How many pads do I need to buff out my car?

[Mike Phillips]

Thank you Mike for this thread, I was just thinking about this as I am new to DA's.

One question I have is, how do pad washers come into play?

For example, can you wash your cutting pad, spin dry, re-prime and continue using it or is it recommended to still use a new dry pad since the washed pad will be damp?

Great question.

You can wash and spin dry a pad in a pad washer and then put it back into use.

Or wash and spin dry a pad and then dry it like I show in the below article and put it back into use but on a free spinning dual action polisher the pad still won't rotate or cut as well as a dry foam pad.


How to dry a foam pad after hand washing





If you have clean dry pads for the project in front of you it will be faster to switch to a clean, dry pad and then at the end of the project use the pad washer to wash your pads and then place them some place to dry overnight.

[Mike Phillips]

thank you and quick question, are the CG Hexlogic pads equivalent to the LC Flat?

I've never used the Hexlogic pads myself they don't make logic to me however as I am a flat pad kind of guy. A flat surface makes so much more sense for all aspects of buffing paint.

I read a review in which you really liked the new Meg's pads.. what about those? BTW, I have a 7424XP

That would be this article lots of pictures showing the new Meguiar's thin foam pads in action plus an amazing transformation of a completely swirled out Camaro getting fixed.

NEW! Meguiar’s Foam Buffing Discs





And yes I like them. The foam resin or form formula Meguiar's uses for their three types of foam pads is a proven formula and the thinness of the pads helps make it easier for dual action polishers to maintain pad rotation.

Hard to believe it's take so many years for foam pads to get thinner.

With having a pad washer, a pad cleaning brush, and "cleaning on the fly", I have not had the need for multiple numbers of pads for each process (compounding, polishing, and sealing/waxing.)


Am I missing something? Please advise.

Roger T

Hey if you have a system in place that works for you then that's all that matters and you're not missing a thing.

[jswift79]

cam i use the Lake Country CCS Black Pads for applying sealant/liquid wax?

[Souldetailer]

Absolutely. Check out the AG store for all your pad needs.

[WRAPT C5Z06]

If you have clean dry pads for the project in front of you it will be faster to switch to a clean, dry pad and then at the end of the project use the pad washer to wash your pads and then place them some place to dry overnight.

[tenblade2001]

Mike, what is the rationale of choosing the LC flat pad vs. Hydrotech for 7424xp (if I'm using the Wolfgrang Trio). thanks

[Mike Phillips]

Mike, what is the rationale of choosing the LC flat pad vs. Hydrotech for 7424xp (if I'm using the Wolfgrang Trio).

thanks

Just personal preference.


In both the first edition and second edition of my how-to book I recommend simple open cell foam flat pads for newbies or people new to machine polishing because I believe when a person is just starting out to reduce the potential for any problems.

Flat faced foam pads are the most simple design when it comes to a foam buffing pad and the flat design reduces the potential for any problems when buffing pad including uniform break down of products that use diminishing abrasives.

Flat pads area also much easier to clean on the fly and open cell pads are easier to both clean and dry.

I cover pretty much everything about foam pads you can think of on pages 55 to 78 in the first edition and pages 72 to 91 in the second edition.

[Odisious]

Do MF pads take longer to reach maximum saturation compared to foam? (I've never used MF pads, didn't know if they are head and shoulders above foam or not.)

[Mike Phillips]

Do MF pads take longer to reach maximum saturation compared to foam?

I'd say kind yes because the liquid in whatever product you're using tends to be focused more on the paint instead of having a thick foam backing to soak into.

Kind of depends on the brand too... some microfiber pads are designed to resist liquids better than others.

The big picture with microfiber pads is,

1. They offer more defect removal simply because fibers are a type of abrasive.

2. Like any pad you need to clean them often, like after each section pass.

3. Like any detailing projects, it's better to switch to clean, dry microfiber pads often versus trying to buff out an entire car with one or two pads.

[jwgreen6]

How many pads do I need to buff out my car?


Some guys try to buff out entire cars with a single pad per product. That's usually due to inexperience. Thus when they make their initial purchase they don't know to get more pads versus less pads.

Once a person gets into the middle of the correction step and their one or two foam pads are wet with product, (pad saturation), and if they're paying attention they notice it's taking longer to get the same work done than when they first started with a clean, dry pad, then it starts to sink in that more pads are better.

The correction step is the most pad intensive step so get more correction pads, these would be cutting pads.

Polishing goes faster as you're only cleaning up what the correction step left behind and maximizing gloss and clarity.

If you machine apply your waxes and sealants then you really only need one pad for this step.


For a 1965 Mustang or for a 2015 Honda Accord and the paint is trashed, that is filled with swirls, scratches, water spots and oxidation, then here's a good rule of thumb for the optimum number of pads to have on hand assuming you're using a Porter Cable type dual action polisher.

Porter Cable 7424XP
Correction = Orange LC Flat Pad
Polishing = White or Black LC Flat Pad
Sealing = Blue LC Flat Pad

Correction step = 6 pads
1 for the hood
1 for the roof and trunk lid
2 for driver's side
2 for passenger side


Polishing step = 4 pads (You could probably get away with 3 if you use 1 for hood, roof and trunk lid)

1 for the hood
1 for the roof and trunk lid
1 for driver's side
1 for passenger side

Sealing the paint step = 1 waxing pad
Use over entire vehicle




For a Flex 3401
Correction = Orange Hybrid
Polishing = White Hybrid
Sealing = Black Hybrid

From experience, you can push the orange hybrid pads further than most pads plus the Flex 3401 simply doesn't care if the pads are wet with product it's going to rotate them no matter what. Not that using a squishy wet pad is a good thing just saying...

One thing for sure, a fresh, clean, dry orange hybrid pad with a top notch compound cuts fast on the Flex 3401.

Correction step = 6 pads
1 for the hood
1 for the roof and trunk lid
2 for driver's side
2 for passenger side

Polishing step = 4 pads (You could probably get away with 3 if you use 1 for hood, roof and trunk lid)

1 for the hood
1 for the roof and trunk lid
1 for driver's side
1 for passenger side

Sealing the paint step = 1 waxing pad
Use over entire vehicle



For Rupes Bigfoot

Same as pads for a Porter Cable. Basically, more is better and as soon as any pad starts to become wet with product it's going to be faster and more effective to switch to a clean, dry pad.




Big picture...

Being able to switch to a clean dry pad always trumps plowing through with a wet soggy pad. Foam pads become wet or saturated with product the longer you buff, that's just the nature of foam and liquids.

A fresh, clean dry pad works better, whether it's for major correction work or minor polishing work.

A fresh, clean dry pad make you and your time more effective and enables you to do any paint polishing process as fast as possible.

Switching to a fresh clean, dry pad OFTEN means less wear-n-tear on pads in general and you'll get more use or extended life out of each pad overall. Pushing a pad to the point that it's completely saturated with product wears out the foam, the Velcro and the adhesive faster than stopping the use of the pad after a panel or two.

Buffing with wet pads increases the heat retention inside the pad and to the backing plate and heat is never a good thing in any buffing process.

There's only positive aspects to having more pads as compared to having less pads.



Buffing Pads on Autogeek.net

Mike -- How does the pad usage add up when using a rotary polisher?