MarkD51
11-15-2012, 07:38 PM
Hello folks,
Well, today was the day I chose to put my brand spankin new Porter Cable Machine to work!
Had everything for about for a good week now, and of course I was itching to try it.
First thing I found, was the brand new LC 5" Backing Plate won't screw onto the machine! Bummer! The threads were so malformed, and evidently smashed at the end, that no matter what, it would not thread on. I wasn't willing to bugger the threads on the PC Nut.
The other two Backing Plates, the cheapie that comes with the machine, and the LC 3.5" I also ordered went on without issue.
(With all the darn tools I have, and being a mechanic (Amtrak) for 30 straight years, and an easy $4K worth of Snap on tools, which are probably $6.5K today, the way Snap On is today with their Warren Buffet prices, I do not have a Tap&Die Set!)
So, I set out to get something accomplished, and I used the White PC Pad-Backing Plate to do the roof, and hood, and then switched to the smaller LC 4" CCS Pads to do one side of the vehicle, (2001 Kia Spectra) which actually worked out well for this small car, and working in small sections on the side body panels. I used the 4" LC Orange CCS Pad for the sides.
I used two products, Wolfgang Swirl Remover, and Wolfgang Sealant 3.0.
The Car was washed, clayed with some mother's I had lying around yesterday, and I did just a basic clean water wipe
down before proceding with the PC Machine, and products.
Keep in mind, this car is no garage queen, it wasn't mint when I bought the car 7 years ago used, was an Alaska Car, probably previously owned by a military person, and was in somewhat sad shape after I got the car home those many years ago.
This was the second time the car was ever clayed, and had machine work done to it. The first, was with my Milwuakee Rotary, and 3M Perfect-It Foam Pad Glaze, and then Collinite Paste
Well, this car sure isn't a Porsche Panamera, and it's got it's battle scars, everything from Miata-Sized Tumbleweeds hitting it, 7 years of dust storms, blazing southwest desert sun, and heat, and even dumb kids shooting at me with their BB Guns, as I drove down the street on one occasion.
There's chips, small scratches, and whatnot that nothing short of a new paintjob will ever get rid of.
But all in all, the processes, and the products all worked admirably, the Wolfgang products I used are very nice.
I simply hand applied the sealant with a yellow Poly foam applicator after each section was polished. I waited a 1/2 hour after Sealant application to remove.
Certainly not mint this daily driver, but the finish is like glass, not a swirl anywhere. I'm still not done with one side, that might be tomorrow.
Watching many of Mike's videos prepared me for what to expect with the PC7424XP, and how to properly use it.
As he mentions, and advises, I do note one must pay strict attention to keeping the machine level on any surface, otherwise you kill the action of the machine. This of course I know is notthe case with a machine like the Flex 3401 DA. Maybe one day I'll spring for one, but there's nothing at all wrong with how the PC works, I like it!
BTW, the color of my Kia beater, is Magenta-Maroon metallic, and it was a good, darkish color to see better, all the processes from start to finish.
Rather than trying to fix the B/O LC Backing Plate, I called AG, and thery have a new one on its way to me.
Mark
Well, today was the day I chose to put my brand spankin new Porter Cable Machine to work!
Had everything for about for a good week now, and of course I was itching to try it.
First thing I found, was the brand new LC 5" Backing Plate won't screw onto the machine! Bummer! The threads were so malformed, and evidently smashed at the end, that no matter what, it would not thread on. I wasn't willing to bugger the threads on the PC Nut.
The other two Backing Plates, the cheapie that comes with the machine, and the LC 3.5" I also ordered went on without issue.
(With all the darn tools I have, and being a mechanic (Amtrak) for 30 straight years, and an easy $4K worth of Snap on tools, which are probably $6.5K today, the way Snap On is today with their Warren Buffet prices, I do not have a Tap&Die Set!)
So, I set out to get something accomplished, and I used the White PC Pad-Backing Plate to do the roof, and hood, and then switched to the smaller LC 4" CCS Pads to do one side of the vehicle, (2001 Kia Spectra) which actually worked out well for this small car, and working in small sections on the side body panels. I used the 4" LC Orange CCS Pad for the sides.
I used two products, Wolfgang Swirl Remover, and Wolfgang Sealant 3.0.
The Car was washed, clayed with some mother's I had lying around yesterday, and I did just a basic clean water wipe
down before proceding with the PC Machine, and products.
Keep in mind, this car is no garage queen, it wasn't mint when I bought the car 7 years ago used, was an Alaska Car, probably previously owned by a military person, and was in somewhat sad shape after I got the car home those many years ago.
This was the second time the car was ever clayed, and had machine work done to it. The first, was with my Milwuakee Rotary, and 3M Perfect-It Foam Pad Glaze, and then Collinite Paste
Well, this car sure isn't a Porsche Panamera, and it's got it's battle scars, everything from Miata-Sized Tumbleweeds hitting it, 7 years of dust storms, blazing southwest desert sun, and heat, and even dumb kids shooting at me with their BB Guns, as I drove down the street on one occasion.
There's chips, small scratches, and whatnot that nothing short of a new paintjob will ever get rid of.
But all in all, the processes, and the products all worked admirably, the Wolfgang products I used are very nice.
I simply hand applied the sealant with a yellow Poly foam applicator after each section was polished. I waited a 1/2 hour after Sealant application to remove.
Certainly not mint this daily driver, but the finish is like glass, not a swirl anywhere. I'm still not done with one side, that might be tomorrow.
Watching many of Mike's videos prepared me for what to expect with the PC7424XP, and how to properly use it.
As he mentions, and advises, I do note one must pay strict attention to keeping the machine level on any surface, otherwise you kill the action of the machine. This of course I know is notthe case with a machine like the Flex 3401 DA. Maybe one day I'll spring for one, but there's nothing at all wrong with how the PC works, I like it!
BTW, the color of my Kia beater, is Magenta-Maroon metallic, and it was a good, darkish color to see better, all the processes from start to finish.
Rather than trying to fix the B/O LC Backing Plate, I called AG, and thery have a new one on its way to me.
Mark