Noticed something weird about PCs...

**OUCH** · 05-03-2003, 09:39 PM

I was honing my polishing skills using my PC 7424 machine when I noticed that it doesn`t really spin when you press it against anything, including your hand. And when that happens you`re pretty much just dragging the chemical all over the paint, it`s not really polishing the surface...

To make sure I was right, I did a lil test. I put a small MF towel on my car`s hood, set the PC`s Dial to 4.5, turned the machine on and nothing happened to the towel, it just vibrated along with the hood. Now I slowly lifted the PC till it`s barely touching the MF Towel and thatwas the only time the Towel started getting all twisted..

So I`m not exactly sure how to use this thing now, I thought we`re suppose to press the PC against the paint when we`re Cleaning or compounding, and then let it glide itself when Waxing, Sealing or Polishing, even then you`re still just wiping the paint using a PC, the machine is not really doing anything until you lift it high enuff that its barely touching the paint.

What do you guys think?

**thevolvoguy** · 05-03-2003, 09:53 PM

The PC works in random orbits, it dosent spin. When you change the backing plates, you have to use the tool to hold the bolt still so you can un screw it. The bolt moves the opposite way the motor is spinning it when you apply pressure to the pad, therefore moving the pad in different directions.

These random orbits never make a complete revolution, so as not to build up heat that could damage the paint if you are a novice and dont know what you are doing. But, it moves so fast that you feel and see it as a vibration.

**OUCH** · 05-03-2003, 10:11 PM

Oh I thought it spins and oscillates at the same time, like the pad spins and then another mechanism gives it it`s own orbit of some sort so it`s not constantly in one area...

Now I feel stupid

for posting this... I just find it weird that a whole lot of jiggling can clean a surface...

**ScrampaTeg03** · 05-03-2003, 11:57 PM

Originally posted by OUCH

I just find it weird that a whole lot of jiggling can clean a surface...

Think of how an electric pad sander works, it vibrates really fast moving the actual pad with the sand paper hardly moving at all but many times a second. Vibrating quickly sands wood or whatever else you might be sanding; same basic idea with the PC, it doesn`t take large movements to polish the cars surface, the PC does it with MANY small vibrations.

-Brian (anyone care to add any other input?)

**ultrajim49** · 05-05-2003, 01:52 AM

Originally posted by OUCH

Oh I thought it spins and oscillates at the same time, like the pad spins and then another mechanism gives it it`s own orbit of some sort so it`s not constantly in one area...

Now I feel stupid for posting this... I just find it weird that a whole lot of jiggling can clean a surface...

The Makita BO6040 is as far as I know the only one that rotates and spins

http://www.autopia.org/forums/showth...ghlight=makita

Christiaan

**imported_Intel486** · 05-05-2003, 05:10 PM

Originally posted by cvcaelen

The Makita BO6040 is as far as I know the only one that rotates and spins

http://www.autopia.org/forums/showth...ghlight=makita

Christiaan

How are you liking the Makita DA? I got the Makita Rotary and I really like it. Might have to consider the Makita DA in the future.

How much noise does the Makita make?

I`ll have to see if my DeWalt orbital actually spins on the surface. I remember when I was doing polishing that the pad slowly turns in a circle and the rest of the pad just vibrates. It isn`t a fast spin or anything.

**ultrajim49** · 05-06-2003, 01:13 AM

How are you liking the Makita DA?

very much:xyxthumbs

in the forced rotation mode you get a practicly non-vibrating machine : last I worked on the car for 8 straight hours (just a lunch-break) and I had no shaky hands whatsoever.

How much noise does the Makita make?

little noise : I have at all times a little transistorradio playing and I could hear it whilst working with the DA.

You can have a normal conversation with someone without yelling.

The machine is pretty silent.

After those 8 hours of work the Makita wasn`t even feeling warm, not on the jiggling head not where the motor is.

Due to the power (750Watts) you can put a lot of pressure on the Makita without slowing the motor down.

Downside of the story is the price: you can buy 3 Portercables for the price of 1 Makita:down ,

but in Europe there is that 110V-issue

:wavey

Christiaan

**imported_Intel486** · 05-06-2003, 05:48 PM

Thank for the info. Might have to consider the Makita in the future.

It might be more expensive but you usually get what you pay for. My DeWalt cost over $150 but I like it.

**Nick T.** · 05-06-2003, 07:47 PM

The first day that I used my Porter Cable I lifted it off the paint while there was still wet product on the pad. Found out the hard way that when thereÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s no load on the pad it spins at a pretty high speed. Although IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m a fairly new PC user itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s my impression that as you add pressure to the pad the rotation decreases.

<CENTER>:usa</CENTER>

**shaf** · 05-07-2003, 12:37 AM

AFAIK, you are right sir!

The spinning action seems to just be a byproduct of the pad`s motion and if you press really hard I (heard) you can stop the spinning all together. I put a piece of tape on my PC pad once and played around with it to see how fast or slow it spun while in use. Kinda interesting.