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Porter Cable use and advice


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Since many of you have moved up in the world and got yourself a Porter Cable (PC for short) I thought a thread where we could post tips on how to use it for other people who may be considering one. Feel free to add anything that you have learned about the machine that makes it effective for you. I’ve never written up an official ‘how to’ for PC operation before simply because there are so many ways to use it.

 

The PC is an incredibly versatile tool that anybody can use. With as soft and easy as our paint is to scratch and swirl, I think this tool should have come with the car. If you haven’t polished your car since you bought it then you likely have noticed the swirls and marring on the paint. A lot of that comes from what you use to wash and dry it with, but regardless of how the marks got there, they can be easily wiped out with the right tools.

 

There are a lot of differences between buffers, polishers, random orbit polishers, rotary, power buffers, and whatever else people name their polishing tools. Let’s just make it easy….

 

This is a Buffer:

 

http://data.solidcactus.com/cjimages/autobarn/prot10carbuf.gif

 

Buffers are what I call ‘el cheapo’ products. You can get them from anywhere between $20 bucks and $80 bucks. Even the highest priced buffer is nothing compared to a PC. They are all the same and it just comes down to what they are made of. Some have metal gears and some have plastic gears. Obviously the plastic geared ones are the cheaper ones and will just break sooner. They will all cause you the same grief. For an amateur a buffer is only good for one thing and that is waxing. Try to use this to remove swirls and you may end up with the famous buffer burn that I’ve mentioned before. These things generally generate too much heat when turned up fast enough to break down polishes and they cause these funky 3D looking holograms in the paint. That is called ‘buffer burn’.

 

This is a Rotary:

 

http://lib1.store.vip.sc5.yahoo.com/lib/autogeek/lc43175.jpeg

 

All I can say about a rotary is that I don’t use them. They are a more effective version of a buffer that is capable of literally polishing the paint right off your car. While a buffer will just screw up the paint, a rotary can remove it. Sometimes you need power like that, but again… for an amateur these machines just create problems. Get experience with a PC before you step up to a rotary. Rotaries are professional tools that require some skill to use. I don’t use one because I simply haven’t ever come across a problem that I needed one for. The PC has always done the job for me.

 

This is a PC:

 

http://www.steeringwheel.com/shop/images/1447.jpg

 

The PC is the safest of all the polishing tools. It is a random orbit polisher. What that means is that the pad spins while it rotates. Kind of like how the moon rotates while it orbits the earth. The pad on the PC does exactly that. On one hand the pad is spinning fast, but it is also on a second sort of off center spin that causes it to orbit. The effect is a kind of ‘jiggle’ of the pad that helps avoid burning the paint. The pad simply doesn’t spin in one place long enough to cause any damage. That isn’t saying that if you were using a cutting pad and a very aggressive product that you wouldn’t burn paint off the edges or even the middle of a body panel, but used with a little common sense and practice you will find that this tool is the safest and easiest to use out of all of them. If you gave this machine to a 5 year old with the right pad and a little wax then they could quite safely wax your car with it. I couldn’t say that unless I had tried it too. ;)

 

You can use the PC either with two hands or one hand. In some cases it is necessary to use both hands, but when reaching across the roof or hood it is sometimes difficult to have both hands. The nice thing about this tool is that it isn’t going to get away from you if you are only using one hand. Just keep a grip on it and you should be fine. Here are some examples of what I’m talking about. You can tell by the pad on the PC that this is through 3 different stages of polishing. The red pad is my cutting pad for swirl removal. The green pad is what I use for applying the paint cleaner (in this case the Wolfgang Pre Wax Polish Enhancer) and the black pad is what I use for applying the final wax or sealant (Wolfgang).

 

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/OCDetails2/Jens%20Car/162-6275_IMG.jpg

 

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/OCDetails2/Jens%20Car/162-6290_IMG.jpg

 

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/OCDetails2/Jens%20Car/162-6293_IMG.jpg

 

The more you use this tool the more certain muscles will get a workout. Don’t be surprised the day after your first full polish job when you are sore in different places or if you have a blister on your thumb. That is just the way it is until you get used to it. Obviously I’m not the biggest guy in the world, but polishing a car is a good workout and you will definitely notice it in your arms and shoulders after awhile.

