Please Educate me on Foam Pads and others

**JohnMcD348** · 06-29-2013, 08:27 PM

I've been doing a lot of reading here and I haven't been able to find the answers to my questions. I've read many of the how many and what kind of threads related to the Foam pads.

I understand the different colors and how they move from cutting to polishing and their densities. What I'm wanting to find out about are the different designs I see here for sale. Looking at the Lake Country brands, you have the Flat, CCS, Waffle, etc. I see other manufacturers with similar designs. Are there reasons behind these designs? What are the pluses/minuses of these?

I basically am looking now for pads to use with cleaner/waxes. My paint isn't in bad shape. I'm usually just using the cleaner waxes and sometimes going back with a pure Carnuba. I'll be using them on my new PC7346. I prefer to use the 6.5" pads since I have such a large vehicle to work on. Lastly, is there any benefit of the different thicknesses of these pads?

Thanks

**Bunky** · 06-30-2013, 04:42 AM

There are numerous marketing reasons behind some of the pad designs but for a typical DA user a flat pad is fine. Flat pads provide the maximum contact area. Some shapes may conform to curved surfaces better.

Thinner pads translated are more efficient in they have less loss in velocity (more rotation transferred to pad) but for what your purposes mentioned (cleaner waxes and waxes) this is not really an issue. This is more important in paint correction.

**dlc95** · 06-30-2013, 07:54 PM

It depends on the amount of cleaning/correcting abilities you're looking for out of your product and what it's capable of. The pad choice will also play a role in the overall effectiveness of said attributes.

When using Cleaner Waxes, I've had great results with both the Lake Country CCS white and green pads. I don't often use my machine to apply pure waxes, but when I do, I like the red pad.

The next pad I'm going to try with a cleaner wax is the blue CCS. Something tells me it'll work as well.
As far as the designs go, on a d/a polisher, they seem to run smoother for me. I use both the CCS and Hex Logic pads.

Basically, you could use a light polishing pad for cleaner waxes, and a finishing pad for the pure wax.

Possible choices:
White CCS - cleaner wax
Red CCS - pure wax

Orange Griot's - cleaner wax
Red Griot's - pure wax

Yellow Meguiar's - cleaner wax
Tan Meguiar's - pure wax

These are basic examples as there are many options out there.

**JohnMcD348** · 06-30-2013, 08:45 PM

Thanks for the input. My typical products I use have mostly been Meguiar's store brands. I do occasionally use some of the Mother's store brands also but I've mainly used Meguiars for about the last 20 years when I first discovered it at my local paint shop before it was so common in retail chains.
I'm fortunate that my Ram's paint is still in pretty good shape. I don't see any swirls or serious defects in the paint aside from scratches that I've put into it when using it as a truck. That's more of a touchup paint job than a compounding and polishing job.

So, what I should look for are the thinner flat pads closer to the polishing end than the cutting/correcting end.

Now, are the color codes pretty much standard for most manufacturers? Are the Black, Yellow, Red, Blue, etc., all along the same purposes from one company to the other?

again, Thanks. Please keep the info coming.

**Bunky** · 07-01-2013, 10:44 AM

There is no standard between manufacturers and even Lake Country uses various colors. For example, the cyan pad is a HT cutting pad but the blue is a finishing/waxing pad.

You have to go back the seller and the purpose. There is a cross reference chart on AG somewhere between some makers.

**c8n** · 07-01-2013, 11:02 AM

Weird as I just saw a Chemical Guys video on pads.
On the video, it said that the designs on the surface of the pad was to keep products on the pad so that they don't go flying off everywhere.

Mike Phillips · 07-01-2013, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by Bunky

There is no standard between manufacturers and even Lake Country uses various colors.

I cover that in my how-to book plus a lot more, actually, pages 72 to 95 is all on pads...

What I state in this section also is that since there's no "industry standard", each person needs to educate themselves on any specific pad line they're interested in using...

Miracosta College in Oceanside, California is now offering a class on car detailing and using my how-to book as the class course guidebook.

AUTO 105: Automotive Reconditioning and Detailing
Units: 4
Prerequisites: None
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours. (0948.00)

This course covers bumper-to-bumper vehicle inspections for mechanical and cosmetic condition, road worthiness, emission controls, and safety. It includes specific mechanical vehicle systems and condition assessment, including an overview of the retail certification processes for used vehicles prior to sale. Topics include interior and exterior cosmetic reconditioning processes, including identification of paint condition and types, use of car-care chemicals, maintenance of the paint surface, and customer communication. Students are required to attend a local Concours-quality auto show.

The instructor, Paul Katson called me personally and told me he thinks my how-to book is the most thorough book on the topic of exterior paint polishing ever written. I told him thank you for the kind words of course as well as thank you for the business.

**dlc95** · 07-01-2013, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by JohnMcD348

Thanks for the input. My typical products I use have mostly been Meguiar's store brands. I do occasionally use some of the Mother's store brands also but I've mainly used Meguiars for about the last 20 years when I first discovered it at my local paint shop before it was so common in retail chains.
I'm fortunate that my Ram's paint is still in pretty good shape. I don't see any swirls or serious defects in the paint aside from scratches that I've put into it when using it as a truck. That's more of a touchup paint job than a compounding and polishing job.

So, what I should look for are the thinner flat pads closer to the polishing end than the cutting/correcting end.

Now, are the color codes pretty much standard for most manufacturers? Are the Black, Yellow, Red, Blue, etc., all along the same purposes from one company to the other?

again, Thanks. Please keep the info coming.

Right, you'd probably want more of a polishing pad or finishing pad than a cutting pad.

**JohnMcD348** · 07-01-2013, 08:20 PM

Thanks all for the input. I'll keep studying here and figure it all out.
Mike. congrats on the course work creation. However, You're a lot closer to me than I am to California. I live just a couple hours drive North of you up between Tampa and Orlando.

**57BORNTORUN** · 07-02-2013, 07:00 AM

Originally Posted by JohnMcD348

Thanks all for the input. I'll keep studying here and figure it all out.
Mike. congrats on the course work creation. However, You're a lot closer to me than I am to California. I live just a couple hours drive North of you up between Tampa and Orlando.

Maybe you can join us on a Thursday night makeover.