Griots BOSS Pads - Orange vs. Yellow

**TMQ** · 01-25-2021, 07:55 AM

I have a question for you guys that knows planes.

How many pads does one need to polish a plane?
I gather these planes have much more real estate than a super large SUV?

Tom

Mike Phillips · 01-25-2021, 08:35 AM

Just to chime in,

A whole lot of great discussion and then the other shoe drops. See the portion I turned RED.

Originally Posted by CC268

I have some white and orange BOSS pads and was planning to order some more of both.

I suppose I could order some yellow pads as well. The problem is I need a lot of pads (this will be for an airplane) and I’m trying to cut cost and steps where I can.

I would like to have at least 10+ pads.

Maybe I ought to go with orange and yellow pads instead of white. Tough to say until I lay eyes on the paint.

I hate to assume but going with what I know and it sounds like you're tackling this yourself, as a one-man-operation, I assuming this is for a light aircraft? Like a single engine Cessna or something?

Again, hate to assume, but assuming my guess is correct, the light aircraft if most likely painted with single stage paint and machine buffing with any type of foam CUTTING pad or ANY TYPE of microfiber pad (fibers are abrasives), using either of these is going to burn through all the paint on the rivets and overlapping edges of aluminum panels.

Your best bet will be to take the safe approach and use the Griot's ORANGE pads which in the context of foam cutting pads goes - are NOT very aggressive. This is even more true once the foam becomes WET with product - they basically become a great foam "POLISHING" pad.

Hope that helps...

Can you share a picture of the Plane?

**CC268** · 01-25-2021, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by Mike Phillips

Just to chime in,

A whole lot of great discussion and then the other shoe drops. See the portion I turned RED.

I hate to assume but going with what I know and it sounds like you're tackling this yourself, as a one-man-operation, I assuming this is for a light aircraft? Like a single engine Cessna or something?

Again, hate to assume, but assuming my guess is correct, the light aircraft if most likely painted with single stage paint and machine buffing with any type of foam CUTTING pad or ANY TYPE of microfiber pad (fibers are abrasives), using either of these is going to burn through all the paint on the rivets and overlapping edges of aluminum panels.

Your best bet will be to take the safe approach and use the Griot's ORANGE pads which in the context of foam cutting pads goes - are NOT very aggressive. This is even more true once the foam becomes WET with product - they basically become a great foam "POLISHING" pad.

Hope that helps...

Can you share a picture of the Plane?

Thanks for chiming in! This will be a Beechcraft Bonanza (N35). Fairly similar in size to maybe a Cessna 182, but certainly larger than a Cessna 172.

I will be using a GG6 for this by the way. I already have 4 Orange BOSS pads, 4 white BOSS pads, and 4 microfiber BOSS pads (bought these a while back for my small fishing boat and never used them - they are still brand new). That said, because I've already invested in the BOSS pads I would prefer to stick with those. I have some practically brand new black and blue LC Flat pads, so I don't think I really need to spend money on wax/sealant specific BOSS pads.

Here are my questions:

1. Should I buy just orange BOSS pads? (I figure I would buy two more 6 packs of pads, which would put me at 16 Orange total)
2. Should I worry about buying the Yellow BOSS pads as well?
3. Would 3D Speed and 3D One be good products to test first?

About 4 years ago I polished my entire Piper Cherokee with my GG6, using white and orange LC Flat pads (white pads in this case being less aggressive than orange - the opposite of the BOSS pads) and HD Speed. The paint was really hard, so I never got all the scratches/scuffs out in some spots, but it still looked very good. I was happy with the process. I figured something similar will work on this aircraft as well.

Here is a photo of the plane. It is back in Kentucky, but I will be going out there in the next week or so to ferry it back to Arizona. From what I can tell, the paint is in really nice shape already.

See link for larger version of photo:
Microsoft OneDrive - Access files anywhere. Create docs with free Office Online.

Griots BOSS Pads - Orange vs. Yellow-large_image_1512387_4-jpg

**CC268** · 01-26-2021, 01:43 PM

Anyone have feedback for the above questions? It would be much appreciated. I’d like to place an order on Autogeek this week!

**noorth** · 01-26-2021, 01:46 PM

I think you should buy 1 or 2 pads each of yellow and orange. And see what one works best before you commit to over 10 pads.

speed and one are very different products.

Edit: You already have orange..i would pick up 1 or 2 yellow and figure out if i you want to use a polish with protection added or one without protection.

I'm not a fan of AIO's personally but for detailing professionals it would be valuable.

**CC268** · 01-26-2021, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by noorth

I think you should buy 1 or 2 pads each of yellow and orange. And see what one works best before you commit to over 10 pads.

speed and one are very different products.

Edit: You already have orange..i would pick up 1 or 2 yellow and figure out if i you want to use a polish with protection added or one without protection.

I'm not a fan of AIO's personally but for detailing professionals it would be valuable.

I’m certainly open to other products than an AIO like 3D Speed. I was planning to use Speed and follow up with some Collinite 845. That said, I’m not sure I want to do more than a two step process here as it would be extremely time consuming. Polishing the underside of the wings and belly of an aircraft is not very fun. I couldn’t imagine doing more than 2 steps ha.

**noorth** · 01-26-2021, 03:40 PM

Personally, i like ceramics. Cancoat is pretty simple. 3D one is a good polish but i don't know anything about single stage paint.

I've used colly 845 i don't think its in the same class has Cancoat. Cancoat is world class.

**TMQ** · 01-26-2021, 03:40 PM

I like both Blackfire One Step and Speed.

The difference is that Blackfire cuts a tad more. Speed shines a tad more. For a regular person that doesn't polish much, they'll look the same.

In your case--you have used speed and you like it. Might as well stay with that.

As Mike said before, Boss orange probably will be fine. Light cutting pad that will become softer with additional product. And if Imron, I think Speed will be good pick to get the most gloss and sheen.

Then top it all off with Collinite.

Tom

**CC268** · 01-26-2021, 05:32 PM

Originally Posted by TMQ

I like both Blackfire One Step and Speed.

The difference is that Blackfire cuts a tad more. Speed shines a tad more. For a regular person that doesn't polish much, they'll look the same.

In your case--you have used speed and you like it. Might as well stay with that.

As Mike said before, Boss orange probably will be fine. Light cutting pad that will become softer with additional product. And if Imron, I think Speed will be good pick to get the most gloss and sheen.

Then top it all off with Collinite.

Tom

Thanks I appreciate the feedback. I think I’ll stick to that plan

**noorth** · 01-26-2021, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by CC268

Thanks I appreciate the feedback. I think I’ll stick to that plan

Your going to spend 25 plus hours to get 3 mths of crappy protection. I cringe thinking about.

If you want to use an AIO use carpro essence and followed that up with IGL primer. Speed and colly would not hold a candle to that combo. Both products are very easy to use to.

Colly 845 is outdated.