Is it ok to use a damp foam pad when buffing?

[sparkee]

Is it ok to use a damp pad to polish with or does the foam have to be dry except for compound or polish?

I was reading somewhere that someone used a spray bottle to mist the area of compound, with water,as he was buffing. Is this ok to do?

[Mark58]

Re: Is it ok to use a damp foam pad when buffing?

Some people will "Prime" the pad with water mist or Detailer spray. Should be ok.

[greg0303]

Re: Is it ok to use a damp foam pad when buffing?

If you use a fresh dry buffing pad picking up a bead of product with a rotary buffer it's good to spray that pad first with M34 Final Inspection (you could also do it using forced rotation dual action polisher, like Flex XC 3401 VRG).

Using traditional D/A polisher you could either apply X or circle of product, or prime the pad with product and just use couple drops of product per each section. Priming of buffing pads will make them perform at full potential right from the beginning. Priming is necessary when using DA Microfiber Correction System.

[PPLd]

Re: Is it ok to use a damp foam pad when buffing?

I found that misting the pad with quick detailer like Last Touch reduce the cutting of compound you are using.
However the finish seems to be better and the foam pad seems to be conserved/protected due to less friction or heat is generated.
I see this as a trade off so you have to judge what you want.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Is it ok to use a damp foam pad when buffing?

While there really isn't any real need to use a damp pad when buffing, rarely will it cause any problems.

There are a few ways to achieve a damp pad, however:

• When rotary buffing and putting pad to paint for the very first time, it's common to mist a bit of M34 or similar onto the pad for a bit of lubrication to get things started
• Cleaning a pad on the fly with a pad washer when rotary buffing will leave some dampness on the pad for the next pass. This is rarely an issue at all
• Misting of water onto the surface when buffing with certain compounds can, sometimes, have the added benefit of extending the buffing cycle and/or cutting down on dust. It can be a nice complement to the process, but if overused it can become counter productive. And it is so common for people to be of the "if some is good, more is better" mindset. That's rarely the case in this hobby.