how many pads to do a detail?

[Shane731]

Assuming you're doing a cut/compound, polish, glaze, and wax, with the wax being applied by hand, how many pads used with the DA does it take roughly to do a mid-size sedan? Meaning, how many pads on average are used with the compounding process, how many pads are used with the polishing process, and how many pads are used with the glaze? Thanks!

Feed back please

[LITUNDRA]

In your case you would use 3 one for each step (compound,polish,glaze) but just make sure you clean the pad every so often check out this thread.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/20135-how-clean-your-foam-pad-fly.html

[67Customs]

I usually use 2 pads for each step for small to medium sized vehicles and 3 pads for each step for larger vehicles.

So, with a mid sized vehicle using about three steps (compound/polish/finish), I will go through about 6 pads.

I will sometimes use an extra pad or two for cutting/compounding since they seem to gum up on the pad more than polishes and glazes..

[Wax Gorilla]

I usually use 3 for cutting, 2 for polishing and sometimes 2 more for finish work. I n addition I am using the 3" Griots on all vehicles now and so same numbers as above in 3" so The Job I completed this morning I finished complete with a total of 11 pads including the 3 " ones. This 2006 Mercedes only need mild paint correction.

[David Fermani]

Compounding via DA/105 = 1 pad per panel / 2 on hood
Polishing via DA = 2 total

[Mike Phillips]

Get a pad washer and clean your pads often and you can use less pads...

Cleaning Pads with the Flex 3401 and the Grit Guard Universal Pad Washer (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-tools-accessories/20713-cleaning-pads-flex-3401-grit-guard-universal-pad-washer.html)


I must have shown the GG PW a hundred times at the 2010 Mobile Tech Expo



:)

[WRAPT C5Z06]

Compounding via DA/105 = 1 pad per panel / 2 on hood
Polishing via DA = 2 total
:dblthumb2:

I'm going to buy a bunch of pads so I don't have to worry about cleaning after each panel. Instead, just switch them out.

[Mike Phillips]

:dblthumb2:

I'm going to buy a bunch of pads so I don't have to worry about cleaning after each panel. Instead, just switch them out.




That's another approach.

Before the 2nd generation DA polishers were introduced I would take a collection of clean pads, not always new pads but pads that were clean and as my pads became wet with product and would stop rotating, (thus no cleaning ability), I would simply switch to a dry pad. I was asked about this a number of times recently and dug up the below photos that show how many pads I used when I buffed out a classic 1954 Corvette.

I set the pads and products up on purpose for the photo because I've been answering this question and similar questions like this for years...


Here's the thread where the topic first came up here on the AG forum...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/21942-wg-tsr-fg-pc-7335-technique.html

The forum member was using a first generation PC and I told him that while it would work, as his pads became saturated with product the would stop rotating and thus he would stop removing defects. He came back and started the above thread and said my prediction was correct.




Below is a portion of my reply, the entire thread is a good read...




With any process using a first generation PC style polisher, as soon as you notice the pad to stop rotating under pressure, one way to restore pad rotation and oscillation is to switch to a clean, dry pad. Of course this means having more clean, dry pads on hand.

When I went to buff out a 1954 Corvette for Corvette Mike I took lots of extra polishing pads because at that time the only DA style polishers available were the first generation polishers and I knew as my pads became wet with product they would stop rotating and the job would take longer. This car had an antique lacquer paint job on it so I didn't want to use rotary buffer but instead play it safe and use the PC.


I count 7 yellow polishing pads in the below picture, as one pad would quit rotating effectively I would swap it out to a clean, dry pad.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/715/54VetteEM001.jpg




:)

[David Fermani]

I love the feeling of using a fresh pad. When using pad washers, is there a way to insure that the pad is totally dry after cleaning? It seems like pads(being used via DA) that have any kind of wetness tend to make things messy while buffing, harden the dried residue on the surface and change the cut. Someone needs to make a machine/system( heated air dried oven like a paint booth) that can dry pads quickly.

[WRAPT C5Z06]

I love the feeling of using a fresh pad. When using pad washers, is there a way to insure that the pad is totally dry after cleaning?
I don't see how that's possible. Mike will chime in..

[Focus2069]

put the pad back on the machine, crank it up to max and let it run for a while.

it will spin all the water out.

[Shane731]

OK, let me ask this. I'm fixing to order the G110v2, and I'll be getting about 15 pads, including cutting, polishing, and finishing pads. If you don't have a pad washer, and throwing them in the washer is not an optimal solution because you'll be needing the pads again soon, what is the best way to clean them by hand? Any special pad cleaners I should look at? I have Meguiar's APC and APC+, will those work?

[Focus2069]

i use regular dish soap (dawn) and hot water....and do it in teh kitchen sink...this really pisses off the wife though.

[PAR Detailing]

i use regular dish soap (dawn) and hot water....and do it in teh kitchen sink...this really pisses off the wife though.

I do the same thing... and even inbetween details. I am limited on pads due to money issues and being a college kid so I will take a pad inside when it becomes too saturated and use hot water and a brush and clean the pad. Then squeez out all the water and then press it with several paper towel to get as much moisture out as possible. Then I put it on the DA and run it top speed for like 20-30 sec to spin off all the water and dry it out a bit. Then im ready to continue buffing. The process doesnt take but 3 min to do.

[Mike Phillips]

I love the feeling of using a fresh pad. When using pad washers, is there a way to insure that the pad is totally dry after cleaning?


Nope, not that I've ever witnessed.

For years here's what I've been recommending to people that really want a simple way to clean their pads that's effective and will sling most of the water out.

