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Author Topic:   Porter Cable 7424 Wool and Foam Pads

divtruk posted 11-03-2010 11:45 AM ET (US)
I have been searching through all the posts on using a Porter Cable 7424 to compound and polish a hull and I am a little confused. Okay, a lot confused.
I am planning on compounding and polishing a 17 foot hull and I am not sure what pads or covers to use. The 7424 came with a white foam pad in the box. I know I am going to need more than that to do this job. So here are some of my questions.
Do you use the white foam pad as is for compounding? or with a cover?
I have seen a wool bonnet mentioned, when do I use it?
Terry cloth covers, when are those used?
Fortunately I have a hull that I can practice on before I start on my main restoring job. Any tips on what pads/covers/bonnets to use would be appriciated.
Tohsgib posted 11-03-2010 02:02 PM ET (US)
No need to experiment, gel is alot harder and forgiving than paint. The debate between foam and wool is like Ford VS Chevy...no precise winner there. Foam absorbs more material so it is better for jobs that are larger in my opinion. Wool is what I prefer and it is great for all mediums but it does get clogged after a while, unlike foam because it does not reall absorb that much. this easily cleared with a fat screwdriver or putty knife at speed. Terry is usually for finish like the finesse-it and wax as it is VERY soft. Light pressure and keep her wet and you will get a showroom finish. Do not use compound on terry in my opinion.
This is what I do to get a showroom shine from a worn gel:
1) Wetsand usually 600, sometimes 400 if really bad. 1000 if you can still see some shine when dry or can rub it shiny with a dry finger.
2) After 600 go to 3m Super Duty rubbing compound. You can go 1000 then compound but you are wasting your time. If you do go 1000 or higher then skip compound and go to glaze compound or straight to finesse.
3)Fineese-it 2 on a wheel with nice terry pad. 2 coats of good wax and she should look like new. Finesse is VERY expensive($45ish) but is the best stuff on the market and will last for years if it does not freeze.
Tohsgib posted 11-03-2010 02:05 PM ET (US)
Light pressure is for the Terry cover. When compounding I go hard if I need to but definately not light. Don't worry, it won't even hurt your decals.
L H G posted 11-03-2010 07:52 PM ET (US)
I hate to disagree with the expert here, but use real wool bonnets, if you can find them, or artifical wool bonnets, for both the 3M Imperial Compound and Finishing Material, AND the Finesse-it II. That is what 3M recommends. Even if you are going to go to a third glazing step, with a material like KIT's Scratch-Out, use wool. Use foam or terry cloth for the applying the wax application.

I would not use 3M Super Duty unless the surface is really in bad shape. That is some really agressive stuff! Otherwise the Imperial will give you a great job.
When you do the Finesse-it II, read the instructions on the bottle. Most don't use it correctly, and do not buff each area until the pad is dry.
BobL posted 11-06-2010 11:02 PM ET (US)
Divtruk,
Some of the best directions I got for compounding and polishing came from the AutoGeek site where I ordered my Porter Cable 7424 XP. I have a 1973 13 Sport hull that was heavily oxidized. It went from really dull to like new shiny.
The AutoGeek site is http://www.autogeek.net/index.html
I used the dual action backing plate that came with my polisher (Velcro surface to hold foam pads). I used four different foam pads from AutoGeek. The first was yellow for heavy oxidation, the second was a white for light cutting/polishing, the third was a green pad for polishing/finishing, and the final pad that I used for applying wax was a blue pad. The first pad was pretty firm. The others were progressively softer.
I used Meguiars products to compound and polish starting with #67 One Step for heavy oxidation. Next was #45 High Gloss Polish (white then green pad), and finished with Meguiars #56 Pure Wax. I had never used a buffer before. The free video AutoGeek sent with the Porter Cable 7424 very helpful with the basic buffing technique.
For a novice like myself, I don’t think I would have had the skill to get the results I did with just terry and wool pads.
modenacart posted 11-07-2010 07:11 AM ET (US)
I would get rid of the dual action and get a direct drive buffer. There is a night and day difference between the finish and it is much, much, much faster. I would then use 3M imperial compound followed by finesse II. A wool pad is a must too with the 3M imperial compound.
protek9543 posted 11-07-2010 11:02 AM ET (US)
Wool pads cut a lot quicker than foam pads. If you have a DA you can dry sand with any of those grits mentioned above. A foam pad would be good for your machine glaze.
divtruk posted 11-07-2010 05:05 PM ET (US)
Thanks for all the info!

