Porter Cable: which products to use?? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

RG5384 · #1 05-22-2007, 07:41 PM

So I am the manager/detailer/shadetree mechanic of a small car dealership, and i just purchased a porter cable 7424 to help ease the task of detailing all of the cars. I don't have the time/money to order all the expensive crap off of the internet, and am wondering what items that can be found locally will work well with this? While it sounds bad, i don't really care about a long lasting protective finish, i just want to make the paint look as shiney and nice as possible without spending 50 dollars on product a car, and without taking 8 hours to complete one car. I was thinking that mequires scratch-x may be exactly what i need, followed by meguires polish? Even the scratch-x is a little pricey for what i'd like to use(at 10 dollars for the little tiny tube). Alot of the cars paint that we get it looks as if it has never been waxed, and is thus normally scratched and oxidized with all sorts of forgotten bird poop/tree sap damage. Once again, not looking for a concours finish but trying to make the car look as nice as possible as quick and cheaply as possible. Thanks for your help guys,
Ryan

Boardmonger · #2 05-22-2007, 09:26 PM

Meguiars ColorX works well and should be able to be purchased locally. I know you don't want to order, but I would, you can get Meguiars M80 Speed Glaze, $30 a gallon directly from Meguiars, it is an awesome cleaner/polish that will take out all swirls and quick. Just don't use any wool pads.

http://meguiars.com/?pro-cleaner-polishs/Speed-Glaze

suginami · #3 05-22-2007, 09:52 PM

Meguiars scratch-X is best used by hand.

I agree with the previous post.

Meguiars speed glaze is the best product I've ever used with a machine (porter cable random orbital or rotary buffer). It has a loooong working time, which means you can use your machine to beautify the paint without drying too quickly.

Speed glaze is sort of a do-it-all product: it has a slight cleaning effect, has a lot of poishing oils, and even gives a slight protective finish to the paint.

You can order speed glaze in 1 gallon or even 5 gallon bottles. It is much more economical to order in bulk rather than small 8 oz retail sizes.

yal · #4 05-22-2007, 11:05 PM

If you can't find the Meguiars stuff (which, I agree with the previous posters, are very very good) look for a bodyshop supply store and ask for "Presta ultra cutting cream light", use it with a yellow lake country PC pad.

Texholdem · #5 05-23-2007, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boardmonger

Meguiars ColorX works well and should be able to be purchased locally. I know you don't want to order, but I would, you can get Meguiars M80 Speed Glaze, $30 a gallon directly from Meguiars, it is an awesome cleaner/polish that will take out all swirls and quick. Just don't use any wool pads.

http://meguiars.com/?pro-cleaner-polishs/Speed-Glaze

I visited http://meguiars.com/ but with so many products I don't know which one to choose

.

TX76513 · #6 05-23-2007, 11:06 AM

Ryan - if you are in a city of any size in FL you most likely have a detail supply house and this is where you are going to get the best bang for your buck. You might try speed polishing like they do in the prep area of the big auto auctions. Start with a clean washed car. Mix 3 TBLS of rubbing compound into a quart spray bottle and mix it up. Using your Porter and a Power Pad spray an area and work in with machine - keeping any area you are working on always wet. When you get good you can work the machine with one hand and spray with the other. When the vehicle is complete mix a 1/2 pint of your favorite wax (not wax cleaner) into another quart bottle adding warm water to fill and mix. Change to a polishing pad and repeat as you did above but move on as you start to get some resistance from the machine. High speed buff with a lambs wool bonnet or equivalent. Wear an apron or cloths you don't like - it's messy but quick. Once a car is washed I can knock out the rest in about 30 minutes. If you do the "bag" test at the end you will see this procedure makes the grade.

I do recommend that if you have not worked with a high speed polisher that you spend some time with someone who can show you a few tricks of the trade. NEVER set a polisher down on the floor when you are not using it you can easily pick up a stone or debris in the bonnet. You would not believe what I did to my wife's car twenty years ago!

RG5384 · #7 05-23-2007, 01:36 PM

Fortunately(or unfortunately?) i will not be using a high speed buffer, but rather the dual action random orbital porter cable 7424. I bought the kit that included two white foam polishing pads, two black foam polishing pads, and a blue final finishing pad, two micro fiber towels(wahoo!, sarcasm...)and the polishing pad conditioner and cleaner. I'm unsure of the differance between the pads, they all feel the same to me but i'm sure there are differences. Would one of these be considered a power pad? The buffer itself came with a basic white foam pad, but doesn't really say anything on it. Would the basic turtle wax polishing compound mixed in a spray bottle work? and to finish how about something like liquid glass from mequires? Once again, trying to keep operating costs low but still acheive decent, but not concours quality results. I really appreciate the help guys,
Ryan

edit: i forgot to mention it also came with two orange pads that don't say anything on them, what are these for??

TX76513 · #8 05-23-2007, 01:47 PM

These pads change colors depending upon the manufacture. I believe Porters Power Pad is yellow - but someone will chime in if that wrong. When it comes to wax I am not brand sensitive it's all the same to me. Just use a straight carnauba wax - not a wax cleaner.

