I've been using the Porter Cable for about a month now, following directions and suggestions from this site and other and I KNOW not to use pressure on the PC and to let the machine do the work, BUT...

I had thought that, like my random orbital sander in the wood shop, the PC both rotated the disk/pad and moved it in an eccentric orbit. Unless I actually lift the weight of the machine off the car (Pull on the machine if you will, as opposed to hold on to or, as above, push down on) it only "wobbles" but does not spin the pad at all.

Is it supposed to do this? Do you really have to hold it off the car to get it to spin? does it need to spin at all? Should I switch from the 5" counter-wieght to the 6"?

Any thoughts?

 

Sounds normal to me... Only when all friction/resistance removed will the backing plate/pads free-spin with the rotating off-set spindle (sending compounds and often times the pads flying).

From this link in the FAQ's:

[QUOTE][I]The term random orbit defines the action of the tool

 

THANKS!

I was having THAT problem too!

I thought that that might be the case. How could it be a POWER tool if you had to hold it like THAT?!?

Being new to the PC I wasn't sure of the exact technique.

I'll look into that 6" weight too.