i cant get the hang of it

now. i dont know if its that i dont work the product properly, apply enough or what. ive been going at it with the pc for about 3 months now and i cant get the hang of it (swirl removing). now i got a yellow cutting pad, orange light cutting, polishing, and finshing pads. the first time i tried removing swirls on someone elses car (mine is in good shape) i used a light cutting with dacp. nothing happened. it minimized the swirls but nothing that u would call swirl free. so the other day on a white corrola that had severe sirls i tried dacp and a yellow pad. it took em right out. the majority of em, not completely but most. it left hazing which was expected but it wouldnt come out... i couldnt get it out. i tried all sorts of light polishing techniques. nothing. i read the portercable tutorials, but if anyone has a link or some information which would give a step by step guide, id appreciate it...

I would try the DACP on a polishing pad to remove the hazing make sure to work it until it just starts to dust to ensure that the product is breaking down completely. Run the PC at 5 -6 and move slowly. Do Not use water or anything to dampen the pad. DACP seems to become more abrasive when doing so and it doesn`t break down properly. If that doesn`t work and you have some Poorboys SSR 2, try that on a dry polishing pad. This is where a rotary and #82 SFP will do a great job.
Good Luck!

DACP and a yellow cutting pad can create hazing that is very hard to remove.

I would try DACP on the orange pad, then a finer polish.

DACP also should remove swirls with the orange pad no problem. It doesnt like to be worked above 5-5.5, stop working it right before it dusts. Make an "X" on your pad with the DACP, thats how much i use and get good results.

Press down on the PC until the ROTATION slows down, then let off alittle.

If you press down enough that the pad stops the rotating, it will create alot of heat, and im not sure if it will actually remove anything.

Dont work areas too large, thats the same as not using enough product.

I found DACP to be very effective at removing not only swirls, but also micro scratching from auto washes.

If you still have problems, just ask, i am sure it is just your technique that needs to be refined.

In the main street forum, there is a "tutorial" sticky from Tdekany. That may help.

Usually, in my experience, a person goes too fast with a PC, so the product doesn`t get much working time. Try varying your speed. If you`re getting the car done in an hour, you`ve either got a car in great shape, or you aren`t addressing the problems.

Amount of product is also important. You don`t want to go thin like a sealant. You`ve got to have something to do the work, not just "cover" the paint.

White doesn`t show marring as much as darker colors, due to the inherrent lack of depth. You may be as marred as the next car, but it doesn`t show.

You mentioned only DACP. When you say you`ve tried all sorts of polishing techniques, are you saying that you tried them all with DACP? You need to "step down" to a finer polish after DACP. In the Megs line, I would recommend # 80 Speed Glaze or Swirl free Polish. This should get rid of the marring from #83 DACP.

Finally, Practice makes perfect. Even if you read everything, you still need to "get a feel" for it by going out and practicing. Hands on experience is something you can`t learn from reading. (except maybe vicariously ;) )
Even though you`ve had the PC for 3 months, it sounds like you`ve only tried it on 2 cars, once each. Keep trying and modifying. Always go least aggressive, and chances are you won`t hurt anything, while at the same time getting a better understanding of both the machine and the products.

Hope this helps!


*edit* D`oh!! I type too slow. :rolleyes:

Good advice from all. I would suggest getting a lot more practice and take your time. When I first started using a PC I made the mistake of working over areas too quickly. You gotta be patient with it.

theyre is only so much you can do with the pc .. thats when you get the rotary out and start removing those imperfections by removing some clearcoat