Newb and in need of help asap pc7424xp

[Mike Phillips]

Just got my buffer today =o. Not sure if I am doing it correct. Feedback would be great.

Since you're in Florida, you might be interested in these upcoming classes, especially the first one...


Detailing Classes in January

You must have previously taken Detailing 101 in order to sign-up for Detailing 102, if you haven't then sign up for both if you want to attend the Detailing 102 Wetsanding and Rotary Buffer Class.

Detailing 101 - Machine Polishing - Saturday January 29th


Detailing 102 - Wetsanding, Cutting and Buffing for a Show Car Finish - Sunday January 30th

[Mike Phillips]

Here's another related and important article...

Why it's important to clean your pads often...

ANYTIME you're abrading the surface whether you're using an aggressive cutting compound of an ultra fine polish, you have two things building up on the face of your buffing pad...

• Spent product
• Removed paint

You need to remove both of these substances from the face of the pad and the panel you're working on before you apply fresh product. If you don't,

• Adding fresh product to spent product and removed paint adulterates the fresh product, it also dilutes it.
• Buffing with a dirty pad will be more difficult.
• The product will cake-up on the face of the pad.
• The product will become gummy on the paint and hard to wipe off.

How to clean your pads and other options to make buffing clean again...

• You can scrub the face of the pad with a nylon brush like a pad conditioning brush or even a nylon toothbrush
• If using a Dual Action Polisher or a Rotary Buffer you can clean your pad on the fly with a terry cloth towel
• You can wash your pads in a bucket of water
• You can wash your pads in a sink under running water
• You can wash your pads in a pad washer
• You can switch to a clean, dry pad
• You can switch to a brand new pad

I just buffed out half the hood on an oxidized 1959 Cadillac and used the technique along with a nylon brush and it works adequately enough to allow me to work clean and get back to work quickly.


That's the whole idea behind cleaning your pad on the fly... you can remove a majority of the spent product and removed paint and then get back to running the buffer... buffing out an entire car already takes a l-o-n-g time... stopping to do some kind of pad cleaning procedure that isn't quick and easy keeps you from buffing on the paint.


Fast methods include,

• Pad Washers
• Cleaning your pad on the fly with a terry cloth towel
• Using a nylon pad conditioning brush
• Using a Spur if you're using a wool pad on a rotary buffer

Slow methods, (they might work well but they take you away from buffing on the car)

• You can wash your pads in a bucket of water
• You can wash your pads in a sink under running water

[jrendant]

first i want to thank all of you for the replies and taking the time to read my entire post. i washed the car first then i claybard the whole car and like i said i started on the front fender after i cleaned the pad. right after i moved on to the door and only worked in a 2x2 section or less. i turned the pc to 6 and right after i noticed the caked product i felt the pad and it was extremely warm i dont know what caused it to do that.i also think i applied too much product. i went with the 6.5 pads bc i felt that i could get the job done faster but i was originally going to buy the 5.5s i will definately try this next time. this might sound crazy but i really want to get the new flex polisher that will be available soon. i can control the pc just fine but from the teaser video that was posted on the new flex the other day it looked like it was the perfect size and design. i just want to learn the proper techniques to use and the right pad and product combos b4 i place the order for a more user advanced product, even though i kno i could learn on my own right now by going very slow id rather have more experience with everything first. also just wondering how many pads would you use for a normal midsize car for compounding and polishing? do you have to have one for each panel? bc if u dont want to put fresh product on the next panel after you just did say the hood would you need a fresh pad?

[jrendant]

also im trying to do this to make extra money and eventually make this a full time business that i would like to have in the future although currently i dont have any extra money to buy any more stuff until i can make some money with what i have right now. so as much advice you guys could provide i truly appreciate.

[ROMEO]

Ideally, I think 2 pads per compound/polish you will use, and for the compound, you might end up needing 3, if you don't want to have to clean them as you go...

Here is another article by Mike that might hep you on how many pads you use How to clean your foam pad on the fly when using a Porter Cable style DA Polisher (Not sure if Mike posted it here).

From what I do understand, 6.5" pads are a bit too big for the PCXP, 5.5" are better, I do all the correction with the 3401, and use the PCXP for sealers and waxes.

I would suggest you do practice a lot with the PCXP, you can do a lot with it, you will know for sure when you are ready to make the move to a rotary, remember, that it is easy to burn the clear with a rotary, and like I said before, the PCXP is a very capable machine, after all, like you said, you want to make money, no spend it all...

[tuscarora dave]

Here's a question for you...

How large an area are you working?

