Polishers, parts, and pads...
 

okay, i have a few questions about polishing, sealants and waxes as i am a complete noob in this area.


Im about to pick up a PC7424, is there anything i should worry about? pros/cons?

I know there is a variety of pads ranging from diffrent colours and pore count...which pad and at what speed should i start the process with?
My goal is to do a mild polish, followed by a sealant and possible layer of wax.

How many pads should i buy and what sizes?

what is a good polishing compound should i start with?... some my current cars have a ceramic clearcoat on them, is there a special compound i should get?...what do i use on non-ceramic clearcoat?

how often do you change pads when they get used?...do you throw it out as soon as you change panels?...how many pads do you end up throwing out at the end of the day?

sorry if i ask to many questions, but just want to know the basics before i spend some cash and a whole day on a project.

thanks

The only negative to using a PC compared to other machines out there, is that it takes more time, however a HUGE positive is that its almost impossible to damage your paint with a porter cable.

As for pads, there are tons of options available for you. I, myself just detailed my car about 1.5 months ago, I used lake country pads.

I think in general for most manufacturers, the white pads are light cut pads, orange is mild, and I think yellow is for a heavy cut? I think pad size is totally up to you. However I've read that smaller pads minimize polishing time? Dont quote me on that though..

You probably dont need too many pads, maybe 2 of each to start? I guess it depends on what results you want, and how many cars you'll be detailing

For my first detail I used Menzerna power finish, it was recommended to me by Ken (911fanatic)

The great thing about it is that it finishes down LSP ready (last stage product) so you can apply your sealant or wax right after. There's no need to go over the car again with a finishing polish, in the end youre saving yourself alot of time. It also has alot of cutting ability (also depending on which pad you use)

Id say change your pads when they get worn out. If you changed it after you changed a panel, you'd be throwing away money

I personally have 6 orange LC and 8 white LC pads, no yellow LC pads, those are much too aggressive for japanese/american paint in my opinion.

I change pads often, once the polish starts caking on

if you want a mild polish check the menzerna line for ceramic clearcoat polishes, autowerkesexclusive is having that 30% off sale for 5 more days, you may need a stronger polish like SIP/orange to remove bad swirls

also, 5.5" pads are more effective than 6.5" with a PC

Great post.

I'm interested in buying a PC, what pads and polish are good for BMW jet black paint?

PC7424 is great choice, I would look into 5.5" pads. Pick up a couple or few of each colour he has. You can never have to many. Polish, Ken I know would recommend power finish. It's a polish that is close to a compound yet finishes off like a finishing polish. Most compounds need to be refined as they leave behind some smaller defects. Power Finish leaves next to nothing behind apparently and finishes off ready for your last step product (wax, sealant)

I think a orange pad (for a mid cut for deeper scratches), a white pad (for milder scratches and your typical swirls) and a black or a red pad for applying glaze/wax/sealant is a good start.

Normally people will stick to one product for each pad, so if you like to experiment with different polishes or waxes, try to get a few more of each pad.

I've had my pads for about a year and a half (about 5 uses so far) I usually wash them after every use, so product doesn't have a chance to cake up. I'm sure you can easily get a dozen or more uses out of a pad before having to throw it away. You use the same pad for the whole car. I have some larger 6" pads and smaller 4" pads for different parts of the car.

Polishes are personal preference. I use Optimum Compound and Optimum Polish, and Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection as my wax. I'd probably talk to some of the sponsors to see what they have to offer and what would be best for your paint in terms of polishes.

EDIT: BTW, you'll need a backing plate for each size pad you get.

I'm using one white and one black LC pad with the PC. Like it so far. First time using the PC. It's a lot different than doing it by hand. For polish and sealant I'm using autoglym super resin polish and extra gloss protection. 2 drops of the sealant did the whole car using the black pad. I have s100 wax that I apply by hand.

