A couple of ideas - if you do it by hand, use a foam applicator, and light pressure with lots of repetitions. Heavy pressure will cause arring of the finish.
With the PC7424, invest in a velco bacling plate and some good pads - I like the ones from Lake Coutry Mfg. Here's a link to their contoured edge pads:
http://www.lakecountrymfg.com/foampads_curv.html
You'll need the white (light polishing) or yellow (more aggressive than the white). If you choose to use the machine for waxing afterwards, you'll need the black pads.
These pads can be found from a variety of internet e-tailers - just do a search.
Hope this helps.