Is my LC CCS pad damaged?

[kronos]

Hi everybody. Is this pad kaput, it works :nomore:?
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc256/01540i/DSC_0001.jpg

Could the pad cleaning brush have done this?
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc256/01540i/DSC_0005.jpg

I only got to use it on one car. I did the bumpers and rocker panels with this pad and it turned like this. I used the orange pad brush AG sells to clean it between panels. I also used the pad with a PC at speed 5 or 6 on average, depending on the correction I wanted. Thoughts?

[Deep Gloss Auto Salon]

What did you clean it with besides a brush?

Looks like a harsh cleaner (maybe dawn power dissolver) was left on too long... At least that was what one of my pads looked like when i left it on too long.

[Mike Phillips]

That is what a stiff nylon brush will tend to do when you hold it against a spinning pad. It cleans the caked-on residue off but it also tends to tatter the foam a bit.

There are not too many options for cleaning pads, there's nylon brushes, terry cloth towels, running the pad under water with soap, use a washing machine if the pads are listed by the manufacture as being machine washable and then there's pad washers.

:)

[kronos]

What did you clean it with besides a brush?

Looks like a harsh cleaner (maybe dawn power dissolver) was left on too long... At least that was what one of my pads looked like when i left it on too long.

Ouch. I think this is what happened. I left it in a bucket with dawn for a few hours. I forgot about it, darn! Looks like I'll be ordering new pads. I tested the pad on a different car (a small 18" x 18" section) before I used it on the car that made it look like this. After I did that test area, I put it in the dawn solution to clean it. Lesson learned.


That is what a stiff nylon brush will tend to do when you hold it against a spinning pad. It cleans the caked-on residue off but it also tends to tatter the foam a bit.

There are not too many options for cleaning pads, there's nylon brushes, terry cloth towels, running the pad under water with soap, use a washing machine if the pads are listed by the manufacture as being machine washable and then there's pad washers.

:)

Do you think it's still safe to use it?

Thanks for the replies gentlemen.

[Mike Phillips]

Do you think it's still safe to use it?



Sure, as long as it's a cleaning step which it should be as it's a cutting pad.


:)

[kronos]

Sure, as long as it's a cleaning step which it should be as it's a cutting pad.

:)

It is. I liked using it with M105. This combo produced quick and awesome results.

Thanks again Mike. :xyxthumbs:

[Deep Gloss Auto Salon]

Ouch. I think this is what happened. I left it in a bucket with dawn for a few hours. I forgot about it, darn!..

yep that will do it




Do you think it's still safe to use it?

Thanks for the replies gentlemen.

Like MP said, youre cutting with it so you should be good to go with it

[Rsurfer]

yep that will do it





Like MP said, youre cutting with it so you should be good to go with it
Been using DPD for years now and been using it full strength and let sit for hours and never had a problem. Pad looks like it was frayed by a spur brush. Op sounded like he soaked it in regular dawn which is much milder than DPD.

[Deep Gloss Auto Salon]

Been using DPD for years now and been using it full strength and let sit for hours and never had a problem. Pad looks like it was frayed by a spur brush. Op sounded like he soaked it in regular dawn which is much milder than DPD.

This happened to me with DPD - no brushing.... That's why it came to mind.. Strange it hasnt happened for you???

[ICEMAN]

I use the XMT Pad Cleaner and a sift toothbrush in warm running water...

XMT Polishing Pad Cleaner by Pinnacle For your dual action or rotary polisher. (http://www.autogeek.net/xmt-pad-cleaner.html)

spray the pad, top and sides, if very bad, and let sit for a few minutes, then agitate with brush and running water, works perfectly. Then i let sit and air dry and they look and feel brand new everytime.

If the car is a 2 day job, or more, i clean the pads every night when im done and let air dry til next morning.

[willieg]

Second time using this LC Hydro Tech pad. Did heat cause this problem? I am new to DA use so I'm sure it's me, not the pad. Was using it on GG6 with Menzerna 4000 to buff out a countertop. Had just used an orange LC pad with Menzerna 400 and no problem with that one. The pad had this condition before cleaning it. I conditioned with Wolfgang Pad Conditioner and then cleaned it with Wolfgang Pad Cleaner.

On my vehicles I use the 5" backing plate with thin LC pads and have not had any issues.

What did I do wrong?

[Mike Phillips]

That's called heat, time and pressure.


It's pushing foam to it's limits. You're also using a Hydro-Tech pad, Hydro meaning "water" and the idea being is these types of pads are closed cell.

I cover the practical difference between closed cell and open cell in my how-to book (http://www.autogeek.net/how-to-create-a-show-car-shine-book.html). One of these day I'll have to re-read my own book as it jam-packed with tons of information.

The short story version of the "practical" difference is that closed cell foam will tend to hold heat better and longer than open cell because even though it's harder for liquids to penetrate INTO a closed cell foam liquids still DO penetrate into the foam but for the same reason it's harder for liquids to penetrate into foam it's harder for liquids to leave or flush out of closed cell foam thus this type of foam will become saturated with liquids, (whatever product you're using has some liquids in it), and the liquid will hold the heat better than air.

To see the difference in open cell and closed cell foam, take one of each and saturate them with water and then see which one wrings out faster and easier.


:)

[willieg]

Mike, thank you so much. I appreciate that you took the time to send me an answer, especially so quickly. I never apply much pressure when I'm using the DA on my vehicles but I know I overdid it on the countertop. I also didn't understand the difference between closed and open cell foam and will get your book and study it. This forum has provided so much good info to me in my beginning efforts at hobby detailing. I appreciate the knowledge of you and all the members who contribute so much. Thanks again.

[dlc95]

Another thing to watch with these pads is the moisture retention. I recently used one of my 1.25x5.5 pads, and even though it sat to dry for four days, after being wrung out, it slung water and product all over the place, and got hot really fast. If I were to have continued polishing I would have definitely damaged the pad. I removed it, and continued with a fresh, brand new pad.

This isn't as much of an issue with my thin 7/8 x 5.5" pads because there is simply less foam to dry out.

[Mike Phillips]

Mike, thank you so much. I appreciate that you took the time to send me an answer, especially so quickly.




No problemo... I know with all the different variety of foam pads on the market it can get real confusing.

Heat is always going to be a problem in the detailing world. Heat causes issues not just for the foam but also for the adhesives used to attach the velcro to both the pads and the backing plates.

Man is a problem too... :D

Man (that's you and me), will tend to push tools and pads to the limit and when products, whatever they are have had enough pushing they will fail.

For example people try to do jobs with dual action polishers that would be best performed with a rotary buffer or at least a gear driven dual action polisher like the Flex 3401.

It's the nature of the beast. Beast again being you and I. :D


Seriously, pads do tend to be the weak link out of all the various components that make up a buffing process, that being primarily tools, products, pads and backing plates.


Like I always say.... more pads is better....


Now how about some before and after pictures of you countertops?


:)