New at detailing & first time using a polisher (PorterCable 7424XP)...Need some help w/ pads & Polish

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Poohbear

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Hello detailers,

I'm new to the detailing world and thought I would give it a try with my wife's 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe. We bought it used and it has some swirls and scratches plus a weird defect on the bumper that I would like to take care of. After reading some threads on the forum I decided to purchase some products during the Black Friday sale. I believe the only thing I have left to purchase are some pads and some microfiber towels. For pads I'm thinking of buying some Lake County CCS Smart Pads in orange, pink and white. Would those be okay for what I need to correct? Also, now i'm not too sure if the polish and finish that I purchased are too strong for what I want to do. I purchased the Menzerna Heavy Cut Compound 400 and the Menzerna Super Finish SF-3500. Would that be okay, or should I get something less agressive? This would be my first time using a polisher(Porter Cable 7424XP).

As soon as it stop raining, i'll take some pictures of the bumper and the defects I want to take care of. These are scratches and swirls I want to correct.

Thanks for any advice and help.

https://goo.gl/photos/ywnXgSjzHEqViDup8

Full list of products I purchased
Lake County 3.5" & 5" Flexible backing plate
Menzerna Heavy Cut Compound 400
Menzerna Super Finish SF-3500
Black Fire Wet-Ice Over Fire Kit
Poorboy’s Natural Look Shine 32oz + Spray nozzle & Microfiber applicator
 
Last edited:
pass on the ccs pads (beyond me why some still even consider these when you have so many other options these days) and get the lake country thinpro pads in both the 5.5" and 3.5" sizes. you will need to purchase a 3" DA backing plate as well...

Lake Country ThinPro Foam Pad System
lake-country-thinpro-foam-pad-system-1.gif
 
Looked at your pics. Basically, the vehicle doesn't look too unusual, just looks like it's not been washed carefully, and has gotten very little in the way of any paint protection applied from the previous owner.

Yes, I'll agree with Visitor, that probably the top pick for a foam pad for the PC7424XP would be the LC ThinPro Pads in the various types to have on hand. I myself would probably pick a good number of both the white pads, and perhaps some of the orange.

The type of pad will vary the degree of cut and correction with any given polish.

As the wise here would say, you should do the proverbial "test spot" on a section, and see what works, and IMO, it is better to do too little, than to do too much. Especially at first. You can always repeat a process in the future, but cannot undo excessive removal of the precious clear coat.

Another good finishing polish to have on hand, and I always do, is Meguiars #205 Ultra Finishing Polish in the Beige Qt Bottle. Can often be commonly found at many of the local big auto parts stores. It's an exceptional product, and can be counted upon to deliver a fantastic show car finish.

Don't forget to do some decon prior to polishing, and at minimum you should at least Clay the vehicle.
Going further, and getting even more of the nasties from the paint, then one should seriously consider an Iron Removal product such as Carpro Iron-X. It's a bit of a smelly process, but also quite an eye opening one as well, when one sees just how much iron contamination is imbedded in the paint's surface. Nothing at all wrong with Clay products like the Meguiars and Mothers Kits sold in the stores, they work. Remember to use plenty of lube, and a simple to get lube is Meguiars Detailing Spray in the Red Bottles. They work!

The Baggie Test will tell the tale. Examine the entire vehicle, even the glass as well by putting your hand inside a very thin plastic sandwich bag, and feel both the paint, and glass. You'll most likely find that all surfaces feel like sandpaper, and such should be addressed with both an Iron Remover, and Claying "prior" to any polishing processes.

There's no doubt countless vids that can be watched here, with our master Mike Phillips at the helm of many of the machines used, and as well countless vids can be seen on youtube as well. Not only Mike P, but others as well. There you will see proper use of such machines, how to do section passes.

Study such basics of operation, anything that Mike P has put up will essentially be gospel as to the proper uses and techniques for polishing.
 
Thin pro pads they assist with the PC making sure it rotates.Get one grey pad for stubborn swirls,it's like hard cardboard and stiff but a must have.Nice color car btw.
 
I also highly recommend the Lake Country Thin Pro pads for use on a PC. That's not to say the CCS pads won't work (if you've already ordered) but IME/IMO the thinner pads work soooo much better on DA's. You may as well start off with the best pad option to give yourself better results right outta the gate! I would even go so far as to suggest a switch out with Nick at AutoGeek if you've already ordered and are awaiting arrival.
 
I personally would use griots correction cream followed by HD speed.Or griots correction cream and the finishing sealant.
 
VISITOR said:
pass on the ccs pads (beyond me why some still even consider these when you have so many other options these days) and get the lake country thinpro pads in both the 5.5" and 3.5" sizes. you will need to purchase a 3" DA backing plate as well...

