What causes a pad to concave?

[Jpatchley]

I was using an orange lc pad with Wolfgang über compound. I used a spritz if blackfire pad lubricant before each section pad along with three small drops of compound. I did 3 sections with six passes each and the pad started to concave. What causes this and is there anything I can do to "re-fluff" the pad? 2157421575

[ken tuep]

There was too much heat. No way to fix.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using AG Online

[swanicyouth]

Heat melted the pad. If you notice, this always occurs in the center, where product builds up. Liquid (polish) plugs up the foam so it can't cool itself through the pores. Then, the pad starts to sauté itself from the center out.

What machine were you using?

What speed (arm/machine)?

What BP?

How much downward force?

What environmental temp and location?

** All of these are factors which can make a pad overheat. I'm wondering if it wasn't a GG6?

[Chris@AutoCleanse]

Also to add to swanicyouth, try to have multiple pads and switch them out to prevent heat build up.

[Jpatchley]

There was too much heat. No way to fix.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using AG Online

That's what I was afraid of :/

[Jpatchley]

Heat melted the pad. If you notice, this always occurs in the center, where product builds up. Liquid (polish) plugs up the foam so it can't cool itself through the pores. Then, the pad starts to sauté itself from the center out.

What machine were you using?

What speed (arm/machine)?

What BP?

How much downward force?

What environmental temp and location?

** All of these are factors which can make a pad overheat. I'm wondering if it wasn't a GG6?

It sure was a GG6. Speed was 5-5.5 with steady decent amount of downward force. Temp was low 80's and in the garage. I got great results, at the expense of the pad. I was only working on the trunk (doing the car piece by piece) so I thought I'd be okay with one pad. Thanks for the informative response.216222162321624

[Jpatchley]

Also to add to swanicyouth, try to have multiple pads and switch them out to prevent heat build up.

Thanks for the tip, how many sections do you think is safe? I did a total of 4 with slow arm speed, speed 5-5.5 with 6 passes in each section. So maybe cut down to two and switch or just keep an eye on the pads I'm thinking.

[Scott@IncrediblyDetailed]

I have a pad or two like this from when I first started. I cut them in 4s and use them by hand on hard to reach areas without issues.

[Jpatchley]

I have a pad or two like this from when I first started. I cut them in 4s and use them by hand on hard to reach areas without issues.

That's an excellent suggestion! I didn't want to just throw it away, thanks! I didn't think of that.

[cardaddy]

Thanks for the tip, how many sections do you think is safe? I did a total of 4 with slow arm speed, speed 5-5.5 with 6 passes in each section. So maybe cut down to two and switch or just keep an eye on the pads I'm thinking.

Not to be on a soapbox (again) but I've said it time and time again to new guys trying to figure out which way to go with this hobby, er addiction, er business, er......

Get as many pads as you can possibly afford.

I was doing it on my own cars for years before charging one red cent to anyone else, yet then I bought pad after pad after pad. The moment I thought I'd start needing to do an entire vehicle in a single day and get paid for it, whether AIO, multi-step, or just plain old polishing.... I bought over 70 pads in a single order.

Typically, (especially in the compounding stage) you would get the trunk done with 1 pad. Hood would take 2 easily. Roof could take as many as 4. Maybe 3 on the hood and 3 on the roof. Fenders 1, doors 1, etc.

Get at least 4 of the same pad. Do an area and pull the pad off, feel the back of it. If it's warm set it aside and let it cool while you start with another pad. If the first pad hasn't cooled by the time the next one gets warm, (and in the summer it likely will not) grab another pad. It's possible that with only 3 you can make this work, but it'd never work with 2, (not if you want to finish the entire vehicle in a single day).

Move to polishing and they run cooler so where you used 2 you can probably use 1. And of course where you used 4, probably can get away with 2.

[damaged442]

The first time I had this happen to me, I sent an email to LC wondering if it was a defective pad, or a defective user. The response from them was very quick and they told me the same thing. Too much heat! (defective user! lol) Regardless, it's a good learning experience. Now, I try to swap out pads more often, and less of them are going concave on me!