what am i doing wrong

[Nebraskaz71]

Hello, I just got a pc and the full pad kit from auto geek along with tons of supplys you guys recommended. Figured i`d try it out on the tahoe today. Put the orange pad on and went over it with ssr 2.5 then white pad with ssr1. I used speed 3 to spread speed 5-6 to work the product in. I moved fairly fast across the panel going side to side and then up and down like recommended. I made maybe 4-5 passes each way with each product. I used a small x shape of product on the pad. Afterwards i could not tell that i improved any swirls or scratches at all.......... I really am at a loss lol i dunno what i`m doing wrong here.

[gtbaka]

:buffing:

I moved fairly fast

this is what you are doing wrong.



Slow down. Move the PC at about an inch per second.

[gtbaka]

Another thing, don`t polish blindly.



Sounds like you just went through the entire process without inspecting your work. Once you think you are done with a small section. Wipe off the excess product and inspect the area. You might might need special lighting like a Halogen lamp or something to see if you are making any progress. This will let you know if you need to work more, or if you are ready to move on.

[Joshua312]

I agree with Don, I made this mistake when I first started using the PC as well. Don`t be afraid to go slow, I go about an inch per second, left to right, then up and down, then I make a figure 8..Make sure your polish breaks down completely - if you go to fast the polish wont break down and you might get micromarring. Good luck, let us know how it goes!

[Nebraskaz71]

I was probably moving to fast then How much product should i really use? I`ve found various answers to that and i`m not positive on which. Also should i apply any pressure to the pc? Is it better to move to slow than to fast? Lastly i`ve looked at various posts on polishing but how do u know exactly when the polish is broken down completely? I know they say when it starts dusting but i went over mine a long time and never noticed much dust of any kind? Sorry for all the questions. I`ve been reading this board for months so i thought i had it all figured out and i was wrong lol

[cwcad]

Pressure wil be dependant upon which pad and product that you are using. Satrt with the least aggressive product and pad until you get the reults that you require. Spread the product on speed three then work the product on speed 5 or 6 until product flashes. As everyone else has said move about an inch per second to accomplish the task at hand.



After you get more experience you will be better able to evaluate the product and pad that you need for each situation.

[a.k.a. Patrick]

Commit to improving a small area at a time. As others have said, go slow until you figure out the product and pads characteristics. You`ll learn there is a learning curve to which attain your desired results.

Take a 1/4 panel or something to practice with, and dont worry about damaging the paint. Take some notes, as each product and pad, or any combination thereof, will yield differing results. Have fun, take your time, use quality products as recommended here on Autopia, and dont be afraid to ask (as your doing). Those are key ingredients to learning and NOT becoming frustrated.

[chimpboy_to]

Hi,



I also found this video to be very helpful...



http://www.melncal.com/detailing/pc_video.html

[nighttraingirl]

The way that video is shot makes it look like he is moving super fast to me. It is good for demonstrating what direction to move in but it looks like he is going in turbo.

[Joshua312]

Quote from the website: "This video shows removal of light marring and spiderwebbing, so the movement is faster, pressure is lighter then it would be for removing deeper imperfections."



That link however is a great tool...I often refer back to it. Lot`s of good information!

[Nebraskaz71]

haha thats the video i was following for my speed....... I probably was moving way to fast then

[blkyukon]

The way that video is shot makes it look like he is moving super fast to me. It is good for demonstrating what direction to move in but it looks like he is going in turbo.

Just like you choose the polish and pad to use....Speed, movement and pressure will also vary depending on what needs to be removed.



As you can see it was very light marring/spiderwebbing that I was removing, so I didn`t need to dwell on the area for too long to remove the spiderwebbing. I just needed the polish to breakdown to do it`s job.



The video is a guide to help show beginners that an abrasive polish needs to be brokendown for it to properly remove imperfections.





This is a work in progress and I thought I would have the other video up by now to show removal of deeper swirls/spiderwebbing (and those will show slower movements, pressure, etc..) but weather is not cooperating

[Pennypacker]

Well thanks Nebraskaz71 because I spent this morning polishing with my PC and have exactly the same problem...lol..feel as though I could`ve written that question myself!



The scratches I have are only detectable when sunlight hits the paint at just the right angle, but *when* it does I have swirlies and micro-scratches seemingly everywhere. Most people probably don`t notice, but I definitely do.



I primed the pad, spread it around the area with PC off, started around speed 2, then increased it to 4-5. I thought I went slow, but maybe not slow enough. I did notice though that several times I had worked the product until there didn`t look like there was any polish left on the paint at all. So maybe I was going too fast and for too long??

[gtbaka]

but weather is not cooperating

This must be a global thing, because it`s been monsooning for weeks even in Hawaii.



And get this, we have tornadoes in Hawaii now?!?!



Even my canopy got destroyed by a 60 mph gust at 1AM! I had to wake up to tear it down.