There seems to be some confusion about what works best on the PCDAP, per autogeek.com. Being I still haven't bought any pads yet, can someone clear this up [better] on this forum? Claims are Edge 2000 pads do not rotate as well as Lake Country (velcro) pads.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...27-new-pc.html

 

Either the Edge or LC pads will work fine, just as other pads from Meguiar’s, 3M, etc. If I turn on my Porter Cable Dual Action Polisher with 'ANY' brand of pad or sanding disk, I can easily stop it from spinning. The only reason the pad / disc spins is because of centrifugal force. The polishing / sanding action comes from the random orbiting action, not from spinning (like a rotary).

 

Okie dokie.......Thank you qadsan. I aprreciate your patience.

I'm such a rookie.

While I'm at it. Which pad(s) would you use for type II acid rain etch. Lake Country or Edge 2000? And #83?

If it doesn't matter, I like the Edge pads for sure. It's like two pads in one really.

And finally, how many times do you think I would have to go over the etch. I know that is kind of a vague question, but say, just an educated guess, in your experience.

 

The only reason I'd use my Edge pads is because I have plenty of them on hand and I like the ability to quickly interchange the same pads between machines (rotary, cyclo, & PC), but I could get the job done via PC just as well with the LC pads, or the Meguiar's pads, the 3M pads, etc. It's really personal preference in my opinion.

If you're going to be using Meguiar's products, then I would definitely start out easy with #80 and a polishing pad. See what your test spot looks like after a couple slow passes. If that didn't do much, then I'd go to a more aggressive pad and or try #83. If you had to use #83 to greatly improve the finish, then you might have to hit it again with #80 and a polishing pad to finish it down so it looks perfect.

With the Meguiar's pads, you don't want to run the PC past 5.0 or the heat from the machine can delaminate the velco on the pad and sometimes on the backing plate. With the Edge pads, you can run the PC on speed 6 for much longer, but that speed does take a toll on the pads. When you change the PC speed from 4 to 5, you'll notice a little difference. But...when you change its speed from 5 to 6, you'll notice a huge difference. Speed 6 speeds up the process considerably, but I wouldn't recommend using the PC at speed 6 for long periods of time. I only use speed 6 for difficult spots and keep the PC at speed 5 for most of the work.

You can do a good amount of correction with the PC on speed 6 with the right combination of pad, product, pressure, & time, but it does have its limits. If you drop the pad size down to 4 inch, then you can do considerably more correction than with a 6" pad, but it still falls short of what you can do with a rotary. The rotary is a fantastic tool, but it's not the best choice for somebody learning to polish paint because it can quickly burn through paint if it's improperly used where as the PC is much more bomb proof for a beginner. I mainly use a rotary when polishing paint and sometimes a cyclo, but I always have a PC handy and still use it regularly.

 

qadsan,

I just ordered these pads, being you also gave me the coupon code. This is more of what I'm looking for really. A very nice starter kit with the DIY DVD.

I thank you very much for all your help. Just don't go anywhere, I'm sure I'll need more help once the weather breaks.

You have me a little worried with removing to much clear coat, specifically the, UV, 8 microns, protection explanation. I mean: obviously I have know way of knowing how far is to far in this instance. I had know idea about the UV protection. I figured one the etch is gone I was home free. I read that's not the case.

http://www.adamspolishes.com/site/pr...ED785A11E85DF0

 

qadsan, I just realized I do not have any MF bonnets to go with the Adams/ Edge pads. I didn't see any MF bonnets offered on the Adams web-site. Do you know where I can get some bonnets that will fit the the below?

 

If those pads from Adams are the same physical size as the normal Edge pads, then the Meguair's bonnets will fit them. They'll be a bit tight, but they will fit. I know Edge makes these pads for Adams, but I don't know much else about them.

What are you planning to use the bonnets for? Removing wax or ??? I would only use foam pads on the PC for polishing the paint and would not use a bonnet for this purpose.

 

I planned on using MF bonnets for removing wax and using them for a second pass for better shine, unless the foam works better in your judgment.

I noticed when ever I used Megs Medallion those products always looked better machine applied VS. by hand. Those were the days before MF towels however.