what I should know/read as a newbie?

[wakame]

my wife got me a PC 7424xp as a birthday present. I am very new to detailing with a DA. however, I've been detailing manually for a while now. Since I am very new with the DA, can you tell me which pad I will need? What additional items I must get? I have a wide variety of Meguiar products. This is what I am planning to work on.

2007 Honda Civic Si black. The car has a lot of swirl mark and bleemishes, over all it still has a nice shine to it, hoping to get it back in shape.
2010 Hyundai Genesis white. Still has the show car looks to it, but wanting to protect and give it a good protective layer.

I will be using the 2 buckets method for washing.
Clay with Meguiar clay bar
wax, polish...

Please help me get everything I need to know to get this done the proper way.

[Mike Phillips]

Any one of these would be a great addition to your new PC, the book is very detailed...



Resources

E-book (http://www.autogeek.net/art-of-detailing-e-book.html)
(Displayed on iPad - iPad not included)
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/715/medium/EbookCarWashingPage.jpg

Paperback
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/715/medium/paperbackDetailingBook01.jpg (http://www.autogeek.net/art-of-detailing-paperback-book.html)


How to Properly Use the Porter Cable 7424XP Dual Action Polisher Updated! (http://www.autogeek.net/porter-cable-dvd.html)
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1313/PorterCableDVD.jpg


Pinnacle Complete Car Care System Instructional How-to DVD (http://www.autogeek.net/picocarcasyi.html)
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1313/PinnacleDVD.jpg


Mike Phillips' The Art Of Detailing Audio Book (http://www.autogeek.net/art-of-detailing-audio-book.html)
http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/autogeek_2201_75669630


Mike Phillips' Principles of Machine Polishing
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/824/AGSCGDVD001.jpg (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/new-car-care-products/24852-autogeek-show-car-garage-video.html)



:)

[Mike Phillips]

My article list (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/23722-articles-mike-phillips.html) has lots of articles specific to,

The DA Polishers
Pads for the DA Polishers
Backing Plates to the DA Polishers and just about everything you can think of...


Here's a good primer...

DA Polisher Trouble Shooting Guide (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/37769-da-polisher-trouble-shooting-guide.html)


When you're first starting out machine polishing and learning to use a DA Polisher it's common to have questions about your results and your results are directly tied to your technique.

Here's a list of the most common problems,

1. Trying to work too large of an area at one time.

2. Moving the polisher too fast over the surface.

3. Using too low of speed setting for removing swirls.

4. Using too little downward pressure on the head of the polisher.

5. Using too much downward pressure on the head of the polisher so the pad quits rotating.

6. Not holding the polisher in a way to keep the pad flat while working your compound or polish.

7. Using too much product or using too little product.

8. Not cleaning the pad often enough.

Here's a list of the solutions in matching order,

1. Trying to work too large of an area at one time.
Shrink the size of your work area down. You can't tackle to large of an area at one time. The average size work area should be around 20" by 20". Most generic recommendations say to work an area 2' by 2' but for the correction step, that's too large. You have to do some experimenting, (called a Test Spot), to find out how easy or how hard the defects are coming out of your car's paint system and then adjust your work area to the results of your Test Spot. The harder the paint the smaller the area you want to work.


2. Moving the polisher too fast over the surface.
For removing defects out of the paint you want to use what we call a Slow Arm Speed. It's easy and actually natural for most people new to machine polishing to move the polisher quickly over the paint but that's the wrong technique. One reason I think people move the polisher too quickly over the paint is because they hear the sound of the motor spinning fast and this has psychological effect which causes them to match their arm movement to the perceived fast speed of the polisher's motor.

Another reason people move the polisher too quickly over the paint is because they think like this,

"If I move the polisher quickly, I'll get done faster"

But it doesn't work that way. Anytime you're trying to remove swirls, scratches, water spots or oxidation using a DA Polisher you need to move the polisher s-l-o-w-l-y over the paint.



3. Using too low of speed setting for removing swirls.
When first starting out many people are scared of burning or swirling their paint, so they take the safe route of running the polisher at too low of a speed setting but this won't work. The action of the polisher is already g-e-n-t-l-e, you need the speed and specifically the pad oscillating and rotating over the paint as well as the combination of time, (slow arm speed), together with the abrasives, the pad aggressiveness, and the downward pressure to remove small particles of paint which is how your remove below surface defects like swirls or scratches.

Removing below surface defects is a leveling process where you need the abrasives to take little bites out of the paint and to get the abrasives to take these little bites with a tool that uses a Free Floating Spindle Bearing Assembly (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot-topics-frequently-asked-questions/23995-free-floating-spindle-assembly-story-behind-story.html) you need all of the above factors working for you including a high speed setting.



4. Using too little downward pressure on the head of the polisher.
For the same reason as stated in #3, people are scared, or perhaps a better word is apprehensive, to apply too much downward pressure to the polisher and the result of too little pressure is no paint is removed thus no swirls are removed.



5. Using too much downward pressure on the head of the polisher so the pad quits rotating.
If you push too hard you will slow down the rotating movement of the pad and the abrasives won't be effectively worked against the paint. You need to apply firm pressure to engage the abrasives against the paint but no so much that the pad is barely rotating. This is where it's a good idea to use a permanent black marker to make a mark on the back of your backing plate so your eyes can easily see if the pad is rotating or not and this will help you to adjust your downward pressure accordingly.