Lake Country ThinPro Foam Pad System
lake-country-thinpro-foam-pad-system-1.gif
Click to expand...

Thanks, i'll look into the ThinPro pads

MarkD51 said:
Looked at your pics. Basically, the vehicle doesn't look too unusual, just looks like it's not been washed carefully, and has gotten very little in the way of any paint protection applied from the previous owner.

Yes, I'll agree with Visitor, that probably the top pick for a foam pad for the PC7424XP would be the LC ThinPro Pads in the various types to have on hand. I myself would probably pick a good number of both the white pads, and perhaps some of the orange.

The type of pad will vary the degree of cut and correction with any given polish.

As the wise here would say, you should do the proverbial "test spot" on a section, and see what works, and IMO, it is better to do too little, than to do too much. Especially at first. You can always repeat a process in the future, but cannot undo excessive removal of the precious clear coat.

Another good finishing polish to have on hand, and I always do, is Meguiars #205 Ultra Finishing Polish in the Beige Qt Bottle. Can often be commonly found at many of the local big auto parts stores. It's an exceptional product, and can be counted upon to deliver a fantastic show car finish.

Don't forget to do some decon prior to polishing, and at minimum you should at least Clay the vehicle.
Going further, and getting even more of the nasties from the paint, then one should seriously consider an Iron Removal product such as Carpro Iron-X. It's a bit of a smelly process, but also quite an eye opening one as well, when one sees just how much iron contamination is imbedded in the paint's surface. Nothing at all wrong with Clay products like the Meguiars and Mothers Kits sold in the stores, they work. Remember to use plenty of lube, and a simple to get lube is Meguiars Detailing Spray in the Red Bottles. They work!

The Baggie Test will tell the tale. Examine the entire vehicle, even the glass as well by putting your hand inside a very thin plastic sandwich bag, and feel both the paint, and glass. You'll most likely find that all surfaces feel like sandpaper, and such should be addressed with both an Iron Remover, and Claying "prior" to any polishing processes.

There's no doubt countless vids that can be watched here, with our master Mike Phillips at the helm of many of the machines used, and as well countless vids can be seen on youtube as well. Not only Mike P, but others as well. There you will see proper use of such machines, how to do section passes.

Study such basics of operation, anything that Mike P has put up will essentially be gospel as to the proper uses and techniques for polishing.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice and suggestions. Luckily i've been looking at some videos by Mike Phillips to try and learn proper techniques when using my Porter Cable. I also already have some clay bar at home, so i'll definitely be using it along with the baggie test. When I order the pads, i'll see if I order some of the Carpro Iron-X.

ski2 said:
As others have mentioned thin pads are the way to go. Megs also has some thin pads if you want an alternative to the Lake Country pads. Also, make sure you get enough pads per step. Here's a thread by Mike Phillips regarding the number of pads you need: http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...-how-many-pads-do-i-need-buff-out-my-car.html
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestions, i'll look into both brands and the article by Mike.

Puckman said:
I also highly recommend the Lake Country Thin Pro pads for use on a PC. That's not to say the CCS pads won't work (if you've already ordered) but IME/IMO the thinner pads work soooo much better on DA's. You may as well start off with the best pad option to give yourself better results right outta the gate! I would even go so far as to suggest a switch out with Nick at AutoGeek if you've already ordered and are awaiting arrival.
Click to expand...

Thanks, luckily I haven't placed an order on the pads yet. Looks like the consensus is for the Thin pads, so i'll definitely be ordering those.

GSKR said:
I personally would use griots correction cream followed by HD speed.Or griots correction cream and the finishing sealant.
Click to expand...

I did see some other people mention having great results with HD speed, but that was after my order had shipped. i'll definitely keep this combination of products in mind for next time. Hopefully the products I ordered will fix the paint issue with my wife's car. The color does look nice, I just can't wait for it to pop once I get a chance to work on it.
 
Mark and others who mention the LC 'thin pro' pads.
Why the thin ones? I've got plenty of the LC flat foam pads, and I get quite pleasing results as a hobbyist, what's the advantage of the 'thin pro'?

Thanks in advance.
 
glfnaz said:
Mark and others who mention the LC 'thin pro' pads.
Why the thin ones? I've got plenty of the LC flat foam pads, and I get quite pleasing results as a hobbyist, what's the advantage of the 'thin pro'?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

The Flat Foam LC Pads you speak of work fine, I have many, as these LC Thinpro Pads have only recently come on the market.

Mike Phillips explains well the advantages of the ThinPro Pads, less mass, less weight, mean the PC D/A and other free spinning D/As will have a better ability of maintaining Pad Rotation.

