How to determine what pad to use for paint correction?

[aztec1987]

Lately I been using a Orange Hex Logic pad to remove swirls marks on my cars and to be honest I see no problems at all. I some detailers use a paint thickness gauge meter to determing what pad to use, pressure to apply, and etc. My question is if I should get one and as well how can I determine what pad to use? Is there a chart or technique on how to determine based out of the measurements?

[blkSRT]

The gauge is not to determine what pad to use it's just to tell you approximately how much clearcoat you have to work with. Say you have a deep scratch but you have a low thickness reading. The last thing you want to do is attack that with a heavy compound and wool pad.

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

A PTG only tells you how thick the film buildup is on the surface of the panel. It does nothing to tell you what pad to use.

A test spot determines what pad/product to use.

[idriveblackcars]

An orange hex logic pad isn't too aggressive vs some of the other foam pads out there today, and of course micro fiber.

New cars don't have to worry but older cars, or something with a respray a PG is critical for a professional

[ski2]

The important thing is to use the least aggressive combination of pad and polish for your particular paint. With a few test spots trying different pad/polish combos you can determine which works best for your paint.

[zmcgovern45]

There is no guaranteed formula for success... proper testing must be done to determine the best pad & product combination to produce the results you are looking for. These tests should be performed on each vehicle, and as mentioned, it is always best to start with the least aggressive method and work your way up in an effort to preserve clear coat.

Google "analyzing your test spot" and you should find an article I wrote on another detailing page that may help you here.

[TTQ B4U]

As noted the best pad but more importantly the product, which IMO makes more impact and is more critical, will be determined by a test spot on the vehicle. The product is what actually comes into contact and works the magic on the surface. The pad is helping with the amount of force is used. Combined the pad and product result in a level of effectiveness and the amount of time needed for a correction will result.

Recently on a vehicle that I did I tested a white pad with some polish and it took 6-8 passes with my Flex 3401 to correct the panel 98%+ I moved to an orange pad with the same polish and it took about 5-6 passes to correct it. Lastly, I moved to a slightly more aggressive polish that still finished very nicely and it took about 4 complete passes to obtain essentially the same results. I chose the least amount of time with the orange pad and breezed through a full correction.

[TTQ B4U]

Google "analyzing your test spot" and you should find an article I wrote on another detailing page that may help you here.

excellent write-up that I've read before. definitely covers all the bases. well done!

[Paul A.]

I'll second the accolades to Zack for sharing that article with us here. Superb article and thanks.

The question of whether to get a PTG or not is your call but if you are doing this for money it is a smart investment. A PTG is just another tool in the process of qualifying your approach to what's in front of you. You know what machines you have, what pads are in your inventory and what products you have to work with. You also know what condition the paint is in from looking at it. However, you don't know how much of it is left. Knowing that may determine the approach you take in giving the customer what they are buying from you.

A PTG doesn't solely determine what pad to use but it does provide another piece of information to help narrow down the approaches to testing for correction. It also should provide some thickness values to keep in mind as you continue to work your way around the vehicle...especially if those values seem thin.