Pad Choice and Rupes Questions

[Stone150]

2 parts to my question:

1)What is the difference between a Finishing and a Finessing pad?
I have every LC CCS 6.5 pad made and I really don't know when to use the Black vs. Blue one. I used to use the black one with a a micro polish (say SF4500), but it never seemed to do anything (I was also using a PC at that time). I have found using a Polishing pad (white CCS or Orange HD) with SF4500 on my black wagon gave me perfect results.

After watching a video on Jeweling from Mike, I realized I was using the Gold pad wrong (using it for wax application).

2) Is there a reason I shouldn't use a CCS pad on a rupes 21?

When I bought my Rupes 21, I purchased some LC HD pads (orange for polishing and red for finishing). With the Orange pad I get fantastic results with SF4500, but when I used my green CCS pad or Orange CCS pad, after 1-2 passes the polish becomes blotchy and uneven in appearance. I do not get the same thing when applying wax with a blue or red pad and the Rupes.

[conman1395]

I won't comment on the Rupes as I don't have one.
For the pads:
I use red and blue with my sealants and waxes. Black is used primarily for SF4500 and Meguiar's M205. SF4500 takes a little (not a whole lot) of skill and practice. Personally, I have only ever gotten results on darker paint (mainly black, blue, and red). I have a PC. This is a jeweling polish.

[Matt@Revive]

I asked the same question when i got my Rupes 15. the comon answer was that only the HD pads were designed to hold up to the Rupes and Flex polishers. the CCS, Hybrid and Hydro would have a hard time staying together when doing heavy correction.

as for the blotchy apperence on your product, i have the same issue using Menz polish on Rupes pads. i found it was caused by my arm speed being too fast, i simply slowed down and the polish evened out.

[Stone150]

I won't comment on the Rupes as I don't have one.
For the pads:
I use red and blue with my sealants and waxes. Black is used primarily for SF4500 and Meguiar's M205. SF4500 takes a little (not a whole lot) of skill and practice. Personally, I have only ever gotten results on darker paint (mainly black, blue, and red). I have a PC. This is a jeweling polish.

With the PC I could never see any results with the SF4500, esp with a black pad, I do think it was user error (all my cars are dark). It seemed it wasn't taking out the previous polish's maring and withing a couple weeks after the wax had worn down the marks were very apparent. With the Rupes and the HD orange pad with 4500, I am getting fantastic results. Just didn't know if it was worth it to try a finishing pad.

So even though the pad doesn't cut, the polish will with a soft pad?

I asked the same question when i got my Rupes 15. the comon answer was that only the HD pads were designed to hold up to the Rupes and Flex polishers. the CCS, Hybrid and Hydro would have a hard time staying together when doing heavy correction.

as for the blotchy apperence on your product, i have the same issue using Menz polish on Rupes pads. i found it was caused by my arm speed being too fast, i simply slowed down and the polish evened out.

Ok, I think that is why I bought the HD pads, because I read that somewhere. I was wondering if it was worth trying the Hybrid or Hydro pads, I guess I'll stick with HD. I would like to get a Flex rotary or 3401, so I'll hold on to my stock pile for that.

I tried varying arm speed, pressure and machine speed, but once it would start going blotchy, I could never get it to stop.

[conman1395]

While you can mix and match pads and product to get different cut, SF4500 has VERY little cut. That is why it's so good with a black pad (no cut) to bring that little bit of gloss left. I rarely use SF4500 though. When I do it's with a 3 step correction. Compound (M105, SIP1500 and yellow pad) PF2500 with orange or white pad (depending on behavior with the paint), and then SF4500 with a black pad. It has a long working time and varrying your pressure will give you your gloss. It's not meant for use with an orange pad, anything with an orange pad cannot allow the SF4500 to do what it's supposed to. It's interesting that you have used the combination though, I'll have to give it a try.

[Stone150]

While you can mix and match pads and product to get different cut, SF4500 has VERY little cut. That is why it's so good with a black pad (no cut) to bring that little bit of gloss left. I rarely use SF4500 though. When I do it's with a 3 step correction. Compound (M105, SIP1500 and yellow pad) PF2500 with orange or white pad (depending on behavior with the paint), and then SF4500 with a black pad. It has a long working time and varrying your pressure will give you your gloss. It's not meant for use with an orange pad, anything with an orange pad cannot allow the SF4500 to do what it's supposed to. It's interesting that you have used the combination though, I'll have to give it a try.

Well the HD pads a different color scale, blue=compounding, Orange = polishing, red = finishing. The traditional LC white pad seems to be equivalent to the HD orange pad. What is interesting is that the HD finishing pad has a little cut.
Using a 3.5 hex logic pad, my pc, and sf4500, I get the same results as the rupes, HD orange, and sf4500.

I wish they would standardize colors for pads.

[conman1395]

Well the HD pads a different color scale, blue=compounding, Orange = polishing, red = finishing. The traditional LC white pad seems to be equivalent to the HD orange pad. What is interesting is that the HD finishing pad has a little cut.
Using a 3.5 hex logic pad, my pc, and sf4500, I get the same results as the rupes, HD orange, and sf4500.

I wish they would standardize colors for pads.

My bad then, I wasn't aware. Even still, I'd use SF4500 with a pad with no cut.

[Stone150]

My bad then, I wasn't aware. Even still, I'd use SF4500 with a pad with no cut.

got it, I'll just have to experiment more.