tilt the P/C?

G

globemast

New member
Hi,





I've read in couple of articles how to use the P/C and in some of them it says that the left side of the pad has to be a bit raised.



Is this the case or the pad should be aligned with the body panel (completely flat)?



I am asking this because i hope (if the weather allows me) to machine polish my car for the first time. Sorry about my ignorance..





Thank you.
 
First time I've heard that it *has* to be tilted.



Sometimes tilting is needed, but rarely. It should be kept flat.



Rotaries should be tilted.
 
Alfisti said:
First time I've heard that it *has* to be tilted.



Sometimes tilting is needed, but rarely. It should be kept flat.



Rotaries should be tilted.
Click to expand...



:xyxthumbs



I have learned through experience to keep a PC buffer parallel to the surface being polished. Tilting the machine in any direction can result in an uneven and excessive pressure being transferred to the painted surface, or to the foam causing it to tear



Lake County manufacture a pad with special foam to avoid off-axis (tilt) motions



JonM
 
Other than wear-and-tear on the pads, I never had any issues with tilting the PC. Sometimes it' the easiest way to get into a tight spot and sometimes you can tilt it to make it behave more aggressively. The PC is such a mild machine that *in my experience* it doesn't much matter if it's tilted or flat. But it's probably best to finish up with as flat an approach as you can just to ensure a more evenly polished surface.
 
Alfisti said:
Rotaries should be tilted.
Click to expand...



I always avoid this and keep the pad flat on a rotary all the time out of fear the paint will heat up too fast leading to :scared: :nixweiss
 
Thanks guys,



now what about when reaching on curves, for example when you polishing the outside mirror housings?



Should the pad again be flat??
 
Best thing to do is try it and see if it works. If you have success that is the best gauge.



Sometimes i will lift the pad and try to get the edge of the pad to work an area not easily accessable with the whole pad. Of coarse these areas could be done by hand with scratchX also.
 
The best reason to tilt is because with older pads if you tilt you will get no wobble. Downside is you will have to clean the pad more often, but I always tilt and use the 4 inches on the edge of the pad. You can't do this with Constant Pressure pads. I use rotary and I tilt and I have never burned paint.
 
Alfisti said:
First time I've heard that it *has* to be tilted.



Sometimes tilting is needed, but rarely. It should be kept flat.



Rotaries should be tilted.
Click to expand...



Forgive me if I'm wrong. But sometimes, I also tilt the Rotary. I don't have any experience with the PC or any orbital/dual action polishers. I've started the Rotary route. That's why i've experimented with the different Rotary techniques. And sometimes, the situations calls for tilting it. It's like an instinct for me. I get the hang of it as I use and use the rotary over time especially when you don't have any other tool such as the PC, etc.



I even LSP with the rotary at 600rpm.:D :D :D
 
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