I wrote an explanation as to how trying to work too large an area can lead to your product drying up as you're trying to work it here,

Tips for working in warm/hot weather or direct sunlight

This is the one thing that messed me up the most with polishing paint. Until I could get it through my head that doing a smaller section at a time was actually faster overall, I beat my head against the wall and continued to get myself frustrated. I am not sure why this was such a hard lesson for me to learn but eventually I had to surrender my ideas and listen to the voice of experience. Boy am I glad I finally got it.

[jrendant]

im going to try and get the 5.5 pads as i know you guys are right about the pcxp being a little under powered for the 6.5 i will definately try and work in smaller sections. also about putting too much product on i feel like if i cant see the product i didnt use enough and same with too much i feel like i have to work it longer.

[tuscarora dave]

If you're wondering about the Kevin Brown method of pad priming, there is some good information on where to find the theory behind it in this thread. http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...bm-method.html

[Kurt_s]

This is the one thing that messed me up the most with polishing paint. Until I could get it through my head that doing a smaller section at a time was actually faster overall, I beat my head against the wall and continued to get myself frustrated. I am not sure why this was such a hard lesson for me to learn but eventually I had to surrender my ideas and listen to the voice of experience. Boy am I glad I finally got it.

I've been there!

Ideally, I think 2 pads per compound/polish you will use, and for the compound, you might end up needing 3, if you don't want to have to clean them as you go...

I would suggest you do practice a lot with the PCXP, you can do a lot with it, you will know for sure when you are ready to make the move to a rotary, remember, that it is easy to burn the clear with a rotary, and like I said before, the PCXP is a very capable machine, after all, like you said, you want to make money, no spend it all...

I find that I use more compound pads than polishing pads per car, especailly when the paint is really badly oxidized or swirled. You may find it faster to use one pad per major panel section (hood, roof, trunk, left side, right side) if you don't want to wash the pad (you will still need to clean the pad of removed paint and spent compound between 12"x12", 18"x18" or 24"x24" sections). You simply drop your pad into a bucket of pad cleaner and keep working.

I find that a damp pad seems to heat up while a dry pad does not as much, which may explain why your pad gets so hot. As best I can figure, if the pad is not fully dried from washing, the motor/gears heat travels down the spindle through the backing plate threaded stem to the pad and heats the water in the damp pad. The solution is to always use a dry pad.

The 5.5" pads help keep the PCXP pad spinning under correction pressure. Practice getting that 15-20lbs of pressure on the paint with the PCXP while keeping the pad rotating if you want to cut.

I just ordered some HT thin pads to try, where I am hoping that they will cut faster and finish with less marring than using a yellow or orange pad during the correction stage. If the HT pads cut faster and finish nicer than corresponding cutting and polishing pads, one may be able to reduce polishing steps in some cases. Certainly something to try since you need to buy some 5.5" pads anyway.

Surbugs are supposed to allow a PCXP to cut like a rotary with less risk of burning through the paint. $12 is pretty cheap to try the surbufs before spending money on a rotary with its inherit risks and learning curve.

One of these days, I want to either try a friend's Flex 3401 or attend a detailing class/detailfest to try the Flex. If one can cut hours from the correction step several times a year, $300 for a Flex might be worth it. The PC certainly made a huge difference from manual steps for me, and the PC offers you a way to learn machine polishing techniques at a low cost and low risk of damaging your paint. You will still want your PC for wax and sealant application even if you buy the Flex from what I have read.

[Mike Phillips]

You may find it faster to use one pad per major panel section

This is very true... if you can, it's faster and cleaner to switch to a new pad for each panel... you eliminate a lot of "potential" for problems by simply starting clean on each panel.

You'll find a clean, dry pad buffs better on any tool and your product choice will perform better AND the residue will wipe off easier. These things along will allow you to do the job faster with less fatigue...

All of the above is especially true with a tool that uses a Free Floating Spindle Assembly but still true for ANY machine.

If the average car has,

Hood
Roof
Trunk lid
4 Fenders
2 Doors

That would be on average 9 pads for the correction step. If the car has 4 doors then 11 pads or somewhere around there, you get the idea.

The correction step could be a dedicated compound or a one-step cleaner/wax, both approaches are going to maximize the cleaning and abrading ability of your pad and it's effectiveness over the buffing cycle.

If you're using a cleaner/wax, after you buff out the car you're done. Pack your pads and clean them at home.

If you're doing a multiple-step process, the first step, the heavy chopping or cutting step is where having plenty of pads is going to make the most difference.

Polishing after the defects have been removed requires less time, thus less pad saturation and pad soiling, so you can work more surface area at a high level of efficiency with less pads. But... if you have them... use them...

Then for the dedicated waxing or sealing step you normally only need one pad if you're working by machine.

When it comes to detailing cars... more pads is better...
(You can quote me on that...)