1. Home
  2. Chevy Corvette Forum
  3. OT: Do you use a Porter Cable Buffer?

OT: Do you use a Porter Cable Buffer?

I kept hearing that the Porter Cable random orbit buffer was the easy way to buff and wax a car, so I recently purchased one. It's the 7434 unit like this:

formatting link
've never seen one in action. Just tried it for the first time today, using a 6" lambswool bonnet (and the 6" pad and counterweight) with medium rubbing compound to work on some paint oxidation at the slowest speed, and I was not impressed... I expected a swirling head and a very smooth random orbit motion. What I saw was the bonnet would spin sometimes, sometimes not very much or not at all, it vibrates, and is noisier than I expected, like perhaps something is hitting in the random-orbit mechanism. Maybe that's normal???

Can someone tell me if my expectations are too high, or did I purchase a defective unit, or did I somehow set it up improperly???

Reply to
WayneC
Loading thread data ...

I use one on my boat, truck, and vette, but I'm just waxing with a foam pad, not a bonnet. I think it's great, and a BUNCH of my Boston Whaler buddies think so too. Your description sounds like the pad is turning inside the bonnet.

Remember that it's quickly doing little circles and slowly rotating the the whole thing.

Never run it not in contact with the surface, it will shake a foam bonnet to pieces in nothing flat.

Reply to
Chuck Tribolet

A lamswool bonnet should be used on rotary buffer, IMHO. The PC is a polisher.

You can get a lot of information on using the PC on Meguiar's site.

formatting link
and go to the G-100 forum.

Reply to
L DaVinci

I made the assumption that it could be used for compounding as well as waxing, but maybe I'm asking too much.

No, it's the pad sometimes not turning, I could see that, and the pad is the "velcro" type that grips the "bonnet" backing... but I guess it's possible that the pad screw that holds the pad onto the buffer could be turning semi-loosely inside the pad

Well, the rotating was variable, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes stationary. I did notice the pattern it made in the rubbing compound seemed to be hundreds of very tiny circular squiggles of perhaps 1/16th inch in diameter.

So, do I understand that the unit DOES have a great deal of vibration? What about noise, do you notice a high-speed clicking like something is being struck with each random orbit? I was expecting a smooth whirring sound, not a rough metallic buzz, and a smooth constant spinning of the pad, which is not the case.

Reply to
WayneC

That looks to be an excellent suggestion, thanks!!

Reply to
WayneC

The little circles in the compound are normal, though 1/16" seems small. 1/8" seems right but it's been a while (I wax everything in May before Boston Whaler Rendezvous).

The clicking is not normal.

It does have some vibration. Your arms will be very relaxed after waxing a whole anything bigger than a jet ski. But it's not obnoxious.

It should simultaneously be making little circles, and slowly rotating the whole pad. IIRC, the rate of rotation of the whole pad is a function of how hard you press. It seems to work best if you just press a little.

screw that holds

random orbit?

smooth constant

Reply to
Chuck Tribolet

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.