Up Close & Personal: Lake Country HD Orbital Pads for Rupes Polishers

[Nick McKees37]

Last weekend I detailed a 2001-ish Ford F150 with the help of Bryan@Autogeek and FrankS.

Re-Painted F150 vs. Optimum Hyper Polish & Opti-Coat 2.0 (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/83288-re-painted-f150-vs-optimum-hyper-polish-opti-coat-2-0-a.html)

Lake Country sent me a handful of their new 6 and 7 inch HD Orbital Pads to test out. There has been a lot of interest in these pads and for good reason - they're fantastic.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=79242

While Bryan was taping all the plastic trim on the F150, I spent a couple minutes poking and prodding at the new Lake Country HD pads. Lake Country developed these pads with large-orbit/stroke DA polishers in mind. The quality and construction of each pad is superb.

The pads are available in 2 sizes (6 and 7 inch, respectively) and 3 levels of cut.


Blue = Cutting
Orange = Polishing
Red = Finishing

We experimented with BLUE and ORANGE and they both performed flawlessly. The foam composition of the blue pad is surprising, considering its intended application (cutting). It actually feels more like a polishing pad.

It's safe to say that Lake Country had the Rupes 21ES, 15ES, and 12ES in mind for their new HD pads. The 7 inch pad is for the 21ES, while the 6 inch is for the 15ES and the 12ES. The backing plate fits perfectly for each size.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=79220

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=79219

Lake Country HD Orbital Pads tech specs:

Cooling Features
Cool Running - Runs 10% COOLER on Long Stroke machines than comparable pads

Cooling Chamber
Prevents center of pad from concaving

Construction of Pad
Dual-Density – Multi-Density design maintains optimum surface contact eliminating a “concaving effect” which extends use on Long Stroke machines

Engineered bevel - Engineered angle design prevents pad “rolling”,allowing pad to stay flat on the surface.

What to expect from the HD Orbital Pads


Perfectly balanced pad for optimum control
Increased stability from Dual Density design allows
improved control on curved panels
Less foam movement minimizes haze and micro
marring
Pad design allows for quick cleaning and drying


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=79238


Here's a test spot I did on the hood using a Lake Country ORANGE HD polishing pad on the Rupes LHR 21ES. My polish of choice was the new formula Optimum Hyper Polish Spray (http://www.autogeek.net/optimum-hyper-polish-spray.html).

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=79221


Finished product:

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=79190

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=79239



I will say that the new Lake Country HD pads performed flawlessly for this detail. They are very smooth on the Rupes polishers, and they provide a respectable amount of cut and a great finish. Two thumbs up Lake Country!

Coming soon to Autogeek.net!

[refreshauto]

great review Nick, cant wait for these to come out. im ready to give these a try

[99C5Coupe]

Any chance of seeing these in 4" for the 75E?

[David at LC Pads]

Thanks for the review! We're glad you like them and can't wait for them to be ready!

[10secdream]

Awesome review Nick. Definitely excited to give these a shot.

[David at LC Pads]

Any chance of seeing these in 4" for the 75E?

Smaller pads have been on the list, but we focused our attention to the larger machines to begin with.

The 75E does have a longer through like the other polishers, but the way it is designed will most likely play into the development of smaller pads.

We'll keep you updated as we get farther along! :props:

[Radarryan]

Great review! Do these pads have roughly the same cut/finish properties as the HydroTech pads? I ask only because the same color combos and descriptions are used for both.

[David at LC Pads]

Great review! Do these pads have roughly the same cut/finish properties as the HydroTech pads? I ask only because the same color combos and descriptions are used for both.

They actually are not Hydrotech foams, but do use the same color combos. These are all open cell foams unlike the Hydrotech pads.

[Mike Phillips]

These are all open cell foams unlike the Hydrotech pads.




Hi David,

Is there a reason you chose to use an open cell foam for these long orbit stroke machines versus a closed cell foam?

(Without sharing any proprietary information of course)


:)

[Goldcaddy]

LC has always been at the forefront of pad tech and quality, with that being said the REAL question is...

How do these perform next to the RUPES foam pads? Is the dual density material cost savings (less foam material) or will it perform/outperform the RUPES pads?

If they can perform on par with the Rupes with any type of cost savings then I'm sold. Although I must say the Rupes are some pretty darn good pads...solid, "cushiony", dense at rolled into one.

[David at LC Pads]

Hi David,

Is there a reason you chose to use an open cell foam for these long orbit stroke machines versus a closed cell foam?

