today I started the process of detailing my wife's car

[weekend warrior]

my wife has a 2018 Mercedes Suv....always garage kept.....when she bought the car Mercedes put on some kind of coating...so the car always looks good...but I wanted to make it look better....

my process so far washed it with Wolfgang uber car wash
clayed all the car
used BF one step
did the tires with duragloss 252 tire and rubber dressing
I did this today...next I will do the chrome and trim

I had a situation with lake county blue pads...I had my porta cable on number 5...and the pads were coming apart...not sure why

[57Rambler]

I had a situation with lake county blue pads...I had my porta cable on number 5...and the pads were coming apart...not sure why


Sounds like you may have over-heated them. Still, you might give LC a shout to see what they say.

[glen e]

What’s the maximum speed on your polisher? Five? Full speed is only for when you are when you’re doing major correction, an AIO works great at 50% speed.

[weekend warrior]

I used bf one step and the direction said to use 5 speed with the porta cable. I did reduce speed to 3. And used different pads

[Bruno Soares]

Porter cable you’re fine running at 5 or 6. My guess is one of these:

- used too much product
- worked an area too large
- put too much downward pressure
- didn’t clean/swap pads as often as you should have

Any of the above or a combination of them is recipe for pad failure.

[weekend warrior]

I think you are right about putting on to much product and doing a larger area than I should. Thanks

[Bruno Soares]

Heat is the enemy of the pads. So if you think about it, too much product means a lot of liquid and with friction, liquid heats up fast. Working a large area leads to heat because the pad is on the paint for a long time, without the break you’d normally have to wipe off product and reload the pad. Lots of pressure increases friction and that also makes the pad run hotter. Same goes for overworking a pad, it’s getting loaded with spent product and removed clear coat, all of those get it hot. Heat on a pad leads to compromised structure (pad sinks in the middle) or de-lamination where the Velcro separated from the foam part.

[weekend warrior]

Bruno you can be right...I start off putting 3 dime size drops of product normally do half of a hood...then add 3 more drops of product to do the other size...on the panels do the same....I change pads after doing one half of car...

[Bruno Soares]

Bruno you can be right...I start off putting 3 dime size drops of product normally do half of a hood...then add 3 more drops of product to do the other size...on the panels do the same....I change pads after doing one half of car...

Half a hood is quite large of an area (well, depends on the car). My GTI I break the hood in 6 sections. 3 dime size drops of product sounds right per section but maybe not sections that big. And half a car with the same pad is definitely overworking it. On a GTI I’ll use 5 or 6 pads and that’s just for the 5.5” ones, probably another 4 of the 3.5” pads for areas that are better done with the smaller polisher.

[PaulMys]

Bruno you can be right...I start off putting 3 dime size drops of product normally do half of a hood...then add 3 more drops of product to do the other size...on the panels do the same....I change pads after doing one half of car...

Are you saying you used one pad for 1/2 of the car?

[dpevans]

I don't think the lake county blue pad is for cutting and correction so 5 would be a bit fast on the PC. I use a PC and I cut on 5 or 6 and polish on 3-4. I also use 4 pads when I do my car.

[weekend warrior]

Thanks guys for all your answers....I know I need to use more pads to put any product on ....if I put on 3 drops of product for each panel is that to much

[weekend warrior]

Yes Paul...will not do that again...I have two black and orange pads....are those pads good to use on AIO product

[Bruno Soares]

I’m not sure if all LC pads have the same color scale but black has no cut so you won’t be getting much from you AIO at all. Orange I find to be ideal for an AIO as it has more cut than white and still finishes great on most paints. I’ve never used a blue pad and don’t know how much cut they offer.

3 dots per section is fine. As long as you’re cleaning and swapping pads often, they won’t get too saturated.

[PaulMys]

Yes Paul...will not do that again...I have two black and orange pads....are those pads good to use on AIO product


I’m not sure if all LC pads have the same color scale but black has no cut so you won’t be getting much from you AIO at all. Orange I find to be ideal for an AIO as it has more cut than white and still finishes great on most paints. I’ve never used a blue pad and don’t know how much cut they offer.

3 dots per section is fine. As long as you’re cleaning and swapping pads often, they won’t get too saturated.

Bruno answered your question. Black & Blue LC pads are too soft (less cut) to use for AIO correction.

And I agree on the LC Orange, but depending on your situation, the White LC's may work with AIO's. But unless you have super-soft paint, I would go all-in on Orange.

And I beg of you......... PLEASE get at least 6 pads! ;)