PC 7424 and first go around

[amorican]

Got the 7424 and used Sonus SFX2 with a Sonus Swirlbuster polishing pad this weekend on Black Tie...it seems to have improved some of the clarity and eliminated most of the webs, but did not do what I had hoped for. I know my finish is not a lost cause (not that bad to begin with obviously) but I want suggestions on how to do this better next time. I also have some Sonus final finish, should I have immediately followed with that?

I guess I need that DVD to really get what I want out of the Porter Cable.

Help!

TJM

[tuckersinmo]

Why did you start with sfx2 and not sfx1 maybe. Just curious. I just did my neighbors truck and started w/ 1 then 2 and it got rid of all cobwebs etc. What speed did you use?

Scott

[bolus]

The DVD is great for technique but he does use different products (meguiars pads and polish/wax products). So I dont think it will help too much if you are trying to figure out how exactly to use your Sonus products.

I'm contemplating getting a 7424 but the wide variaty of products makes it a bit overwhelming.

Hopefully someone can here can suggest a start to finish procedure using sonus pads and polishes for the 7424 so you wont have to buy a whole new set of products

[agranger]

This is going to come off sounding like a commercial for autopia-carcare.com, but it's where I buy my supplies, so I don't feel too bad...

I use the PCDA with Sonus pads and Sonus polishes (SFX 1, 2 and 3).

Pads: http://www.autopia-carcare.com/son-daspad-kit.html
SFX-1 Restore: http://www.autopia-carcare.com/son-410.html
SFX-2 Enhance Swirl Remover: http://www.autopia-carcare.com/son-420.html
SFX-3 Final Finish Polish: http://www.autopia-carcare.com/son-430.html

You should always assess the condition of your paintwork before starting and use the least abrasive product that will do the job. If you only have a few swirl marks, starting with 2 is fine. If you have oxidation or excessive swirls, you might be better off starting with SFX 1.

Whatever you choose to start with, you must always work your way to the end of the product line for best results. If you use SFX 1 to start, you then need to use SFX 2 and then SFX 3 before waxing or sealing. If you use SFX-2 and still see scratches or swirls, maybe you should back up, try SFX-1 and then do 2 and 3. If you did SFX 2 and the finish is not as reflective as you hoped, it's probably because you need to do SFX 3 to finish the process.

Think of these compounds as being sand paper. You can't use 60 grit sandpaper (very course) and then apply the varnish! The coarse stuff is to smooth out the big scratches but, in the process of doing so, you create a bunch of medium sized scratches. You then pull out the medium grade paper, not to remove the big scratches but to remove the medium scratches that the course paper created. You keep going to progressively finer and finer grades of paper, repairing the dammage that the previous step caused until your finish is smooth and shiny.

[OctaneGuy]

I disagree. The video is all about technique. Regardless of product choice. Both Sonus and Meguiar's have similar products. With the proper technique, you will know when to clay and how to do it right, when to use a paint cleaner or pure polish, and how to seal it correctly. How you use a spray wax or a scratch remover by hand are the same regardless of product choice.

If you're so confused about which products to get, go Meguiar's.

Buy a Meguiar's G100a which comes with the PC, backing plate, and foam pad.

Then get a bottle of M80 (Paint Cleaner/Polish), and finish it off with a wax (NXT or M21 for Meguiar's or whatever other wax that suits your fancy)

Can't get simpler than that. One chemical, one pad.

The Yellow W8006 pad is all you need. A Tan W9006 pad is nice to have to apply a wax and a W7006 pad is nice if you want to remove wax. But for general purpose work, you can use a yellow W8006 for just about everything.

Richard

Originally Posted by bolus

The DVD is great for technique but he does use different products (meguiars pads and polish/wax products). So I dont think it will help too much if you are trying to figure out how exactly to use your Sonus products.

I'm contemplating getting a 7424 but the wide variaty of products makes it a bit overwhelming.

Hopefully someone can here can suggest a start to finish procedure using sonus pads and polishes for the 7424 so you wont have to buy a whole new set of products

[bolus]

Originally Posted by OctaneGuy

I disagree. The video is all about technique. Regardless of product choice. Both Sonus and Meguiar's have similar products. With the proper technique, you will know when to clay and how to do it right, when to use a paint cleaner or pure polish, and how to seal it correctly. How you use a spray wax or a scratch remover by hand are the same regardless of product choice.

If you're so confused about which products to get, go Meguiar's.

Buy a Meguiar's G100a which comes with the PC, backing plate, and foam pad.

Then get a bottle of M80 (Paint Cleaner/Polish), and finish it off with a wax (NXT or M21 for Meguiar's or whatever other wax that suits your fancy)

Can't get simpler than that. One chemical, one pad.

The Yellow W8006 pad is all you need. A Tan W9006 pad is nice to have to apply a wax and a W7006 pad is nice if you want to remove wax. But for general purpose work, you can use a yellow W8006 for just about everything.

Richard

The DVD did present everything out in a very easy to follow fashion. The tips on technique were definitely worth the cost. For someone like me starting out I think it also made it easy to know what products to get too.