The thicker a pad, they then also have a tendency to "absorb" much of the motion of the D/A's Backing Plate like a shock absorber, meaning less efficiency and solidity in both rotation, and oscillation at the Pad Face-Surface.

Back some years ago when I first got my PC7424XP here at Autogeek, the LC Flat Pads, like the ones we both have, were pretty much the "gold standard", and usually the #1 pick for these machines.

The same reasoning and principals will also apply basically to the thinner MicroFiber Pads as well, since they too are thinner,

Either the thinner MF Pads, or these new LC ThinPro Foam Pads will also be an aid, and give new life to Machines like the little baby Griots 3" D/A, which many have given up on due to lack of power.

Last couple times I bought some goodies here, I made sure I got me some of the ThinPro's, in both 5.5" and 3.5" sizes.
 
By the way, Poohbear, I forgot to mention, to welcome you to this forum!

Both here, and autogeek's "sister site" and store, "Autopia" are truly tops! Do enjoy your stay, and have fun.
 
One other aspect of Polishing I forgot to mention Poohbear, is the need of having a good selection of various widths of Painter's Masking Tape on hand.

That after washing, then further prepping the vehicle with possible claying, and/or iron decontamination, and prior to then being ready to begin the polishing tasks with D/A, one should mask off all trim, on the body, roof, around windows, badges, and if some pieces can be even removed, such will be an advantage, and also insure that no damage from the polishing, or the polishes themselves can damage such trim.

As an example, on the hood of my old daily driver, 2001 Kia Spectra are the Windshield Washer Nozzles. Instead of going around them, and/or taping them, I simply remove them when polishing. Only takes a few minute's time to do.

Not sure exactly where you live, but you may have an Auto Paint-Supply Shop in your town, which will carry all sorts of masking tapes, such as the green or yellow 3M brand. Sometimes the big box auto parts stores carry some also.

Buy the good stuff, like 3M brand if buying locally.

Sure, masking is extra work to do, but helps insure professional end results.
 
glfnaz said:
Mark and others who mention the LC 'thin pro' pads.
Why the thin ones? I've got plenty of the LC flat foam pads, and I get quite pleasing results as a hobbyist, what's the advantage of the 'thin pro'?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

a thin pad it will turn/rotate more efficiently because there is less foam/mass twisting as it rotates...
 
By now, and from what I've written, about all the processes involved with producing that "show car" pristine shine, you might be feeling pretty overwhelmed, besides the wallet taking a good hit as well.

And trust me, it can be quite overwhelming. Both physically, and mentally. Just a list of what you'll need for each process, the washing, and yep, here we go, buckets, shampoo, a wash mitt or wash towel, towels for drying, then inspecting for grease, bugs, other nasties possibly stck to the paint, maybe stickers you might want to remove, on and on it goes.

Then iron removal, and or claying, and this usually means yet washing the car again. One must thoroughly wash again and rinse with copious amounts of water when using the iron removers.

I'll save some space with all the processes necessary, but I think you get the picture. I don't consider myself a professional, but at one time could've called myself semi-pro, as I did do people's vehicles and was paid for it.
I'll soon be 62 in another 2 weeks, and did more detailing when I was 14-17 years of age than I do now. Now, I consider myself just another hobbyist is all.

Keep in mind, that "Rome Wasn't Built in a Day", and the same applies to vehicle detailing. Many professionals fight "time". That time is money to many of them. And we do have many professionals in this forum besides us weekend hobbyists.

Of course too, the high level of quality from experience of their work must also be present. Otherwise, not many of them would remain in business very long. One thing you'll rarely find here, is "professional hacks".

With just one person, and the many processes, it is wise not to try to accomplish all in one day. That you're trying to take a "used" vehicle, and breathe new life into it, and to restore it to its original new glory, doing it in one day is an impossibility. That is if you wish to do all processes correctly.

Just like building a shed, or other large task, make a game plan, of what you will try to do. Break the entire detail into segments of processes. It's a major plus if you have a garage, and can take the vehicle out of service for 2-3, or more days to accomplish the tasks at hand.

With my White Tahoe SUV in my Avatar, I knew there'd be no way in hell that I would get all such detailing processes done in one day, no matter how early I started, nor how late I worked. Without a garage, I knew I'd have to perhaps do a simple clear water wipedown again with every concurrent process being done to rid the vehicle of dusts-etc.

Take your time, don't rush, and as Mike Phillips, our master guru here would say, "Work Clean".

You can clean Foam Polishing Pads on the fly with a clean towel, and a small soft toothbrush, to rid the surface of the pad of dried, caked polishes, etc, but there does come a point where a pad needs to be swapped, and a fresh one installed on the backing plate.

