small section and by the 3rd or 4th pass I was still working in the scratches that were hidden beneath the swirls. My hex pad on the PC went through it first complete pass. I've had issues like this with some Mercedes too.

**choijw2** · 10-01-2015, 04:31 PM

what was your pad/ compound combination?

was it new pad or used?

Mike Phillips · 10-01-2015, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by heckhole

I'm using my 5" backing plate with lake country pads

Just to double check because Lake Country makes a LOT of foam pads....

Are your foam pads the simple, 5.5" Flat Pads? Or something else?

Lake Country

5.5" Flat Pads

In order from the most to the least aggressive

Yellow = Cutting pad (most aggressive)
Orange = Light Cutting Pad
White = Polishing Pad
Black = Finishing Pad
Blue = Waxing Pad (softest)

The above is from this article....

Video: Mark your backing plate to make it easy to see pad rotation

Mike Phillips · 10-01-2015, 04:37 PM

Also just to double check....

You DO have a compression washer between the backing plate and the spindle?

Yes?

Lack of a compression washer can bind up the rotation of the backing plate.

Here's my article on this topic....

The Compression Washer

The Purpose of the Compression Washer

The compression washer performs multiple functions,

Crushable Interface
The compression washer provides a crushable or malleable interface between two pieces of metal that are going to see a lot of pressure from being tightened together with a wrench and my guess is a lot of punishment from the operator. I punish all my tools... so it's not a reach to think others are going to punish their's too. Add to the above mix, the violent oscillating action of the tool on the highest speed setting and add to that t-i-m-e...

By time, I mean putting your polisher to work buffing out a car section-by-section, panel-after-panel. As Pros know and anyone that wants to get the job in a decent amount of time, when you start buffing out a car you have to keep the tool running and buffing on paint. There's no breaks. That's time of endured punishment.

Point being is you want and need the crushable interface between two pieces of metal on an electric tool capable of running at high OPM's.

Spacer
They also act as an actual spacer between the arbor or stud seat where there are the raised heads of a type of rivet or brad that anchors the arbor base to the the backing plate and the threaded portion of the Free Rotating Spindle Bearing Assembly.

Free Rotating Spindle Bearing Assembly

Here you can see a compression washer seated at the base or seat of the 5/16" arbor or stud where it's attached into the backing plate surrounded by the raised heads of the rivets or attachment anchors.

Mike Phillips · 10-01-2015, 04:39 PM

And just in case you didn't know.... Meguiar's introduced the thinnest foam pads on the market at this time. This was about one year ago as I did a write-up for them for SEMA last year.

Here's my article, really amazing before and after pictures....

NEW! Meguiar’s Foam Buffing Discs

Here's a shot showing the difference between Megs thin foam discs and LC's thin foam pads....