What speed to you guys recommend using the for the white pad with polish? I was on setting 1 for both the polish and wax. I'm glad to hear it takes a lot of effort to screw up the clear coat/paint with the PC :). That was the scariest thing when using it.

I use 6 if I want to do major correction. 4-5 for just regular swirls. 3 for applying waxes and sealants.

Im about to pick up a PC7424, is there anything i should worry about? pros/cons?

The 7424 is very easy to use. Spread the polish on the paint before turning it on. Turn it on and get a nice even coat of polish on the 2x2 area you are working using speed 3. Then turn it up to 5 and work the area at about 1-2 inches per second until the polish goes clear. It'll still look oily, but you'll easily be able to see the paint through it. Work the area from left to right and then up and down.

I know there is a variety of pads ranging from diffrent colours and pore count...which pad and at what speed should i start the process with?
My goal is to do a mild polish, followed by a sealant and possible layer of wax.

I would start with, assuming your paint is in reasonable condition, either a german green or white pad and follow the steps above. Menz power finish will probably be the only polish you need.

How many pads should i buy and what sizes?

I would get two of each to start, orange, green or white, and black. I prefer the 5.25" when using the PC.

what is a good polishing compound should i start with?... some my current cars have a ceramic clearcoat on them, is there a special compound i should get?...what do i use on non-ceramic clearcoat?

Menz Power Finish is made for ceramic clears but can easily be used on regular clears as well.

how often do you change pads when they get used?...do you throw it out as soon as you change panels?...how many pads do you end up throwing out at the end of the day?

Two of each pad should easily get you around the car. Only apply 2-3 peas sized drops of poish to the pad per polishing area. By doing this, you will be able to use up all the polish on the pad and won't wind up with a pad full of wasted polish. Put dirty pads in a bucket of warm soapy water for 30-60 minutes to soak and then wash under warm water. Squeeze, don't wring, excess water out and set out velcro side up to dry. You will probably never wear your pads out enough to throw them out.

sorry if i ask to many questions, but just want to know the basics before i spend some cash and a whole day on a project.

thanks

another question would be when can we locally pickup some of these pads you guys? I need a whole bunch of different types of pads (finishing, polishing, cutting, heavy cutting). I need two of each, i know i can probably pick them up from online but isint there a good local alternative that can price match or is at least around just as cheap?

What do you need specifically? You are more than welcome to come by, just make arrangements with me first as I do a lot of mobile detailing and am not always at the warehouse.

reviving an old thread...

i have a 7424 collecting dust at home and all of these that came with it:

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f3...e/IMGP5674.jpg

i need to do a mild polish (black car). everyone is saying to get Menzerna power finish from ken, and finish off with BM... but i have a few deep scratches from belt buckles, someone's damn handbag :mad: etc... who do i use for that?

If it's something fairly deep, I'd probably say start with the orange pad. That would be your most aggressive pad you have in your collection of pads. (however, the orange only has light cutting properties so I wouldn't expect it to take out deep scratches)

okay... what pad should i be getting and in what size?

Smaller pads allow you to put a bit more pressure because of the smaller surface area. Here's a chart that shows the aggressiveness for Lake County pads. I'm sure 911fanatic or any one of the sponsors have these pads. The 4" pads might help.

The next one up from orange would be the yellow pads. Other than that, the wool pad would be the most aggressive but you might want to leave that to a pro.

Maybe also try for a more aggressive compound as well? (maybe do the affected spots by hand if they are small then follow it up with a pass using the pads and polisher to remove the marring?)

The order would be orange, white, green, black, blue, red. Orange is for cutting, white is for polishing, green is for final polishing, black is for final polishing/jeweling, blue is for jeweling and red is strictly for wax application. Hope that helps. Power finish can be used with the orange, white, and green pads with great results.

^you going to have a pad sale anytime soon? :D

what does it mean by jeweling?
is red pad just for wax or also for sealant?
I hope Ken will have a Boxing day sale, so everyone can load up products.