 

Very Important! Here are a couple tips on PC usage that you may not have considered. Never lift the PC off the paint while it is spinning. Always keep contact between the paint and the pad while the PC is on or else you will just end up flipping product all over the car, the walls, and yourself. Trust me on that. Turn the machine on and off while the pad is on the paint. Also, don’t wear anything that will scratch the paint. Necklaces, belt buckles, rings, watches, etc.. All of that can cause damage if you accidently rub against the car. I wear an apron for a couple reasons. Number one it is a great place to carry product around with me while I’m polishing the car. Number two is that my belt gets another layer of material between it and the car. When you are reaching across the hood or over the roof you don’t want to hear a grinding of your belt buckle and the paint. Especially on our paint. That is another reason to be careful with your watch. Large metal watch bands would love to scratch your paint. Take off your watch and rings while detailing if you feel they will be in the way. One more tip is regarding the cord. The best way to keep the cord from dragging along the paint is to throw it over your shoulder. That way you never have to worry about it. It is also much easier to move around the car when you aren’t trying to flip the cord out from under the tires or get it off the side mirror.

 

Continued...

_________________________________________

“Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.”

O C D E T A I L S . C O M

OCDETAILS BLOG

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Cleaning your pads on the fly is pretty easy. Pads are much easier to clean when they are freshly used than after they have dried. What I do with mine is simply spray them off, shake the water out, and then put them on the PC for a short spin on setting 6. That usually gets enough water out that you can get back to work. If you spray the pad with high pressure and only aim at the front, then usually the back doesn’t get wet. If the Velcro gets wet on the back then you will have a hard time getting it to stick back on the PC. I would also suggest letting the pad cool down a bit before washing it off. Right after use there is a lot of heat that has been transferred from the pad up to the backing plate. The glue on the Velcro backing might be a little soft and it is a good idea to let it cool down before you risk getting it wet.

 

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/OCDetails2/Jens%20Car/162-6280_IMG.jpg

 

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/OCDetails2/Jens%20Car/162-6281_IMG.jpg

 

Something else that you might want to consider when polishing your car is to tape off the plastic trim. Polishes stain plastic trim if you don’t clean it up right away. The only trim on the Legacy that I see problems with is the area around the sunroof. Everything else seems to clean up pretty easily. To mask off the trim you want to protect, just use normal blue painters tape. It doesn’t leave sticky stuff behind and it will protect anything you don’t want messed up. You can also use it to cover any seams you don’t want product getting in. Just keep in mind that anywhere you tape off isn’t going to get polished or waxed. If you need to mask off seams around the door handles or body panels, then you might want to consider using really thin strips so you don’t end up with swirls left underneath where the tape was.

 

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/OCDetails2/Jens%20Car/162-6277_IMG.jpg

 

One other tip that isn’t PC related is in buffing off the product. I use a towel under each hand so that I’m not leaving streaks or smudges on the car. I also use latex gloves while detailing since all those chemicals can dry out your hands. After you have spend a few hours polishing up your lady’s car the last thing you want is for her to be in the middle of rewarding you and then make a comment about how dry your hands are. ;)

 

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/OCDetails2/Jens%20Car/162-6288_IMG.jpg

 

If you run into stubborn areas where the product just doesn’t want to buff off then you might want to spray a little quick detailer or even just water on it. I keep a bottle of Four Star Gloss Enhancer handy for those situations. If nothing is available then you just need to use a little pressure on the towel while buffing. This is also an effective method:

 

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/OCDetails2/Jens%20Car/162-6289_IMG.jpg

 

Please add any other tips that you can think of. The PC is a great tool and probably one of the best investments for the value of your car that you can make. Your paint is the most expensive part of your car and proper care is essential to retaining vehicle value.

_________________________________________

“Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.”

O C D E T A I L S . C O M

OCDETAILS BLOG

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People just need to see it in action to be less intimidated by it. I think people are worried about screwing up their paint or something. It really is a no brainer machine.

_________________________________________

“Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.”

O C D E T A I L S . C O M

OCDETAILS BLOG

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Good info.

 

So, I understand the PC can be purchased locally at a Lowe's or other home improvement store (couldn't find it at a Home Depot). What is the minimal or recommended pad set?

 

For regular upkeep, I'd assume a green pad for applying cleaner, black pad for applying sealant, and another for buffing off the sealant/wax? The color codes probably differ by manufacturer, so where would one get the complete set of good pads? I think premiumautocare.com has sets--are they good?

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Great post!