Correct technique means finding a balance of applying enough downward pressure to remove defects but not too much downward pressure as to stop the rotating movement of the pad.

This balance is affected by a lot of factors like the lubricity of the product you're using, some compounds and polishes provide more lubrication than others and this makes it easier to maintain pad rotation under pressure.

Another factor that can affect pad rotation are raised body lines, edges and curved surfaces as anytime you have uneven pressure on just a portion of the face of the pad it can slow or stop pad rotation. This is where experience comes into play and experience comes from time spent behind the polisher.



6. Not holding the polisher in a way to keep the pad flat while working your compound or polish.
Applying pressure in such a way as to put too much pressure to one edge of the pad will cause it to stop rotating and thus decrease abrading ability.



7. Using too much product or using too little product.
Too much product hyper-lubricates the surface and the result is that abrasives won't effectively bite into the paint but instead will tend to skim over the surface. Overusing product will also accelerate pad saturation as well increase the potential for slinging splatter onto adjacent panels.

Too little product will means too little lubrication and this can interfere with pad rotation.

Again there needs to be a balance between too much product and too little product and finding this balance comes from reading articles like this one, watching videos an most important, going out into the garage and putting in time behind the polisher and as you're buffing with specific product and pad combinations, pay attention to pad rotation.



8. Not cleaning the pad often enough.
Most people simply don't clean their pad often enough to maximize the effectiveness of their DA Polisher. Anytime you're abrading the paint you have two things building up on the face of your buffing pad,

Removed paint


Spent product

As these to things build up on the face of the pad they become gummy and this has a negative affect on pad rotating plus makes wiping the leftover residue on the paint more difficult. To maintain good pad rotation you want to clean your pad often and always wipe-off any leftover product residue off the paint after working a section. Never add fresh product to your pad and work a section that still has leftover product residue on it.


Pad Cleaning Articles

Why it's important to clean your pads often... (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/tricks-tips-techniques/28755-why-s-important-clean-your-pads-often.html)

How to clean your foam pad on the fly (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/20135-how-clean-your-foam-pad-fly.html)

How to use the Grit Guard Universal Pad Washer (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-videos/24325-video-how-use-grit-guard-universal-pad-washer.html)


:buffing:

:)

[Mike Phillips]

If you read the below you'll know more than the average person about machine polishing paint...

DA Polisher Articles - Help for Newbies to Machine Polishing (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/questions-about-porter-cable-7424xp-7424-7336-griot-s-meguiar-s-dual-action-polishers/38399-da-polisher-articles-help-newbies-machine-polishing.html)



:)

[BobbyG]

I was going to chime in here but Mike's got you pretty much covered.

I have some great product recommendations and if you'd like I can post them for your viewing and reading pleasure...

Foam Pads

To simplify pad usage, here's a generic usage of pads and products.

Compounding


Compounds or aggressive products are generally used on firmer pads, Yellow, Orange, and Green.

Polishing


The Green, White and Gray pads are generally used with polishes.

Sealants & Wax


Use either a Blue or Red foam pad for applying these

Meguiar's DA Microfiber Correction System.


Meguiar's really hit a home run with it's Dual Action Microfiber Correction System. It's simple, effective, and works very well.

[wakame]

what brand would you recommend buying? there are too many different type of pads. Even better, please suggest which one to buy.

[wakame]

here is what I am planning on getting

Klasse AIO
Wolfgang Swirl Remover 3.0
Collinite 845


now point me to what else I need and what kind of pad I should be getting for these products.

[BobbyG]

what brand would you recommend buying? there are too many different type of pads. Even better, please suggest which one to buy.

The recommendations in my other post are Lake Country colors and give you an idea of what pad to use when compounding, polishing, and sealant - wax application...

Through Autogeek a few different brand pads are available...



Lake Country
Meguiar's
Surbuf
3M


For use on Porter Cable 7424 style dual action polishers I recommend the 5 1/2" flat pads and corresponding backing plate.

Lake Country Backing Plate (http://www.autogeek.net/lc43125.html)
Lake Country Flat Pads (http://www.autogeek.net/lake-country-beveled-pad-kit.html)

This is a very handy chart specifically for Menzerna products and the appropriate Lake Country pads to be used..

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s225/BobbyG53/Detailing/MenzernaChart3.jpg

[BobbyG]

here is what I am planning on getting

Klasse AIO
Wolfgang Swirl Remover 3.0
Collinite 845

now point me to what else I need and what kind of pad I should be getting for these products.

Lake Country 5 1/2" Flat Pads


Klasse AIO - Orange & White
Wolfgang Swirl Remover 3.0 - Orange & White
Collinite 845 - Blue

[Vegas Transplant]

One of the most overlooked and/or hurriedly read items is simply...the manufacturers directions. One would be amazed at the number of situations that arise here on the forum from user lack of product information...which, most often, is supplied by the maker. Happy detailing...

[wakame]

great, thanks for all the help. Do I need more products? I have some Meguiars QD, and variety of store bought products. What else would compliment those products?