What speed do I run my new Porter Cable at?

J

jlfrogy

New member
Just bought a new PC and would like to know what speeds to run at for SMR, polishing and buffing. I'd really hate to FU a corvette paint job.

Thanks ya'll:nixweiss
 
It's REALLY hard to mess up any type of paint job with a PC.



If the paint is perfect I wouldn't run it over "3" but then again if the paint is perfect I wouldn't need the PC at all ;)



Honestly, you can run the PC all the way up and use a polish without worrying about damage. When I got my Camaro, the paint was in rough shape and I used the PC set at speeds of "4" to "4.5" with moderate pressure on the machine to get rid of paint defects. The PC is pretty harmless.



If you post pictures we can let you know what you should use. Kind of hard to suggest anything without seeing what your up against.



:bounce
 
Yeah, what he said. It's something of a happy medium between doing it by hand and using a rotary in that it has the beautiful results of a machine but the relative safety of hand application. I need to get a PC.



What kind of 'Vette is it? God, I love those cars... loaded (w/ six speed) 2003 silver Corvette (or spiral grey...) = :D :D :D it's one of those "wettest dreams" moments... :p
 
Does using a cutting pad make a difference? The fine little scratches that can only be seen in the bright sun are driving me nutso. I have a cheapo RO and now i'm gonna bring out the big guns. THanks guys for all the good info I luvs this forum.



BTW it's torch red 98 coupe with about 370 RWH it has Borla exhaust and Blackwing intake mods.
 
From what I understand, yes, it does make a difference. Keep in mind, however, I have no actual time w/ a PC, so I am far from being a definitive source.



And nice car, btw. What does 370 hp to the wheels feel like when you nail it?
 
Are there any good buys on the Porter Cable right now? I have been reading on this forum about the PC and think I should get one. Would make the job of keeping up three cars a little easier.
 
Here is a former thread with some instructions on how to use SMR with the PC. I remembering seeing more threads but coundn't find them. DaveB also has a movie floating around here showing the use of a PC
 
jlfrogy- I used a PC on the C5 I used to have (pewter Mallett 396 6 spd- whoo ha!). I ran it at 5-6 and never had a problem. Start at 3-4 and speed up if you feel it's necessary. If you use a cutting pad, you'll probably have to follow up with a polishing pad as the 'vette paint seems kinda soft. Maybe try the polishing pad first and see if it's aggressive enough.
 
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