(Without sharing any proprietary information of course)


:)

That's a great question.

The density, and cell structure ( having closed cells) makes it difficult to distribute or release the heat created by a machine like the Rupes 21 when used extensively on FULL SPEED
Because the heat cannot escape, it deteriorates or compromises the foam, and essentially overheats. Overheating on any type of foam usually leads to the pad being noticeably compromised/unusable, or the center of the pad concaving as it cools. The other obvious results are burnt loop or delamination from the excessive temperatures.

I have been testing closed cell pads (like the Hydrotech foams) SUCCESSFULLY without having any overheating or premature failure.
The main reason we didn't use these foams to start, was for a few reasons. -

1. Real life testing, along with controlled testing can take very, very, long. While it seems simple (it's just a round disc of foam), there are a lot of factors and variables to consider. I would almost say I "over-tested" them because I wanted to be confident in their durability, and that was a main factor.

2. Closed cell foams hold water very well when cleaned. The result of this is obviously that they take longer to dry. In some of my testing, I noted that the excessive additional weight (from moisture/water still in the foam) has a great affect on the performance and operation of not only these DA's, but standard short throw DA polishers as well. Along with the increased rotation from added weight, this can deplete the life of a normal pad in minutes if used at full speed.

3. These foams we chose have proven themselves in my testing along with a few others, and I think that it's a great line up. It leaves room to expand the line, but can tackle almost any task. In the last few months, I've rarely had to grab other pad outside of the line up.

4. The line up was a simple 3 pads system, making it easier for most users. Closed cell foams have very different characteristics, and sometimes seem more elastic. Even though they aren't H20 foams, I thought it was a great way to coordinate colors with that system.

5. We really wanted this line up to be available without criticism. There are some detailers that absolutely love the H20 line up, and some that really don't care for it. I felt like the line up we chose was neutral, and simply IT JUST WORKS!

The overall goal was to build an extremely durable pad that offers a little more.
We are very excited for the release of these pads. Hopefully my answer helped with a little insight on our foam choices! :dblthumb2:

[Mike Phillips]

That's a great question.




And that was a GREAT answer. Thank you.

Most the time when someone asks me for a pad recommendation I steer them towards simple, open cell foam pads like the 6.5" and 5.5" LC flat pads.

KISS or Keep it Simple Simon

Open Cell Flat Pads offer,


Easy to clean on the fly with a nylon brush due to the flat face design.
Less risk or potential for problems since there's no "design" for particulates or product to pile up in.
Easy to wash, wring out and dry due to open cell design.

I think I even recommend open cell pads for Newbies in my how-to book.

Thanks for the answer David.

Also, stay tuned for next week's project, were using Rupes polishers on a streetrod and I'll let the guys test out the samples you sent us.


Sign up: 1965 Chevy C10 Fleetside Extreme Makeover! (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/sign-up-project-cars-clinics/82188-sign-up-1965-chevy-c10-fleetside-extreme-makeover.html)


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=77840


:dblthumb2:

[fly07sti]

Hi David,
Is there an ETA on these. I've been looking at them on the LC site for a while now.

[David at LC Pads]

And that was a GREAT answer. Thank you.

Most the time when someone asks me for a pad recommendation I steer them towards simple, open cell foam pads like the 6.5" and 5.5" LC flat pads.

KISS or Keep it Simple Simon

Open Cell Flat Pads offer,


Easy to clean on the fly with a nylon brush due to the flat face design.
Less risk or potential for problems since there's no "design" for particulates or product to pile up in.
Easy to wash, wring out and dry due to open cell design.

I think I even recommend open cell pads for Newbies in my how-to book.

Thanks for the answer David.

Also, stay tuned for next week's project, were using Rupes polishers on a streetrod and I'll let the guys test out the samples you sent us.


Sign up: 1965 Chevy C10 Fleetside Extreme Makeover! (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/sign-up-project-cars-clinics/82188-sign-up-1965-chevy-c10-fleetside-extreme-makeover.html)


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=77840


:dblthumb2:

Thanks Mike! I will definitely be on the look out for your thread and I hope you not only like them, but they work well for you as well. KISS was something that I really kept in mind as well. I just wanted to make sure it could utilize most polishes on the market with great results without getting confusing.


Hi David,
Is there an ETA on these. I've been looking at them on the LC site for a while now.

I have been out of the office for about a week, but I will check ASAP and update you. I'm hopeful they should be ready this week, but again I've been out of the loop for a little.