k12354
04-29-2013, 10:12 PM
This weekend I completed my first ever machine polishing session. I used my new Porter Cable 7424xp DA polisher to do a test section on the trunk lid of my wife’s red 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The purpose of this thread is to document my experience with the PC – both for myself and for anyone looking to dive into machine polishing who is wondering what to expect. Most of the tips in this post can be found in other threads and videos. There is much information online about machine polishing, but not very much of it is written by novices like me.
First, a little back story…
Recently I got the hood of my corsa blue 2013 Kia Optima repainted after it sustained comprehensive damage. When I got the car back from the body shop, there were swirl marks all over the car. I complained about the swirls and the body shop eventually agreed to send my car to a third party detail shop. The detail shop got the swirls out of most of the car, but the swirls on the repainted hood and fender were still quite noticeable. The detailer also added buffer trails (aka holograms) on the hood. If you are interested, you can read a more detailed explanation of my body shop experience here:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/62133-body-work-issues-am-i-way-too-picky.html
The thread I started to get pad/product recommendations can be viewed here:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/62246-first-da-setup-pads-compounds-these-imperfections.html
My wife agreed to let me test my process on her trunk lid. She’s less picky with her paint than I am and she stands to get a free detail out of it. My brother used to detail cars semi-professionally and has experience with the PC. He was around to supervise me while I practiced on the wife’s paint. I used the following products:
PC 7424xp w/ 5” backing plate, 5.5” CCS pads
Griot’s Garage paint clay w/ diluted ONR as clay lube
Pinnacle XMT pad conditioning spray
Meguiar’s M205 on a white pad
Klasse AIO on a black pad
Klasse SG on a red pad (one coat)
Super plush microfiber buffing towels I bought at a retail detailing supply store near my house
Now here’s what I found as a first-time DA user:
Watching lots of YouTube videos and reading forums and how-to articles was great preparation for using a DA. It really put my mind at ease to have a lot of research under my belt before I actually took the PC to the paint. The research made me feel more comfortable during my first machine polishing session. My brother was surprised how quickly I “found my groove” with the PC. Big thanks to Mike Phillips and the Autogeek crew for their YouTube videos!
I quickly found that I didn’t like the side handle the PC comes with, so I removed it. IMO, the PC is easier to handle with no handle, if you’ll excuse the pun.
The PC was pretty easy to control. However, I wasn’t prepared for how much the thing vibrates! I don’t have a ton of experience with power tools other than cordless drills. My hands were slightly numb after doing the trunk lid with the PC. The vibration wasn’t terrible, just not expected.
If I didn’t put enough pressure on the machine/pad, the pad had a tendency to “walk” along the paint. Use enough pressure to keep your passes/lines straight, but not so much that the pad stops spinning. Use a permanent marker to draw a few lines on your backing plate to indicate when the pad stops spinning.
Machine application of product is so much easier than hand application! My only regret with the PC purchase so far is not getting one sooner.
Overall, the PC is easy to use. The product/pad combinations I listed above got rid of the swirls and left a deep, glossy shine with minimal effort. I suspect machine polishing will only go by quicker as I gain experience and refine my technique. This was the first time I used clay bar, which also went well.
I viewed the session as a success. I actually enjoyed using the PC to apply product. My wife couldn’t believe how clean her trunk lid was when I was done with it. I’m looking forward to completing the above process on the whole car next weekend. After that, I think I’ll be ready to tackle the paint on my car.
Hopefully this post will give you a boost of confidence if you are a beginner at using a DA. Good luck!
First, a little back story…
Recently I got the hood of my corsa blue 2013 Kia Optima repainted after it sustained comprehensive damage. When I got the car back from the body shop, there were swirl marks all over the car. I complained about the swirls and the body shop eventually agreed to send my car to a third party detail shop. The detail shop got the swirls out of most of the car, but the swirls on the repainted hood and fender were still quite noticeable. The detailer also added buffer trails (aka holograms) on the hood. If you are interested, you can read a more detailed explanation of my body shop experience here:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/62133-body-work-issues-am-i-way-too-picky.html
The thread I started to get pad/product recommendations can be viewed here:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/62246-first-da-setup-pads-compounds-these-imperfections.html
My wife agreed to let me test my process on her trunk lid. She’s less picky with her paint than I am and she stands to get a free detail out of it. My brother used to detail cars semi-professionally and has experience with the PC. He was around to supervise me while I practiced on the wife’s paint. I used the following products:
PC 7424xp w/ 5” backing plate, 5.5” CCS pads
Griot’s Garage paint clay w/ diluted ONR as clay lube
Pinnacle XMT pad conditioning spray
Meguiar’s M205 on a white pad
Klasse AIO on a black pad
Klasse SG on a red pad (one coat)
Super plush microfiber buffing towels I bought at a retail detailing supply store near my house
Now here’s what I found as a first-time DA user:
Watching lots of YouTube videos and reading forums and how-to articles was great preparation for using a DA. It really put my mind at ease to have a lot of research under my belt before I actually took the PC to the paint. The research made me feel more comfortable during my first machine polishing session. My brother was surprised how quickly I “found my groove” with the PC. Big thanks to Mike Phillips and the Autogeek crew for their YouTube videos!
I quickly found that I didn’t like the side handle the PC comes with, so I removed it. IMO, the PC is easier to handle with no handle, if you’ll excuse the pun.
The PC was pretty easy to control. However, I wasn’t prepared for how much the thing vibrates! I don’t have a ton of experience with power tools other than cordless drills. My hands were slightly numb after doing the trunk lid with the PC. The vibration wasn’t terrible, just not expected.
If I didn’t put enough pressure on the machine/pad, the pad had a tendency to “walk” along the paint. Use enough pressure to keep your passes/lines straight, but not so much that the pad stops spinning. Use a permanent marker to draw a few lines on your backing plate to indicate when the pad stops spinning.
Machine application of product is so much easier than hand application! My only regret with the PC purchase so far is not getting one sooner.
Overall, the PC is easy to use. The product/pad combinations I listed above got rid of the swirls and left a deep, glossy shine with minimal effort. I suspect machine polishing will only go by quicker as I gain experience and refine my technique. This was the first time I used clay bar, which also went well.
I viewed the session as a success. I actually enjoyed using the PC to apply product. My wife couldn’t believe how clean her trunk lid was when I was done with it. I’m looking forward to completing the above process on the whole car next weekend. After that, I think I’ll be ready to tackle the paint on my car.
Hopefully this post will give you a boost of confidence if you are a beginner at using a DA. Good luck!