Newbie to machine polishing - questions

[Davers]

Hi,

I really enjoy making my car lookas clean as it can and would like to take it to the next level, I am a big fan of Zymol products and would like to try a machine polisher.

Are Zymol products suitable for use with machines? I ask, as Zymol instructions state that its polishes should be appilied in straight lines folllowing the curves of the body, clearly a machine will not do this.

Also what is the difference between a porter cable and a rotary polisher, is one better than the other.

Many thanks in advance.

[White95Max]

You can use any product with a PC.

A PC is a dual-action polisher, meaning it wobbles and spins at the same time. A rotary just spins in a constant circle. The PC's motion spreads the heat over a slightly larger area than the pad, so it dissipates the heat better. The PC is much safer to use for a beginner. A rotary is faster for serious correction, but the time savings come at a risk of damaging the paint if you're not experienced.

[Accumulator]

Davers- Welcome to Autopia!

Yeah, get a dual-action/random orbital like the PC or the Cyclo first and then consider a rotary if you find you really need it.

IIRC the Zymol waxes require bodyheat to soften their carnauba, so I wouldn't expect them to work well with the PC. But the HD Cleanse oughta work great with it.

Straight lines vs. circles/etc. only matters if you're scratching the paint: straigh scratches aren't quite as noticeable as circular ones because of the single viewing angle. There's always a certain viewing angle that shows scratches best and circular ones always present *some* part at that viewing angle since they cover the whole 360 degrees.

[Davers]

Thanks for the advice guys, any advice on where I can buy a PC at a good price for use in the UK (240V)

[Accumulator]

IIRC you have to use a power convertor. I'd also consider a Cyclo, which I prefer over the PC and which comes in a Euro voltage model.