Porter Cable Speeds

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whiteg240

New member
Ok guys I'm fairly new here and I have a newb question :think: This has probably been covered many times before, but I've searched the forum and could not find what I was looking for. So here is my question.



At what speed do you guys use for your different steps of detailing a car?



What speed would you use for a compound, or a very abrasive polish?

What speed would you use for an intermediate polish?

What speed would you use for a final polish?

What speed would you use for a glaze?

What speed would you use for sealants and carnubas?



I know there are many variations out there with what pads, polishes, and compounds you could use and of course the condition of the vehicle affects this too, but generally speaking what speed works well with each step.



I'm not to fond of working with a rotary yet, so I'll stick to my PC and practice with it.



Again I know this is a vague question, but any advice with help this newb out ;)
 
For all polishes and paint cleaners I start the PC at 3 to spread the product over a 2 square foot area then I push it up to 5 to work the product until it breaks down. Starting slow reduces the product's tendency to splatter and spreads it evenly. The real work takes place at 5.



For pure glazes and wax I run between 2 - 3. Higher speed is not needed. All you want here is to spread a thin even coat of product.
 
Im with Jim, but normally after products are spread, I run it full throttle............All I adjust is the speed Im actually moving the PC......
 
Merci, I guess it depends on the product Im using. Example; SSR's especially 2.5, I move it slower then I would 2 or 1. I usually clean up with Optimum after using 2.5, and I run that real slow. Now if Im using sealants, I run it at a pretty good clip with the Blue pad. All you have to do is spread the product and this is another bonus with the PC vs by hand.

The more your trying to correct the surface, the slower your going to need to move the PC, period.
 
So what your saying Patrick is the more abrasive the polish that your using, the slower you're moving the buffer, but you keep the buffer speed full throttle?



Hmm... Im gonna have to try this. I was doing it all wrong.
 
I too have had better success at speed 5 for cutting and polishing. Although, I have to move the buffer very slowly or else the product doesn't break down. Using a 7000 meguiars cutting pad and diamond cut #8?, you can actually remove quite a bit of deep scratches, but I've had to move the PC at a pace of.. an inch/second. It takes me a few minutes to do a 2x2 section, about 4-5 complete passes, last pass i let the weight of teh PC do the work. If you push down on the PC even slightly, it slows down to a hault.:buffing: Anyone else use different techniques with better results?



It takes a LONG time with a PC to do anything, to be honest... :nixweiss
 
If your using 4" pads, you can add a bit of pressure to the machine and it still doesn't bog down. The added pressure helps increase the speed a bit. If your working on hard paints though, even moving slowly and doing several passes on speed 6 isnt really going to help you with moderate and worse swirling. I consider the PC to be more of an arm saver rather than a time saver. This is why I'm seriously considering a rotary.



But to back up patrick, yes, anything abrasive that I put on the paint to remove defects gets a slow machine movement speed on the 6th speed setting. other products like cleaners get 3.5 from me with a medium movement speed. liquid sealants and waxes get speed 2.5 and a relatively fast movement speed.
 
whiteg240 said:
So what your saying Patrick is the more abrasive the polish that your using, the slower you're moving the buffer, but you keep the buffer speed full throttle?



Hmm... Im gonna have to try this. I was doing it all wrong.
Click to expand...

Thats my preference. Something a lot of folks take for granted is PC movement. They just kind of put the product on the pad, fire it up, and polish away. I think whats even more important, is understanding the products characteristics. And this is something that you learn while going to "PC Elementary School".

If I were a PC Professor, I would tell my students, "Try different speeds (PC) and move at different rates, with every product you own. When you find optimum benefit, with the product your using, and your getting proper support from the pad you have selected (A match made in heaven in other words) remember your process. Then add a twist (Experiment again) and find the Ultimate benefit from pad and product."

Of course, this is more addressed to polishes. All in One types of products (cleaner/waxes) only have so much you can gain. And sealants, well, get them on the surface, evenly, and as thin as possible, because anything you wipe off, was wasted.
 
a.k.a. Patrick said:
Im with Jim, but normally after products are spread, I run it full throttle............All I adjust is the speed Im actually moving the PC......
Click to expand...



Same here. Only when applying LSPs do I use anything under 5.
 
dre99gsx said:
I If you push down on the PC even slightly, it slows down to a hault.:buffing: Anyone else use different techniques with better results?
Click to expand...



I bear down on my PC all the time. It may not spin as fast but it still oscillates. Try using a 6" backing plate, ever since I got one, I find I can apply more pressure and the pad still spins.
 
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