But what becomes overwhelming is when you start to read more about all the different products out there. It definitely can get overwhelming quickly especially if you decide to try and combine products. For example, it's not that easy to tell if the sonas pads and meguiar's pads are the same. If I want to add zaino into the process, will there be any compatibility problems. I think it just comes down to the fact that there is just so many options and there are a ton of different recommendations here.

Hell, its even tough trying to figure out what kind of microfiber I should get http://www.autopia-carcare.com/somito.html What do you mean that there is different microfiber recommended for glass, polish and QD???

I appreciate your advice though. When I pick up a 7424 I'll run through the process with what was used in the DVD (except I plan to finish with zaino since I have a ton of that)

Thanks

[OctaneGuy]

My personal opinion on combining products is don't. If you're trying to save money, that's one thing, but if you're planning to get a better final result by mixing and matching, the only way you're going to find out is by trying.

The reason I say "don't" is simple. In the Meguiar's system, the products are designed to compliment each other. There are some basic products that you can begin with that will take you very far, and as you become more skilled and knowledgeable, you can expand upon things and add a new product. For instance, after several buffouts with M80, you realize you need something that cuts more. Well now you can try M83 which is about twice as aggresive. Or maybe on certain cars, you discover the paint is very soft and you need something very mild like M82 whichh is about half as fine as M80.

There's a product for every situation. Start with the situation you encounter most. If it's MINI, unless your car is packed in a dust storm day in and day out and then you rub it with a Brillo pad to make it dust free each day, you're not going to need anything very aggresive.

Since you're ending with Zaino, just use their new paint cleaner to remove swirls. IMO, Sonus pads are confusing. I'd much prefer to use one pad and different products to suit the situation.

Finally, to help with the confusion. Separate out the steps. You wash and clay the car during prep. You paint clean and remove swirls. You protect and seal that in.

Zaino is a polish, it's the last step to seal in all the work you've done. If you've done good prep, that is used the right pad/chemical combination to get a slick, swirl free, smooth as glass finish, then you're home free as any wax/sealent can be applied over that.

Richard

Originally Posted by bolus

The DVD did present everything out in a very easy to follow fashion. The tips on technique were definitely worth the cost. For someone like me starting out I think it also made it easy to know what products to get too.

But what becomes overwhelming is when you start to read more about all the different products out there. It definitely can get overwhelming quickly especially if you decide to try and combine products. For example, it's not that easy to tell if the sonas pads and meguiar's pads are the same. If I want to add zaino into the process, will there be any compatibility problems. I think it just comes down to the fact that there is just so many options and there are a ton of different recommendations here.

Hell, its even tough trying to figure out what kind of microfiber I should get http://www.autopia-carcare.com/somito.html What do you mean that there is different microfiber recommended for glass, polish and QD???

I appreciate your advice though. When I pick up a 7424 I'll run through the process with what was used in the DVD (except I plan to finish with zaino since I have a ton of that)

Thanks

[tsukiji]

Originally Posted by bolus

The DVD did present everything out in a very easy to follow fashion. The tips on technique were definitely worth the cost. For someone like me starting out I think it also made it easy to know what products to get too.

I agree! I was given the DVD as a gift & it's awesome! I also watched OctaneGuy put his techniques to work at the Dragon—he makes it look soooo easy!

[bee1000n]

I just ordered the swirl busting pad from Autopia-carcare.com. The instructions on their site say to use it with quite a bit of wax/polish at a 5 or 6 speed on the 7494.

According to the site, using that system with even Klasse All-In-One should do a good job on light swirls. So maybe you didn't use a high enough speed to allow your polish to do its job, or maybe you didn't work it into the paint long enough.

[bolus]

Awesome post, thanks for the good info.

[bolus]

Thanks Richard, I think you helped me more than the original poster Sorry, amorican, I did not mean to hijack your post

[OctaneGuy]

Unless the final finish has fillers, it's not going to help with the swirl problem. You need to remove them (Prep) before you seal it with a wax.

As was just mentioned, its possible you didn't work the polisher long enough, but just as well, some paints are really hard, and a more powerful tool like a rotary buffer is needed. Did you do a test spot or did you just work the whole car? A test spot is a small section you use the products/tools you expect to work, and see if it makes that section flawless. If it does, then you know that process will work, and you can do that over the whole car. If it doesn't make it flawless, then you have to try different products/tools until it does.

The only way to ensure that the PC is going to work for you is to make sure you are using good techique. My DVD is probably the best and least expensive way to do it, short of hiring a pro to teach you.

Richard

Originally Posted by amorican

Got the 7424 and used Sonus SFX2 with a Sonus Swirlbuster polishing pad this weekend on Black Tie...it seems to have improved some of the clarity and eliminated most of the webs, but did not do what I had hoped for. I know my finish is not a lost cause (not that bad to begin with obviously) but I want suggestions on how to do this better next time. I also have some Sonus final finish, should I have immediately followed with that?

I guess I need that DVD to really get what I want out of the Porter Cable.

Help!

TJM