Foam Pads

[BobbyG]

Learning and fine-tuning my detailing skills also has to do with understanding the products I’m using, their specific purpose, and how they should be used. This isn’t limited to only chemicals but to pads and cloths as well.

One area that I’m trying to get a better understanding of is foam pads. I use both Lake Country and Meguiar’s pads but mostly Lake Country. I use them on both my rotary, Flex DA, and Porter Cable DA. There seems to be almost an infinite number of pads to choose from and Lake Country does a nice job of explaining the appropriate task each is designed for.

Since we’re talking about Lake Country one of their pad lines is their Kompressor series specifically the 6 inch style. From course to finest this series opens with purple being to coarsest to Super Soft Gold at the finest.

The purple foam is the most aggressive Kompressor foam. It has the coarsest foam, designed to remove heavy oxidation, swirls, and scratches from neglected finishes. Use a heavy cut swirl remover or compound.

The Super Soft Gold Jewelling Pad is made of Lake Country’s softest foam. Use the gold pad to apply a very fine polish or glaze as the final step of the polishing process.

One of the questions I have is; other than the color what’s the actual difference in each pads design that targets specific uses? I see that one indicates course and the other softest but what makes them different? Is one foam open cell and the other a closed cell design? Are the foam grades merely hardest to soft or a difference in density?

It would be great if someone could clearly explain what makes each level of pad different targeting anything from heavy oxidation to waxing and jewelling.

[ryandamartini]

Learning and fine-tuning my detailing skills also has to do with understanding the products I’m using, their specific purpose, and how they should be used. This isn’t limited to only chemicals but to pads and cloths as well.

One area that I’m trying to get a better understanding of is foam pads. I use both Lake Country and Meguiar’s pads but mostly Lake Country. I use them on both my rotary, Flex DA, and Porter Cable DA. There seems to be almost an infinite number of pads to choose from and Lake Country does a nice job of explaining the appropriate task each is designed for.

Since we’re talking about Lake Country one of their pad lines is their Kompressor series specifically the 6 inch style. From course to finest this series opens with purple being to coarsest to Super Soft Gold at the finest.

The purple foam is the most aggressive Kompressor foam. It has the coarsest foam, designed to remove heavy oxidation, swirls, and scratches from neglected finishes. Use a heavy cut swirl remover or compound.

The Super Soft Gold Jewelling Pad is made of Lake Country’s softest foam. Use the gold pad to apply a very fine polish or glaze as the final step of the polishing process.

One of the questions I have is; other than the color what’s the actual difference in each pads design that targets specific uses? I see that one indicates course and the other softest but what makes them different? Is one foam open cell and the other a closed cell design? Are the foam grades merely hardest to soft or a difference in density?

It would be great if someone could clearly explain what makes each level of pad different targeting anything from heavy oxidation to waxing and jewelling.


Im going to be very broad here but I believe what I say is true.

More coarse foam = more abrasive
Finer foam = less abrasive

You can have say a few different colors of pads considered "soft" or non-cutting meant for jeweling/finishing polish duties or removing wax. They go finer and finer for different levels of soft paint to finish polish the paint using the needed softness or removing wax and not leaving any micro marring.

To pick a pad/ product combo to start with should be simple. I always try my white polishing pad which has some but not very much cut and a middle of the road polish such as M205. Depending on the results I will up the pad or polish or both.

So if I had to say it, the method of picking a pad for me would be to first decide if it is more oxidation / light swirl or more serious correction. With oxidation / light swirling, generally speaking, a finer pad would use the properties of the chemical to correct the problem. On more serious correction, the chemical is important for sure however the heavier abrasive properties of the respective cutting pads is a big part of your desired result.

[Rsurfer]

I thought I read somewhere that it is measured by the pores per sq. inch. Dunno for sure.

[cobalt9123]

The softer the foam pad, the less cut it has. The firmer, the more cut it has. I also noticed that there are more pores in a lower cutting pad and less in a heavier cutting pad. What's the difference? I'm not sure. It could be due to the fact that you only apply so much pressure with a certain softness of pad.

I think of it as sand paper grit...more cells most likely means better finishing. Just as finer grit means better finishing and less abrasion...

[Rsurfer]

The softer the foam pad, the less cut it has. The firmer, the more cut it has. I also noticed that there are more pores in a lower cutting pad and less in a heavier cutting pad. What's the difference? I'm not sure. It could be due to the fact that you only apply so much pressure with a certain softness of pad.

I think of it as sand paper grit...more cells most likely means better finishing. Just as finer grit means better finishing and less abrasion...
I believe the more pores the finer the cut. Larger pores will be courser.

[cobalt9123]

I believe the more pores the finer the cut. Larger pores will be courser.

Isn't that what I said?



I also noticed that there are more pores in a lower cutting pad and less in a heavier cutting pad.

I think of it as sand paper grit...more cells most likely means better finishing. Just as finer grit means better finishing and less abrasion...

So in essence, more pores=smaller pores, less pores =larger pores. Assuming pad is the same size.

[BobbyG]

I did a little research on the Internet and here what I came away with.

Pores per square inch (ppi)-

Because foam pads are often used for compounding, the density of pore distribution on the pad greatly effects how much compounding substance the pad can hold, and, consequently, how aggressive the pad is when compounding.


Fewer pores per square inch means more compounding aggression, because bigger pores will be able to hold more compounding liquid and compounding liquids of higher grit. Higher ppi or More pores per square inch means less compounding aggression.


Foam pads with a higher ppi are better for use with wax than with abrasive compounding substances. Ppi generally ranges between 30 and 100 pores per square inch.


Hardness-

Different brands of foam pads can indicate the pad's hardness in different ways. Some manufacturers may use a grit scale, while others will just indicate the kind of work for which the pad is intended (like cutting, finishing, ultra finish, etc.). Do the best with whatever information is offered to determine the pad's hardness.

Sort of makes sense doesn't it?

[S2K]

Makes a lot of sense. Good research there BobbyG! I wonder why pad manufacturers don't rate their pads by ppi? Might lessen a little confusion.