Just got my PC 7424...

**hoanger** · 07-08-2006, 01:30 PM

Hi guys, I just got my PC today, and I was supposed to get the extra pads (black, orange, blue etc) but she forgot to ship it, so it won`t be here till next week.

So this is what I`ve got:

along with the screw and one washer.

that white pad attaches to the PC, is that just a pad for the other pads to attach to? or is that an actual pad that I can use? If so, I was wondering if I could polish with this white pad and then wash it.

also... when it spins... is it supposed to be a perfect circle? or be off path?

another question... since the back of the white pad has some metal in it... if i hand wash it; will it rust down the road?

**White95Max** · 07-08-2006, 01:41 PM

That factory pad is worthless. After 2 years of sitting in the wrapper, I finally got around to ripping it up with my pocketknife into small pieces that I now use for headlight polishing.

The PC orbits instead of spinning. That`s the difference between it and a rotary. It`s supposed to wobble AND spin.

**Brian_Brice** · 07-08-2006, 01:43 PM

and no thats not what the other pads stick to, you will need a backing plate try to get a flexible one preferably from the same brand you got the pads from, i.e. if you got lc pads use lc backing plates as vendors hook and loops do differ.

**hoanger** · 07-08-2006, 01:47 PM

So i cant use the white pad i got to polish?

it seems better than the Meguiars foam pads you would use by hand.

I really wanna try this out... but i;m scared I`ll ruin it...

i also dont have a backing plate for some reason... in pictures i`ve seen the black plate but I dont have that..

am i being scammed? haha help!

**Brian_Brice** · 07-08-2006, 02:04 PM

no you just need to order one, the black one youve seen is a sanding backing plate that you would throw away anyhow, i have lc`s which is all yellow and some other one im not sure who makes but i suppose you could use that white pad throw a bonnet on it for wax or use it as is but im not sure id use a straight polish with it, maybe if you just wanted to use a cleaner wax or aio or something it should be ok for a time or two, ive never used mine so i couldnt tell ya, but if youre planning on doing a full detail with your new pc hold off till you get the bp (backing plate) and pads.if you got the itch to use it really bad go ahead and polish your wheels with that pad they sent ya, that wont do any damage i dont think.

**hoanger** · 07-08-2006, 07:17 PM

Well.. I decided to brave it out and use the white pad that came with the PC with 3M swirl mark remover clear coat safe and at first I didn`t know how to use it so it didnt really do much to the panel i tried it on.

I then decided to kick it up to 2000RPM and stay on the panel a little longer because I was scared that I would od some damage to the paint (my car is black BTW)

one concern that I have is... as I was working on the panel, as the product started to lessen on the car... it left a sort of spectrum of color behind with no product following... its hard to explain. It was almost like when your wiping glass, you get the sort of spectrum of colors. Is this a bad thing?

and how long should I be working it in for? after a while i started getting the hang of it and i got swirls out of the trunk.

**Brian_Brice** · 07-08-2006, 07:27 PM

ok hoanger lemme think where to start. first thing take the handle off your pc and get use to using it without it, much easier to apply correct pressure without it.

2. your pc works on opm not rpm.

3. dont be affraid of hurting your paint with it on setting 6, it is a very foolproof machine.

4. apply a small amount of your swirl remover to the pad, rub it on the car before starting your pc to eliminate the possibility of slinging the product around.

5. start out at say speed 1-2 to work it in evenly.

6. when youve got good spread turn it up to say 4 for starters, that will probably be a good speed for you to be using initially anyhow till you get the hang of it.

7 never used that product so i dont know how long it takes to break down but first sign of dusting pull you pc off. not sure you really wanna use that pad for swirl remover though.

8. dunno about the spectrum, you probably didnt work the product long enough so you were seeing the middle stages of the process but i could be wrong. keep in mind id say the average breakdown time in every polish i use is around 1 to 2 minutes per 2x2 section.

hope some of this helps

**hoanger** · 07-08-2006, 08:37 PM

perfect! thanks a lot! now i know for next time

and here i was scared to even go to 2

and i think i will try taking the handle off, seems a bit better anyways

thanks again, i appreciate it very much!

**Brian_Brice** · 07-08-2006, 08:56 PM

if you scroll my threads hoanger, i asked the same questions not that long ago i used to use a pos buffer with better results by hand and thanks to the kind pros here i can polish blindfolded as its more a feel than anything. as a test i took my yellow lake country pad with some hi temp super duty compound on it at speed six and held it on the same spot of my work truck for aprox. three minutes, the result was well, nothing..nothing but a smoother feel and better looking paint so dont worry about burning your paint with that thing, but also keep it to moderate speeds till you get that certain "feel"

**imported_hooked** · 07-09-2006, 05:58 AM

A question about changing the speed on the PC...Do you turn it off and then switch speeds or do you switch on the fly?

**hoanger** · 07-09-2006, 08:23 AM

well since I`m starting off... its hard to manoeuver my hands to hold it steady and switch it while its on because I dont want to keep it in one spot for too long but i ended up switching it once while it was on.

the other times, when i went onto the next panel I would switch to 2 before I turned it on... is that bad?

whats wrong with turning it off and switching or switching on the fly?

**a.k.a. Patrick** · 07-09-2006, 08:33 AM

I usually turn it off, switch speeds, then back on to avoid any mishaps.

**hoanger** · 07-09-2006, 10:42 AM

^ I think thats what I`ll start doing... I find it difficult to hold at anything above 4

my arm shakes like crazy haha

but I just finished my car with the 3M swirl mark remover and Mothers Carnuaba Wax and it looks amazing...

I can`t believe I lived without it!

btw, how do you guys wash your pads? I soaked them in car wash shampoo for a bit and take a toothbrush and scrub em down till they`re clean and air dry over night...