Your 7424 should work fine

edit:

Porters PowerPad is orange

RG5384 · #9 05-23-2007, 01:53 PM

This is the kit that i received:
http://www.autogeek.net/hk7424.html

Are any of those similar to a power pad? Thanks again for your patience and help guys,
Ryan

TX76513 · #10 05-23-2007, 02:11 PM

They are referring to the orange pads as "cutting pads" which is the actual term. These pads come in different degrees Heavy, Medium or Light cutting. If you had a vehicle with some heavy oxidation a heavy cutting pad would be in order. Here is a link to a site that you may find helpful
http://www.properautocare.com/problemsolving.html

Polishing cars unlike wrenching is almost therapy to me

There are so many techniques, products and strategies. Procedures and products for different colors is very important.

pmari · #11 05-26-2007, 05:49 PM

http://www.nuvitechemical.com/Products.asp?ProductID=46
or this
http://www.nuvitechemical.com/Products.asp?ProductID=45

No, I don't get kick backs from this company, I just like their products.

For what you want to do, you probably wasted your money on that nice RO PC polisher.

Otherwise I like 3M Finesse-It II Machine Polish

suginami · #12 05-26-2007, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmari

For what you want to do, you probably wasted your money on that nice RO PC polisher.

Otherwise I like 3M Finesse-It II Machine Polish

I couldn't disagree more.

I've been to several detailing clinics at Meguiar's head office in Irvine, CA, and that Porter Cable machine can do almost everything. Mike Phillips of Meguiars uses that machine to buff out / polish / wax the most expensive cars in the world.

The only thing a rotary buffer is good for is removing things like: extreme oxidation and deep scratches that haven't gone all the way to bare metal.

Don't get me wrong. I have a rotary buffer and I use it, but a random orbital is good for 95% of the paint conditions that need to be improved.

pmari · #13 05-27-2007, 11:47 AM

I think you've missed my point. I agree that PC RO (porter cable random orbital) is a nice machine. Very user friendly, especially for a begginner, you would have to go out of your way to hold the thing still to burn the paint.

But..... he's looking to make the car look good quick, not a labor intensive 2 or 3 step finish restore (which is what I like to do). Those wipe on wipe off products work very well by hand. They give an oxidized dull paint a decent shine. But if your looking for a deep glossy finish..... it's gonig to take some time and a then machine is needed,IMO.

BTW you can use a RO with 3m's product.

As for your comment on rotarys..... I obvisouly have a few years on you, because when I was taught how buff out a car (laquer was king and enamel was the new kid on the block) most every body shop used a one speed rotary. I took some skill to learn how to buff with those old machines. But now a day's they have variable speed rotarys (and a decent one is cheaper that the good RO's) that are much eaiser to use. Especially when matched up with convoluted foam pads and 3M's products.

Quote:

Originally Posted by suginami

I couldn't disagree more. The only thing a rotary buffer is good for removing things like: extreme oxidation and deep scratches that haven't gone all the way to bare metal.

suginami · #14 05-27-2007, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmari

I think you've missed my point. I agree that PC RO (porter cable random orbital) is a nice machine. Very user friendly, especially for a begginner, you would have to go out of your way to hold the thing still to burn the paint.

But..... he's looking to make the car look good quick, not a labor intensive 2 or 3 step finish restore (which is what I like to do). Those wipe on wipe off products work very well by hand. They give an oxidized dull paint a decent shine. But if your looking for a deep glossy finish..... it's gonig to take some time and a then machine is needed,IMO.

BTW you can use a RO with 3m's product.

As for your comment on rotarys..... I obvisouly have a few years on you, because when I was taught how buff out a car (laquer was king and enamel was the new kid on the block) most every body shop used a one speed rotary. I took some skill to learn how to buff with those old machines. But now a day's they have variable speed rotarys (and a decent one is cheaper that the good RO's) that are much eaiser to use. Especially when matched up with convoluted foam pads and 3M's products.

Yes, I guess you're right on that point.

If you want to do a really quick buff out on a car, then a rotary is much faster than a RO.

The only problem with a rotary is that it is too easy to burn through the paint.

I've used my rotary buffer on dozens of cars, and I let my neighbor borrow it once to use on his red Toyota truck. I warned him that it is not as easy as it looks.

About 5 minutes later, he came back to my house and announce that he had burned through the paint to bare metal at the top of the door jamb where it meets the roof.

I also use the 3M Finesse It-II products and have the large 3M waffle pads.

I generally stick with the 3M products when I use my DeWalt variable speed rotary buffer.

gmercoleza · #15 06-04-2007, 10:05 AM

My basic go-to product is Meguiar's #80 DACP with a medium pad. Follow up with #9 and a finishing pad if needed. You would be hard pressed to find another combo that can more safely produce better results. It may not be the fastest, but it is SAFE. I follow up with a few coats of Zymol Vintage applied over several weeks, and the result is paint that appears to be dripping off the car, with a very durable and easy-to-clean finish.