This was the first time using my PC 7424. I washed with dawn, clayed, washed again, then used 3M perfect it II finising pad glaze (swirl remover). I went to the local store to buy a better pad than the one that came with the PC. All they had was an 8" 3M black pad, which I figured would be too big for the counterweight. I decided to just use the pad that came with the PC. I went over half the car twice (ofcourse, small section at a time). I was not happy with the results. The swirls didn't come out, and the black was richer now, so the swirls stood out even more. I had some tree sap on the hood that really stands out now, instead of coming out. I had a few problems with the PC:

1. There is a lot of vibration coming from the PC. Is that normal? I watched a video on meguire's website, and the motion seemed much more fluid. My movement seemed wobbly.

2. I had trouble laying down the pad evenly on the cars surface, especially on curved parts of the car.

I am assuming two possibilities for getting inadequate results. 1. The pad or polish doesn't have enough cutting to get the job done. or 2. I underestimated the swirls and stains on my car. I'm posting a few before shots I took, and maybe someone can guide me here. sorry for the lengthy post, and thanks again for all your help guys!

problem areas:

hood,


behind rear window,


fender:


doors, with water spots,

 

you are right... something didnt work !

first off, can you give us your process?
what speed setting were you using?
did you use the white pad?

you have to really work the product- its not like using wax (but you also dont need to run the machine at its highest speed- start low speed while you are getting the feel- maybe around a 3)... and it does help to have a pad with at least some cutting action (i think the white pad that comes with the machine has light cutting action, so it should have been o.k. for light swirls).
i usually work a 2' by 2' or so area at a time- usually start out side to side inside this "box" and really work it to cover all areas- then if it needs it i go diagonals inside the box and always finish up going front to back. about the end of the front to back the product is dusting really well and often has dusted off completely. its usually the dusting that tells you that the product has been worked completely.
you do have some areas that might need a fine cut (two ways to do this- either after inspection you just go ahead and do the fine cut first, or after the swirl removal you decide that you need to go more aggressive) - i finish with the swirl remover if i do a fine cut.

you do want to get good pads and use a separate pad for each product that you use.

btw, the machine should not have a lot of vibration- you might also post up in your local forum to see if someone near you can help out by looking at it to make sure its o.k.- a stock machine with a stock pad should only really vibrate at high speeds or off the car. i assume that you start your machine with the pad on the car and stop it while its on the car?

 

[QUOTE=wanabe,Sep 27 2006, 09:06 AM] you are right... something didnt work !

first off, can you give us your process?
what speed setting were you using?
did you use the white pad?

you have to really work the product- its not like using wax... and it does help to have a pad with at least some cutting action (i think the white pad that comes with the machine has light cutting action, so it should have been o.k. for light swirls).
i usually work a 2' by 2' or so area at a time-

 

www.showcargarage.com

they have an excellent how to use a PC video you can buy

 

have not seen this, but looks to me like it might be what you are looking for (in addition to the one that blurnj13 posted):

http://www.autogeek.net/mgvideo.html

as for the speed, you should move the machine as fast as you are comfortable... doesnt need to be fast and doesnt have to be too slow-

my suggestion:
1. either get the video or find a local member to help you with the process
2. get better quality pads
3. do a small section - if it still isnt working, then you need a fine cut compound

the video should give you an idea of what normal vibration looks like- in my mind the best way is to find a local member who can bring his machine and give you some tips. that way you can see what normal vibration looks like as well as learn the machine first hand.

where did you get the pc?

 

This is a GREAT video for people new to the PC. It's extremely in depth. I have it and I watch it every once in a while as a refresher. They're also coming out with a rotary buffer video soon.

Anyway, back OT . . . it takes three things to properly polish

1. technique
2. quality pads with sufficient cut for the job at hand
3. quality polishes with sufficient cut for the job at hand

I'm not terribly familiar with the 3M line of polishes. So, I can't really comment on #3. However, the white pad is definitely not going to get the job done based on the pictures you provided. So, you were definitely deficient in category #2. Getting the right pads for the job will help a lot! The white pad that comes with the machine is pretty much useless. I can't really comment on your technique as I've never seen you polish, but if you get one of these videos which teach proper technique then you'll feel confident that you are doing it right. Once you get all three of your ducks in a row you'll be all set to tackle those paint defects.

 

mikey

why not have a resident s2ki wash and wax member and how to guy, publisher, turn actor and show us your moves

Get a buddy to film you doing the full process on someone's hood! hmmm??

 

great idea... can we link it to the article about his book?

 

[QUOTE=HondaGal,Sep 27 2006, 06:55 PM] mikey

why not have a resident s2ki wash and wax member and how to guy, publisher, turn actor and show us your moves

 

Yes definately, the video may be large so we could house it on s2ki if need be...

But I think an s2000 in the video would be more appealing to all of us.

Come on!!!!

we want a video

we want a video