 

Guess there's probably one more thing I need to save up for :p

 

It takes me about 2+ hours to wax my car by hand (actually, just did it a few hours ago, phew!). How much time would a PC save me?

-=- Livin life at 140 BPM -=-

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Good info.

 

So, I understand the PC can be purchased locally at a Lowe's or other home improvement store (couldn't find it at a Home Depot). What is the minimal or recommended pad set?

 

For regular upkeep, I'd assume a green pad for applying cleaner, black pad for applying sealant, and another for buffing off the sealant/wax? The color codes probably differ by manufacturer, so where would one get the complete set of good pads? I think premiumautocare.com has sets--are they good?

 

 

Funny you should ask. I have that question covered in my FAQs on OCDetails.com. As long as you have a cutting pad and a waxing pad then you are fine. The red one and white one on this page should do the trick. I've got a number of different pads from different companies. The red one I'm using in that picture is a Meguiar's pad and the others are Sonus pads. It doesn't matter where you get your pads as long as they work for your purposes. Four Star has awesome pads that he wasn't carrying back when I took those pictures.

_________________________________________

“Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.”

O C D E T A I L S . C O M

OCDETAILS BLOG

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I can wax my car in 30 minutes with a PC. That is wax and buff it off. The PC is a huge time saver.

 

Wow... that is a huge improvement over my time! :lol:

I think it takes me 30 minutes just to buff the wax off!

-=- Livin life at 140 BPM -=-

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It used to take me upwards of 4 hours to wax a meduim sized car like the legacy.

Now with the PC it takes me 1-2 hours at most. And im not exhausted afterwards lol

This sounds so much like an advert haha

 

question: how much more cutting power does the yellow pad have over the red one?

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Wax on AND wax off in 30 mins? That sounds really great.

 

Okay, back to the pad questions... Assuming I don't need to polish (it's a new car). I'll be using the least aggressive pad available. Let's say it's white. Would I need 4 white pads: pre-wax on, pre-wax off, sealer on, sealer off? When removing/buffing, wouldn't a single pad fill up with stuff and need to be cleaned?

 

(Here's where I reveal that I normally apply way too much wax: I used up two 16x16 microfibers to buff off my last wax job.)

 

BTW, was able to find the PC at Lowe's for $110. But I don't think that includes the necessary accessories, including the counterweight for 6" pads.

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Getting the tool outfitted for polishing will be difficult if you are shopping locally. Most likely you will need to buy the counterweight and the backing plate/pads online. http://www.coastaltool.com is probably the cheapest place online to get what you need. They have a pretty good setup actually.

 

The White pad on PAC is similar to Green one I was using in the picture. It is a good multipurpose pad that holds up will under polishing and paint cleaning. You don't really need a ton of them. Just spray it off between products. It doesn't have to be spic and span before you change products. I would suggest having two of whichever pads you use just so you have a backup in case something happens to one, but it isn't necessary. Anyway, The Red pad is like the black one I was using, the White one is the green one, and technially the Orange one would be the cutting pad I would use for tough paint and swirls. You could use either the yellow or the orange pad depending on how agressive you need to get. I would expect that most of you are going to be ok with a yellow pad if you have swirls. A couple years from now if you are reading this thread and wondering what you should get, get the orange. lol

_________________________________________

“Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.”

O C D E T A I L S . C O M

OCDETAILS BLOG

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*takes notes*

*shops*

*tests on dads car first*

+1 but change to Mom's car!

 

I got everything needed thru http://www.premiumautocare.com and they were great. Not to mention OCD's huge amount of help and insight in ordering everything and explaining how it all works.

 

The only thing that really bites about it all is that I havent had a sunny weekend to do my car since ordering everything! I was planning today to do it but woke up to rain and 40 mph winds. New England weather can really suck.

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I got everything needed thru http://www.premiumautocare.com and they were great. Not to mention OCD's huge amount of help and insight in ordering everything and explaining how it all works.

 

I'll second that. I haven't had a chance to use what I bought yet, but www.premiumautocare.com's service was great. I got everything I ordered in good condition and with no delay (std shipping was quicker than expected). With "legacy" discount and the special values, e.g. free microfiber cloth, it was a positive shopping experience.

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  • 2 weeks later...

OCDetails, I just got my PC; but I'm looking to have a pad that can polish out my friend's damaged paint. He used a kitchen sponge to wipe out some dirty spots, and found out the nasty scratches that it created after the car dries out.:icon_sad:

 

My questions are:

1) should I just use the SSR2, then SSR 1, or should I get the SSR2.5 or even SSR3? considering the scratches are deeper than regular swirl marks...