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Author	Topic: Porter Cable 7424 Wool and Foam Pads
divtruk	posted 11-03-2010 11:45 AM ET (US) I have been searching through all the posts on using a Porter Cable 7424 to compound and polish a hull and I am a little confused. Okay, a lot confused. I am planning on compounding and polishing a 17 foot hull and I am not sure what pads or covers to use. The 7424 came with a white foam pad in the box. I know I am going to need more than that to do this job. So here are some of my questions. Do you use the white foam pad as is for compounding? or with a cover? I have seen a wool bonnet mentioned, when do I use it? Terry cloth covers, when are those used? Fortunately I have a hull that I can practice on before I start on my main restoring job. Any tips on what pads/covers/bonnets to use would be appriciated.
Tohsgib	posted 11-03-2010 02:02 PM ET (US) No need to experiment, gel is alot harder and forgiving than paint. The debate between foam and wool is like Ford VS Chevy...no precise winner there. Foam absorbs more material so it is better for jobs that are larger in my opinion. Wool is what I prefer and it is great for all mediums but it does get clogged after a while, unlike foam because it does not reall absorb that much. this easily cleared with a fat screwdriver or putty knife at speed. Terry is usually for finish like the finesse-it and wax as it is VERY soft. Light pressure and keep her wet and you will get a showroom finish. Do not use compound on terry in my opinion. This is what I do to get a showroom shine from a worn gel: 1) Wetsand usually 600, sometimes 400 if really bad. 1000 if you can still see some shine when dry or can rub it shiny with a dry finger. 2) After 600 go to 3m Super Duty rubbing compound. You can go 1000 then compound but you are wasting your time. If you do go 1000 or higher then skip compound and go to glaze compound or straight to finesse. 3)Fineese-it 2 on a wheel with nice terry pad. 2 coats of good wax and she should look like new. Finesse is VERY expensive($45ish) but is the best stuff on the market and will last for years if it does not freeze.
Tohsgib	posted 11-03-2010 02:05 PM ET (US) Light pressure is for the Terry cover. When compounding I go hard if I need to but definately not light. Don't worry, it won't even hurt your decals.
L H G	posted 11-03-2010 07:52 PM ET (US) I hate to disagree with the expert here, but use real wool bonnets, if you can find them, or artifical wool bonnets, for both the 3M Imperial Compound and Finishing Material, AND the Finesse-it II. That is what 3M recommends. Even if you are going to go to a third glazing step, with a material like KIT's Scratch-Out, use wool. Use foam or terry cloth for the applying the wax application. I would not use 3M Super Duty unless the surface is really in bad shape. That is some really agressive stuff! Otherwise the Imperial will give you a great job. When you do the Finesse-it II, read the instructions on the bottle. Most don't use it correctly, and do not buff each area until the pad is dry.
BobL	posted 11-06-2010 11:02 PM ET (US) Divtruk, Some of the best directions I got for compounding and polishing came from the AutoGeek site where I ordered my Porter Cable 7424 XP. I have a 1973 13 Sport hull that was heavily oxidized. It went from really dull to like new shiny. The AutoGeek site is http://www.autogeek.net/index.html I used the dual action backing plate that came with my polisher (Velcro surface to hold foam pads). I used four different foam pads from AutoGeek. The first was yellow for heavy oxidation, the second was a white for light cutting/polishing, the third was a green pad for polishing/finishing, and the final pad that I used for applying wax was a blue pad. The first pad was pretty firm. The others were progressively softer. I used Meguiars products to compound and polish starting with #67 One Step for heavy oxidation. Next was #45 High Gloss Polish (white then green pad), and finished with Meguiars #56 Pure Wax. I had never used a buffer before. The free video AutoGeek sent with the Porter Cable 7424 very helpful with the basic buffing technique. For a novice like myself, I don’t think I would have had the skill to get the results I did with just terry and wool pads.
modenacart	posted 11-07-2010 07:11 AM ET (US) I would get rid of the dual action and get a direct drive buffer. There is a night and day difference between the finish and it is much, much, much faster. I would then use 3M imperial compound followed by finesse II. A wool pad is a must too with the 3M imperial compound.
protek9543	posted 11-07-2010 11:02 AM ET (US) Wool pads cut a lot quicker than foam pads. If you have a DA you can dry sand with any of those grits mentioned above. A foam pad would be good for your machine glaze.
divtruk	posted 11-07-2010 05:05 PM ET (US) Thanks for all the info!