Use a rotary buffer

You don't have to use it for the detail project you're working on but use it to clean your pads, dry or wet.

Cleaning Wool Pads Dry on a Rotary Buffer
If you don't have a pad washer then place your wool pad on a rotary buffer, bring it up to speed, 1500 to 2000 RPM is good and then run a steel spur over the face of the pad. Do this outside somewhere because you'll create dust and you don't want this to drift in the air back onto your detailing project and you'll create little Dust Bunnies, actually Wool Bunnies and they're annoying to capture as the wind blows them around easily.

Steel Spurs work great to remove built-up compound and polish residue off wool pads and also help to re-fluff the fibers so the pad is ready to put back into action.

This is better...
Cleaning Wool Pads with rotary Buffer using a Pad Washer First Followed by using a Steel Spur
This is my favorite way to clean a wool pad, first clean your wool pad in a pad washer, either a System 2000 or a Grit Guard Universal Pad Washer. Either of these pad washers work GREAT for cleaning wool pads, for some reason I kind of like the System 2000 better for wool pads on a rotary and the Grit Guard Universal Pad Washer for Foam Pads and any type of polisher but your free to make up your own mind which one works best for you.


After cleaning the pad in the pad washer, don't remove the pad all the way out of the pad washer, just lift it up a little ways as this will keep all the water spray inside the bucket

Then bring up the RPM's to the 3000 RPM setting and let her rip! It will only takes about a minute for the majority of the water to sling out using centrifugal force

After cleaning the wool pad in a pad washer, now remove it and use the spur to re-fluff the fibers.

This system, of using a pad washer and a steel spur is a KISS system, it's simple, it's fast, it's effective, and it's easy to duplicate over and over again. It also enables you to work as clean as possible and if you're using a wool pad on anything that's a pretty good sign you're doing some heavy correction work.


Foam Pads on a Rotary Buffer - No Pad Washer
If you don't have a pad washer but you do have a rotary buffer, the place your dirty foam pad onto the rotary buffer using the appropriate backing plate or attachment system and use a pad conditioning brush to clean the pad.

There are two types of Pad Conditioning Brushes available that I'm aware of and Autogeek sells them both, they look like the ones in the picture below with the orange handle and the black handle. The tool on the right with a red handle is a steel pad cleaning Spur.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/722/PadCleaningBrushesSpurs.jpg

For foam pads with a flat face, like the Hydro-Tech Pads, you can use the Orange Foam Pad Conditioning Brush (http://www.autogeek.net/padtool.html) or the Black Duo Spur Wool & Foam Pad Cleaning Tool (http://www.autogeek.net/spur100.html)

For any pad that has shaped or design to the face of the pad, like the CCS Pads or the slotted Kompressor Pads, or the Meguiar's Diamond Cut foam pads, etc. stick with just the Black Duo Spur Wool & Foam Pad Cleaning Tool (http://www.autogeek.net/spur100.html) but just to note, any foam pad with a design to the face of the pad will be more difficult to clean than a flat faced foam pad without using a pad washer or washing by hand in a bucket or under running water.


Foam Pads on a Rotary Buffer - With a Pad Washer
If you're buffing out a car using a DA Polisher or the Flex 3401 and you have a rotary buffer, then by all means use the DA Polisher or the 3401 for your correction and polishing work but when it's time to clean your pad, use the rotary buffer with a Grit Guard Pad Washer. Run the rotary buffer at low to medium speed, 1000 to 1500 RPM and remember to pump the pad up and down against the Grit Guard Insert as this will inject the pad with water or water and pad cleaning solution if you're using a pad cleaning soap in your water.

Then, like explained above for cleaning wool pads with a rotary buffer and a pad washer.

After cleaning the pad in the pad washer, don't remove the pad all the way out of the pad washer, just lift it up a little ways as this will keep all the water spray inside the bucket

Then bring up the RPM's to the 3000 RPM setting and let her rip! It will only takes about a minute for the majority of the water to sling out using centrifugal force.

This will remove most of the water but if you want to remove even more water, remove the pad from the rotary buffer and roll the pad up into a clean, 100% Cotton Terry Cloth towel and squeeze and squish the pad and most of any remaining water will leave the foam and transfer into the cotton fibers of the towel.

You pads will now be as close to dry as you can get by cleaning your pad on the fly, that is cleaning your pad so you can get back to work using the same pad.

If you have extra dry pads you can always switch to a clean, dry pad and let the pad you just washed and dried dry even more in a place where dirt and dust won't land on the face of the pad.

Me?

After I wash a foam pad in the Grit Guard Universal Pad Washer if I'm using a DA Polisher like the PC 7424XP I'll usually have a half dozen small 100% cotton terry cloth towels handy to blot out any excess water and then get back to work.

Buffing out cars is kind of time-intensive and I usually focus on keeping the buffer against the paint for any correction and polishing steps at all times until those steps are over. So while I'm a huge proponent of cleaning pads while working on a car I'm also a huge fan of using a system that enables me to clean the pad quickly and get back to work.






It seems like pads(being used via DA) that have any kind of wetness tend to make things messy while buffing, harden the dried residue on the surface and change the cut.


After I blot out any water after removing the pad from the pad washer whatever's left never bothers me, but this is where each person has to dial in their own system.

The rotary buffer is great for slinging out any excess water even if you're not using it as your tool of choice for the project.




Someone needs to make a machine/system( heated air dried oven like a paint booth) that can dry pads quickly.


Necessity is the Mother of Invention, any takers?

:)