First time with the Porter Cable 7424 Xp

**detailrayge** · 06-10-2014, 04:10 AM

Got a good deal on a 97 GMC Sierra the issue was it was a mess. Dirty beyond belief. There are swirl marks and scratches over the entire body. It was washed with a 2 bucket method then clayed. I used the PC and an orange hex logic 5.5 and M105 for the first run then the white 5.5 and M 205. The truck has an awesome shine but there are still some swirls and scratches. I started to notice toward the end of the job that when using the M105 and the orange pad it stopped leave a nice even swirl, it started to leave this mess behind kinda splotchy and when I tried to wipe the area down before moving to the M205 it was hard to impossible to get it off. I ended up going over the panel with the 205 and it took the residue from the 105 and glossed it up nicely. Any advice

**BobbyG** · 06-10-2014, 04:54 AM

It sounds as if the pad was becoming clogged with product.

When we begin to care for our cars it's somewhat natural to use too much product. When we apply product to the pad we can see it but as we work the product into the panel it disappears so we think it's time for more.

When the pad is fresh adding a little more product doesn't have as much of an impact but as the pad becomes saturated we begin to experience problems...

Not cleaning a pad routinely also adds to the problem. As a pad becomes soiled it's important clean and remove grime, oxidation, and spent product.

Mineral Spirits will dissolve and remove the residue. Simply give the area a couple of squirts then wipe away with a towel.

Here's some great information by Mike Phillips that will help you.

**HateSwirls** · 06-10-2014, 05:54 AM

For a truck as yours I'd use about six pads if I chose the 105.
Not only will it clog up as Bobby said but the pads get hot also which dries the product, once the pad gets really hot change it out.

You can get away with only two pads when using the 205 if you clean them on the fly using a brush and micro fiber towel.

Mike Phillips · 06-10-2014, 06:21 AM

Originally Posted by detailrayge

I started to notice toward the end of the job that when using the M105 and the orange pad it stopped leave a nice even swirl,

it started to leave this mess behind kinda splotchy and when I tried to wipe the area down before moving to the M205 it was hard to impossible to get it off.

Sounds like your pad is wet or saturated with product and you're not cleaning the gunk off the face of the pad often enough or at all?

How often are you cleaning the face of the pad?

If you want perfection you would clean the face of the pad after each section you buff. The next best thing is to clean off the face of the pad after every other section.

Then as noted, more pads are better. As your pad becomes wet with product, this is called pad saturation,

A: It's not going to cut as well.
B: It's not going to rotate as well.
C: It's going to dilute and waste the fresh product you use.
D: It's going to make the residue you leave behind on the paint gummy and harder to wipe off.

Mike Phillips · 06-10-2014, 06:29 AM

To the OP...

Watch this...

How to clean your pad on the fly

The above video explains everything, including why you don't use a microfiber towel to clean a pad but a terry cloth towel.

And as I state in the video, this technique is to get your pad mostly clean and do it in a FAST way so you can get back to work.

That's why "on the fly" means.

Buffing out an entire vehicle that's in horrible condition already takes a long time.... you don't want a pad cleaning process that takes a long time. It's all about keeping the polisher against the paint, that's when you're making time.

You can also use a nylon brush and simply scrape it across the face of the pad with the polisher turned OFF, not on. I show all of this in my how-to book too. Like this,

Picture above taken at this old Ford project...

1967 Mustang GTA Fastback - Pictures & Comments

Mike Phillips · 06-10-2014, 06:31 AM

This explains everything you need to know about why to clean your pad as you work around your car.

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

**detailrayge** · 06-10-2014, 06:37 PM

Thank you all. The finished product was ok but not what I truly wanted I have watch videos on you tube but it was always a one panel explanation and not what to do in between sections. Looks like I am buffing again next weekend. You all are life savers thanks again

**detailerone** · 08-30-2014, 11:33 AM

Awesome advice on the mineral spirits and keeping the pads clean. You'll also want to make sure you keep the pads lubricated. A lot of polishes will dry up quickly (here in the LA area it happens fast).