polishing experts enter here... PC speeds, pad selection & application advice needed!

[500rwhp]

hey guys, Im new here and would really appreciate some advice!



I have a PC7424 and have always guessed at what speeds to use...



Would appreciate any advice as far as speed settings, number of passes, finessing/working techniques and pad selection...



Ive already clayed the car...



1) I am going to be using a 3m medium cut (said to remove 1200 grit marks) on the rougher spots. I have flat green LC pads and orange LC CCS pads.





2) I am then planning on following up with scratch x, using the green pads or the orange pads.... On the spots that arent swirled so badly I am going to start with scratch x.



3) After that I am going to use Menzerna Final Polish 2 using a white LC CCS pad...



4) Menzerna final touch glaze using a white LC CCS pad.



5) Blackfire wet diamond by hand





I would appreciate any advice as far as speeds, how much finessing/working in I should do... And also pad use... These are all products Ive already bought...

Hoping to work some magic tommorrow afternoon:heelclick

 

[Accumulator]

hey guys, Im new here and would really appreciate some advice!



I have a PC7424 and have always guessed at what speeds to use...



Would appreciate any advice as far as speed settings, number of passes, finessing/working techniques and pad selection...

Welcome to Autopia!



General rule for PC's is to use the highest speed you can that doesn't get unstable with the pad size in question. That means speed six almost exclusively except that some of us prefer speed 5, or even 4.5, with 4" pads. There are exceptions, like when using nondiminishing finishing polishes, but generally speaking the more speed the better.



But then I consider any pads larger than 5.5" to be too big for use on the PC when the goal is correction. They just impart too much friction resulting in the machine merely "jiggling" whenever you apply pressure. Sorry if this is coming a bit late, but really...large pads are always a waste of time on the PC, at least IME.



When you're applying glazes and waxes, turn the PC down to around speed 4.

1) I am going to be using a 3m medium cut (said to remove 1200 grit marks) on the rougher spots. I have flat green LC pads and orange LC CCS pads.

I wouldn't want to use that product with a PC, I'd expect that it will *NOT* break down correctly and will thus leave terrible hazing that you'll be hard-pressed to fix. I consider it a rotary-only product.



I certainly wouldn't use it with any pads larger than 4". But I wouldn't use it even with those, and I'm sure not afraid of getting really aggressive (I just don't like approaches that do more harm than good).



If you try it anyhow, do a *SMALL* area and inspect it under all sorts of good lighting, including natural sunlight, to make sure you're not gonna have a terrible "oops!" all over the car.



I'd go buy some Meguiar's Ultimate Compound instead. Seriously.



Use an orange pad for the serious correction.

2) I am then planning on following up with scratch x, using the green pads or the orange pads.... On the spots that arent swirled so badly I am going to start with scratch x.

I'd still want to use 4" pads, but you might do OK with 5-5.5" ones. Again, I would *NOT* expect Scratch-X to correct the hazing fom a medium cut compound.



I'd rather use the green pad than the orange one. I like for the product to be on the aggressive side, not the pad (when there's any mis-match at all).

3) After that I am going to use Menzerna Final Polish 2 using a white LC CCS pad...

OK, but using both Scratch-X and FP is getting borderline redundant. Eh, maybe not :nixweiss

4) Menzerna final touch glaze using a white LC CCS pad.

I'venever used that, but if I did I'd probably want to use it on a finishing pad like the LC black or blue.

5) Blackfire wet diamond by hand

Or by machine with the LC gold pad.