As Mike P has also said once, "In a perfect world, one panel, one pad". Then toss and put on a clean fresh one. But it is permissible to clean them, and do 2-3 panels with one pad, as long as they don't look too nasty, or aren't too loaded with excessive polishes.

By taking one's time, and not rushing, this has many advantages. It give both the body and mind time to rest. Wielding a Porter Cable D/A, or other machine for hours does take it's toll on the body, and even the mind for sure. No one here will argue that.

When I did my Tahoe the first time, and even the second time, I worked from the top, and worked my way down. I knew it meant up and down on a ladder, and that was taxing as well. Once the roof was completed with polishing, then, I moved down to the lower body panels.

I hope my ramblings have helped you.
 
As for things like the engine bay. That's another topic that could take 3 posts to write about. And the undercarriage.

Those can be addressed at a later time if one wishes.

The most important things to firstly address with motor, transmission, axles, and many other things such as filters, oils, fluids, is inspect, fill, or change if needed, then go from there.

Does no good to be driving around a pristine clean vehicle, with horrid oil, filthy air filters, no washer fluid, 20lbs of air in tires, bad brakes, bald tires, etc etc.

Wouldn't matter if it was a Ferarri 458 Italia you just bought, if it can't get you from point A to point B reliably, it ain't worth spit!
 
I am not a menzerna polish user but one can't really go wrong with many polishes sold through autogeek or autopia.

Griot's gets very good reviews. As does Sonax, Wolfgang, Meguiar's. The Meguiar's ultimate twins (ult. compound & ult. polish) are a nice starting point to learn with. They are user friendly and work very well. You can branch out later.

Here is a good write up on the number of pads needed as well

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...-how-many-pads-do-i-need-buff-out-my-car.html

glfnaz said:
Mark and others who mention the LC 'thin pro' pads.
Why the thin ones? I've got plenty of the LC flat foam pads, and I get quite pleasing results as a hobbyist, what's the advantage of the 'thin pro'?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Has all the info you need.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...am-pad-options-your-dual-action-polisher.html
 
MarkD51 said:
As for things like the engine bay. That's another topic that could take 3 posts to write about. And the undercarriage.

Those can be addressed at a later time if one wishes.

The most important things to firstly address with motor, transmission, axles, and many other things such as filters, oils, fluids, is inspect, fill, or change if needed, then go from there.

Does no good to be driving around a pristine clean vehicle, with horrid oil, filthy air filters, no washer fluid, 20lbs of air in tires, bad brakes, bald tires, etc etc.
Click to expand...

Thanks Mark for all the good info and advice. Everything does seem overwhelming and took me about a couple hours on Friday morning to pull the trigger on the products I bought. Hopefully with all the advice and knowledge from you guys, i'll pick up some things and get good at detailing. Also, since the Holidays are just around the corner, Some more of products will have to wait before I can purchase.

The Guz said:
I am not a menzerna polish user but one can't really go wrong with many polishes sold through autogeek or autopia.

Griot's gets very good reviews. As does Sonax, Wolfgang, Meguiar's. The Meguiar's ultimate twins (ult. compound & ult. polish) are a nice starting point to learn with. They are user friendly and work very well. You can branch out later.

Here is a good write up on the number of pads needed as well

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...-how-many-pads-do-i-need-buff-out-my-car.html

Has all the info you need.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...am-pad-options-your-dual-action-polisher.html
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info The Guz. Hopefully I get good results with the polishes I bought, if not i'll definitely keep the Griots products in mind for the next time.
 
If you go with the THin pads for example Lake Country ThinPro Foam Pad System 5.5 Inch


I recommend getting at least 3 orange
3 white, and
2 Black pads.
Also get some good microfiber towels. The one made in Korea...
 
I'm pretty much a newbie as well and don't have any business making suggestions, esp relative to others here. But... two suggestions I'll make:

1. Start with one brand of compound/polish. This isn't required, but it removes one variable for you right now. Megs ultimate compound and ultimate polish are fine. Others are very good, perhaps even better. Frankly, it's hard to find a bad one and they'll all give you excellent results. Focus on learning how the machine performs and dialing in the process for that paint.

2. If you get the thinpro pads I would get one thicker pad as well just to get used to how the polisher works. I don't doubt you'll want the thinner pads, but spend your first 20 mins or so with the thicker one. Put a mark on your backing plate so you'll be able to see it moving (or not). I think it's just a little easier learning experience and a little more forgiving initially.
 
goldenlight said:
If you go with the THin pads for example Lake Country ThinPro Foam Pad System 5.5 Inch


I recommend getting at least 3 orange
3 white, and
2 Black pads.
Also get some good microfiber towels. The one made in Korea...
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestions. Do you have any recommendations for towels? Maybe for drying, removing polish/wax, windows, etc. Thanks.
 
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