Pads

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I have a rotary buffer, which I use in polishing our vehicles. I have a wood pads and a foam pads.

May question is, when do I use foam pads and when do I use wool pads? which is for polishing?

Thanks in advance.

[Alexandre]

Re: Pads

I have a rotary buffer, which I use in polishing our vehicles. I have a wood pads and a foam pads.

May question is, when do I use foam pads and when do I use wool pads? which is for polishing?

Thanks in advance.

foam pads. use foam pads to polish. wool pad is too abrasive.

[photoryan]

Re: Pads

Here is a chart that Todd (a Meg's member) posted a while back.

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39044&highlight=pad+chart

You can also do a search for "pad+chart" that will get you some good thread results. Most of the charts are from Todd. But one of the Mike's have also posted up charts on pad selection and speed setting recommendations based on the product you are using. (Look for the rotary chart, as there is a seperate DA chart.)

[TOGWT]

Re: Pads

Wool Pads Pros & Cons-

Pro- wool is faster cutting and generates less heat and therefore leaves the surface cooler, removes heavy oxidation much more efficiently than a form pad. Wool pads are easier to control compared to foam. They glide as the wool nap ‘lies down’ and will conform to vehicle body shape easily. Make certain to spur the wool fibres when it loads up with product. Removes heavy oxidation much more efficiently than a form pad

Con- wool can leave micro marring (buffer trails) finish with a foam pad to remove. Don’t overwork the polish as wool will break diminishing abrasives faster than foam, the surface lubricants will dry up faster and you could end up dry buffing unless you’re careful. More polish is required when using wool, especially when using finishing wool.

There are too many variables with different wool and foam types, along with too many compounds to give a definite choice.

General notes -
a) Speed, the general rule is; limit speed on wool pads to 1500 RPM
b) The bigger the pad the faster the cut the coarser the compound, the faster the cut, the more aggressive the pad, the faster the cut Wool cuts faster than lamb’s wool, foamed wool is next and then foam. You pay the price for polishing too fast with swirl marks caused by the compound and pad combination.
c) Compared to foam; wool pads have a larger available cutting surface area per square inch, which is due to the structure of the individual wool fibres compared to that of foam, allowing faster cutting action with less friction heat, utilizing less downward pressure
d) Usually the longer the fibres the more abrasive the pad


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Re: Pads

Many thanks! I tend to get confused on what to use between the two. anyways, So it safe to say that I use wool pads first then finish with foam. Will be doing some buffing next week.

[TOGWT]

Re: Pads

Many thanks! I tend to get confused on what to use between the two. anyways, So it safe to say that I use wool pads first then finish with foam. Will be doing some buffing next week.

Wool can leave micro marring; finish with a foam pad to remove.

[ripple_effect]

Re: Pads

Ok thanks.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Pads

What are you trying to accomplish overall, what liquid(s) will you be using, and what is the current condition of the paint?

If all you want/need to correct are typical swirls, then skip the wool pad altogether and go straight to a foam polishing pad with a moderate grade liquid - M83 or similar perhaps. You've got a lot of power in the rotary buffer so for just typical swirl removal you don't need the added cut of a wool pad - it's total overkill.

If, on the other hand, you've got some seriously heavy oxidation or very heavy swirling in very hard paint, then a wool pad may be the right choice.

[ripple_effect]

Re: Pads

alright thanks mike. anyways, i'm about to add softbuff buffing pads and softbuff cutting pads in my arsenal. so what's the difference in these? the yellow ones are for? how about the maroon one and the black one? will one of these be sufficient?

many thanks!

[FRS]

Re: Pads

Herewith one Michael's older post:


In the Meguiar's line up we have 4 different wool pads - W5000 double sided, W4000, WWHC7 So1o burgundy wool, and WWLC7 So1o yellow wool. This is also the order from most to least aggressive in the wool line. Wool pads are generally the most aggressive type of pad and are designed just for rotary buffer, NOT D/A use. Their most common function is the removal of sanding marks when coupled with an aggressive compound such as M105, M85, etc. In some cases they are used with a rotary buffer to remove extreme swirls or oxidation on very hard paint.

Our foam pads come in 8", 7", 6" and now 4" diameter. The 8" and 6" pads are now sort of our "prior generation" pads, with the 8" being primarily rotary use pads and the 6" used for either rotary or D/A. The 7" pads are our latest version (Soft Buff 2.0) and are machine washable. The 4" pads, which should be available for purchase in a couple of weeks, are based on the 7" pads. Foam pads come in three distinct types:

• Cutting pads (burgundy in color - W7xxx series) - these are highly aggressive and provide a lot of cut. As such they are recommended for rotary use only, although in some cases they can be effectively used via D/A. There is a high probability of hazing when using these pads on a D/A, however. The foam construction of the W7207/W7204 is slightly different from the earlier version of this pad (W7000/W7006) in that it holds it's shape and efficiency better at the cell structure level.
• Polishing pads (yellow in color - W8xxx series) - these are the work horse of the D/A polisher for paint cleaning, removing swirls and other defects in the paint. Used with M105 to M80 and everything in between for this purpose. These feel softer to the touch than the burgundy cutting pads and provide less cut (but also a nicer finish). Foam construction is identical across both series of pads here.
• Finishing pads (tan in color for the W9000/W9006, black for the W9207/W9204) - these are very soft to the touch, meaning they provide very little to almost no cut, and that's what you want when applying a pure polish, wax or sealant. When applying these products it is assumed that you've polished the paint to perfection, or darn close to it, and you sure don't want a pad that can mar the surface at this point. The difference between the black and tan versions is really only noticeable when using a rotary buffer; the tan pads had a tendency to skip under certain circumstances and with certain products when attached to a rotary. When using a D/A you won't notice much of a difference, other than the black pads (as all Soft Buff 2.0 pads) are machine washable/dryable.

Earlier comments here regarding number of pads required for any given project are very good guides. As always, condition of paint, size of vehicle, goals, expectations and user skill will impact the final number.
__________________
Michael Stoops
Internet Technical Specialist
Meguiar's Inc.
(800) 854-8073 xt 175
mstoops@meguiars.com

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Re: Pads

alright, thanks. i guess i'll be getting all 3 types.