"1-Pad"?

**Setec Astronomy** · 09-23-2010, 10:04 PM

Apparently Lake Country is coming out with a new rotary backing plate/pad system, which features a more padded backing plate and a thinner pad, which kind of wraps around the backing plate so it covers the edge...anyway, I'm reading about it until it hits me that it's called "1-Pad" because the pad is disposable and is thrown away after one use instead of being cleaned!

They claim this is "eco-friendly" and that it uses 65% less foam than a conventional pad. Now, math may not have been my best subject, but it seems to me that once you've thrown away 3 of these you've thrown out a lot more foam than is in one conventional pad...and I sure get a lot more than 3 uses out of a pad (I know there is one forum member who throws his out after one use).

If this was being sold on the merits of the backing plate and pad shape, I'd understand, but I don't really get the disposabilty angle, unless they are only a couple of bucks each, which I highly doubt.

**TLMitchell** · 09-24-2010, 05:49 AM

Originally Posted by Setec Astronomy

(I know there is one forum member who throws his out after one use).

Where's he live? I'm thinking some dumpster diving is in order.

Mike Phillips · 09-24-2010, 07:32 AM

The strength in this idea to me is the ability to always be working clean...

A few years back a friend of mine coined the term,

Wafer Pad

The idea being a thin, disposable foam pad. The idea was to able to offer these wafer pads at a price point that would make removing a used one and replacing it with a new one cost-effective and attractive.

If I'm working on something special, I actually love the idea of buffing out a single panel and then instead of cleaning the face of the pad, simply remove the current wafer pad and replace it with a fresh, clean wafer pad.

This idea would apply to pads for all machine polishers and the hook & loop backing would be impermeable, that is it wouldn't allow the liquid chemical being used to penetrated past the hook and loop backing to wet the actual buffing interface pad that the wafer pad attaches to...

The idea at that time never went anywhere and that would be in part because the cost of the materials would be to high. These wafer pads would be available in a 12-pack and we would think of them like Bic Disposable Razors.

I like the idea and hope to see it come to fruition.

**Meghan** · 09-24-2010, 07:51 AM

We will actually be testing out these pads today, so I have a feeling you all will be getting a nice review very soon on them.

**Setec Astronomy** · 09-24-2010, 07:55 AM

Originally Posted by Mike.Phillips@Autogeek

The idea at that time never went anywhere and that would be in part because the cost of the materials would be to high. These wafer pads would be available in a 12-pack and we would think of them like Bic Disposable Razors.

I like the idea and hope to see it come to fruition.

It's on the LC website now. There are some other unusual features to the pads other than the disposability, which are what I originally thought was the main idea.

I understand your reasoning, Mike, and the Bic shaver analogy, it's just that I saw some preliminary (unconfirmed) info on another site that indicated the price wouldn't be in what I consider the disposable range (although perhaps less than a typical rotary pad). Of course considerations are different when you work on the type of vehicles that you typically do.

**Setec Astronomy** · 09-24-2010, 07:57 AM

Originally Posted by Meghan

We will actually be testing out these pads today, so I have a feeling you all will be getting a nice review very soon on them.

Ok, that answers that!

**CEE DOG** · 09-24-2010, 08:01 AM

I agree, if the price is right it would be great to remove this "not fun" (cleaning pads) portion of polishing from the equation. Looking forward to the review!

Mike Phillips · 09-24-2010, 08:02 AM

Originally Posted by Setec Astronomy

I understand your reasoning, Mike, and the Bic shaver analogy, it's just that I saw some preliminary (unconfirmed) info on another site that indicated the price wouldn't be in what I consider the disposable range (although perhaps less than a typical rotary pad).

Yep... that's the hurdle to get over... cost of materials, plus profit margin has to come in at a retail price that the masses will accept.

Seen a lot of interesting new products being worked on behind the scenes this year... that's why once in a while you'll see me type fluffy things like,

New technology is being introduced all the time...

The "time" aspect of that statement is in the future, because until it's introduced publicly, it doesn't exist... but it does exist... just behind the scene...

**CEE DOG** · 09-24-2010, 08:11 AM

Well, the eco friendly part is definitely nonsense. They should leave that out of the marketing as the bs takes away from all the true benefits.

Looks like us Flex owners won't be able to use it unless they make an adapter