How hard to press on top of the PC for best cutting?

wifehatescar

wifehatescar

My L5-S1 is killing me!
Which method cuts quicker/makes more heat and or is better/works abrasive products better? (especially at high speeds 5-6):



1. Press kinda hard on the PC to where it mostly stops rotating (but still rotates some). The pad spins less but maybe the pressure adds more heat to the surface?



2. Press very light so the PC spins very quick. I assume this method moves the compound/product the quickest?





Note this question only applies to paint correction. For applying wax I press very lightly and use a moderate speed (4)
 
I'm always careful not to apply too much pressure when working with the PC. I like to let the pad/product/PC do the work without me leaning into the machine too much. But that's just me.
 
For sake of assumption assume cutting pad and DACP on a 5 year old car with many swirls that DACP can eventually get out with multiple passes. Which one of the options (1 or 2) would get the swirls out faster?
 
So would you suggest the lightest possible pressure be used (just the weight of the machine) on the paint so the pad spins the fastest?

Also, it's my understanding if it bogs down, it won't spin but will still *jiggle* or whatever you want to call it thus still moving the product I assume.
 
Without actually being there to show you it is hard to tell you just how much pressure, that is best guaged through experimentation. If I had to quantify how much pressure I would say somehwere around 5lbs of pressure. You want more than just the weight of the machine but, you don't want to bog the pad down too much either.
 
I think I understand what you're saying and I do shoot for the same amount of pressure you describe. I was just wondering if going more towards one extreme or the other would give better results.
 
I agree here, that experience is the best method. Learn the feel of pressure, but you can also look at how much you are compressing the pad. That can be a good marker to put alongside the amount of muscle you apply.



rjstaaf said:
Without actually being there to show you it is hard to tell you just how much pressure, that is best guaged through experimentation. If I had to quantify how much pressure I would say somehwere around 5lbs of pressure. You want more than just the weight of the machine but, you don't want to bog the pad down too much either.
Click to expand...
 
You can watch the dots on top of the backing plate spin. As long as those are spinning, it is still working.
 
I helped do a friends car this weekend. Black. had 1 particular nasty looking mark. I used the Menzerna IP with the yellow pad...set at 4.5. Didn't do much. Cranked it up to 6, spritzed with some water and used what I felt was moderate pressure. Took my time and moved the machine slower than I had been. It's all but gone. You can still see it under certain conditions but just barely.



This was my second car, so maybe it was the right way or maybe not, but it seemed to work and the car came out great.

:xyxthumbs
 
Yeah, if I'm really trying to cut I do the first pass moving the machine about 1"/second (pretty slow but still moving at a constant rate). Not sure if that's right either but it seems to me it builds more heat in a given area that way.
 
There are two modes of thinking on how much pressure to apply. One says you lean pretty hard on the PC to increase friction and work in the polish more effectively.



The other says you just let the weight of the machine do it and almost let it glide over the paint.



I personally do the latter because:



1) The manual that comes with the PC does not recommend applying downward pressure.



2) Using pressure seems to wear out pads and velcro components faster.



3) People who don't use pressure still get results. Whether one is faster or not though, I don't know.



As far as I know, the PC doesn't rely on using heat very much the way rotaries do. It's mainly the stiffness of the pad and the strength of the product being used AFAIK.
 
Well, this has been an issue for me for a while. When I polished my car, my SFP didn't break down. I have seen some say that it should break down to dust, but how much time does that take?? I worked it for a while(least I thought it was for a good while), but the product never really broke down. Of course, my results were OK, but I still had the minor scratches, although they were less. Maybe I didn't put enough pressure on the machine.



How do I know how much pressure on the machine, how long to work the polish, and how do I know when to stop??
 
Just my opinion, but if minor pressure and substantial time doesn't do, switch to a more aggressive pad or polish. The PC is designed to have 'dual action' and I find that too much pressure eliminates the random orbit aspect.



Jim
 
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