2) Would it be enough to use the white pad here: http://www.premiumautocare.com/advanced-foam-pads.html, or would I need to get the yellow or the orange pad (what would this do?) on the same page?

3) Would I be okay to use these "Advanced 7.5-inch pads"? Since I'm a beginner on using the PC...

 

Again, thanks in advance for your advise!:icon_smil

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Without being able to see the damage it is really hard to recomend the right product. SSR2 can do a lot if you keep at it. If the swirls are really bad then 2.5 or 3 might be a good idea. If these are scratches then don't put too much confidence in what the PC can do. It can do a lot, but if these marks are through the clear coat then you aren't going to be able to take them out with a polisher. Some things are just beyond simple repair. You will certianly make the car look a whole lot better though.

 

Check out the FAQs on OCDetails.com. That might help you with your polish and pad selection. Basically you will need a cutting pad and a finishing pad. I would suggest everybody have at least the red and white one, but if you are dealing with serious damage restoration then you may need the orange one as well. It all depends on the level of damage and how well you can use the PC. It's an easy tool to use, but obviously there are some techniques that you learn with practice that make it more effective. It's one of those things that is tough to explain and has to be shown, but it is also something that you can learn yourself with a little practice.

 

The best advice I can give you is to invest in some 500 watt halogen lamps so you can get the brightest light possible on the area you are working on. Don't move on to another panel until you are satified with the level of swirl removal on the first one. That way you will know better how long you need to polish and how many passes you need to make before the swirls are gone. It sucks to spend a couple hours polishing the car and then pull it out in the sun and still see half the swirls. Do the job right the first time and you'll be a lot less frustrated.

_________________________________________

“Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.”

O C D E T A I L S . C O M

OCDETAILS BLOG

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That's why you shake it out first. Shake out as much water as you can and then let it spin. I've never lost a pad yet.

 

I don't put pressure on the machine. I let the weight of the PC be most of the pressure. You can play with how fast the pad orbits when you let off on the pressure. It's the spinning of the pad and the polish that remove swirls. Not how hard you are pressing on the paint. Less pressure is actually better than lots of pressure.

 

As far as speeds go, I start out on a 3 usually for polishing and then kick it up to 5. For waxing and sealing I don't go higher than 4. Not necessary. Those are jus tmy comfortable speeds though. It varies depending on what you feel comfortable with. No right or wrong way to do it.

_________________________________________

“Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.”

O C D E T A I L S . C O M

OCDETAILS BLOG

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Hmmm.... spin them slower. lol I dunno... it works for me. You may have to find another way of drying the pads. Too much water in the pads makes polishing hard. It will also affect your sealants, so they really should be as dry as you can get them. Being a little damp is fine, but if there is still water that drips out of them then there would be a problem. Maybe get two pads so one can be drying and you can use the other one.

_________________________________________

“Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.”

O C D E T A I L S . C O M

OCDETAILS BLOG

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So N00B here with the PC. I just got the 7336, so that comes with the 6" counterweight.

1. What else to I need to get going? Types of pads?/I hear talk about a backing plate?/do I need a 5" counterweight? I just need overall help getting started.

2. I am going to wash my car, use meguiar's deep crystal paint cleaner, and use wolfgang sealant. Polishing won't come until the Spring, after winter. With that said, how do I apply these products? Do I apply by hand and then buff out with the PC, or do I apply with the PC too?

3. If I want to wax my car, again, do I apply that by hand, and then buff it out?

4. Are there different types of pads? The 7336 I have come with a "polishing" pad.

Any help given to this N00B will be great!

Thanks.

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Thanks for the reply! That answered my questions about pads, however I am confused. On coastal tool's site it says that if you use the 6" foam polishing pad, then you have to use the 5" counterweight. Now if I get the 6" backing plate, then I would go ahead and still use the 6" counterweight?

 

Also,

I was interested on how to apply the product using the PC in reference to:

2. I am going to wash my car, use meguiar's deep crystal paint cleaner, and use wolfgang sealant. Polishing won't come until the Spring, after winter. With that said, how do I apply these products? Do I apply by hand and then buff out with the PC, or do I apply with the PC too?

3. If I want to wax my car, again, do I apply that by hand, and then buff it out?

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