Lake Country ThinPro Foam Buffing Pads exclusively at Autogeek

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mike Phillips
  • Start date Start date
Mike I remember you saying to get 5.5 pads for a PC or GG, do you think these DA's will have enough power to rotate the thin 6.5 pads? or should we just stick with the 5.5 thin pads?
 
Mp0wer said:
Mike I remember you saying to get 5.5 pads for a PC or GG, do you think these DA's will have enough power to rotate the thin 6.5 pads? or should we just stick with the 5.5 thin pads?
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For sure current DA's on the market will be better able to maintain pad rotation for larger THIN pads but even so, smaller diameter pads fit modern car body panels better than larger pads.

By that I mean a thin panel can be the hood but it's the portion or section of paint between the edge of the hood and a raised body line on the hood. This has to do with the best practice of not buffing on edges or raised body lines.

Here's an article I wrote with some pictures that show what I mean...

How to divide larger body panels into smaller sections for machine buffing


How I would section any body panel would be easier to figure out if I were standing right in front of the vehicle, that said, here's how I would probably divide the hood of a 2007 Tahoe into smaller sections to polish with a Porter Cable type dual action polisher.

If using a more powerful tool, rotary , Flex 3401 or Rupes, you could take the small section I've outlined and tackle more of them at one time. I'd still divide the center large mass of the hood into at least two section and possibly 4 sections depending how much correction is needed.


Chevy_Hood_Sectioned_01.jpg




These, longer, THINNER sections of a body panel are the norm for a lot of cars, trucks and suvs and this is why I like 5.5" pads on tools like the PC and even 4" Spot Repair Pads and that's because smaller diameter pads fit modern cars better than large pads.

Chevy_Hood_Sectioned_02.jpg




As far as the raised body lines go, for the soft rolling body lines I wouldn't bother taping these of just don't hammer on them.

For any sharp raised body lines, bet some painter's tape or if you really want some nice tape, get the 1/4" 3M Blue Vinyl Tape to protect them but I don't think I would using a PC, it's just not aggressive enough for the edges on this body style.


3M Blue Vinyl Tape

Worth it's weight in gold...



3M Vinyl Tape 1/4 Inch - 06405

Blue_Vinyl_Tape_01.jpg




3M Vinyl Tape 1/8 Inch - 06404

Blue_Vinyl_Tape_02.jpg





The big picture idea is...


  • Break larger panels into smaller sections.


  • Try to use natural edges, raised body lines and segmented panels as natural dividing lines for the smaller sections.


Avoid trying tackle too large a section at one time when using tools like the PC/Megs/Griot's polishers or you'll end up with shiny swirls.

That is, you'll feel like you're getting a lot of work done because you're knocking out larger sections but at the end of the day, when you do the final wipe-off of wax the swirls will still be in the paint, (because you didn't remove them), they'll just be shiny.



:xyxthumbs:
 
FWIW, I was told the GREY LC thin pad works great with Menzerna polishes. Also, HD Adapt.
 
Desertnate said:
Lake Country and Autogeek product teams, if you are reading this, please note that multi-pad combo packs like you can get for the flat pads are great. Rarely do I even need just one pad, and the combo packs bring down the price per pad a bit.

I need to replace some of my flat pads which are starting to wear out. I might have to pick up a couple to test them out.
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Thanks for posting this - would also like to see that 3 or 6-pack option for this new pad.

David
 
Zubair said:
Thanks Mike, cant wait to try these. Also a big thanks to AutoGeek and Lake Country for these thin pads, will reduce pad stall significantly and finally an aggressive (grey) foam pad for hard clear coats. Now to bring the extreme grey cutting foam to the Hybrid range so I can use it on my Flex 3401. :)
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Quite the opposite the thin pads stall more then thick pads. On contoured edges and curves. That is why griots made that innerflex pad to make the pad thicker to adjust to the curved panel.

The innerflex pad works however at high speeds its junk it shreds.

Thats why i just use LC pads the thick ones for those areas and it spins and rotates fine.

That is on a da of course the flex will have no problem no matter what you stick on it
 
Will these or the thin meguiars pads work with the backing plate that comes in the meguiars 5 inch microfiber kit?
 
E92M3_Mark said:
FWIW, I was told the GREY LC thin pad works great with Menzerna polishes. Also, HD Adapt.
Click to expand...

I'm sure it will work with a plethora of products. Remember besides the product itself there's also factors like,

Temperature
Humidity
Wind
Technique

And all of these come into play with any pad/product/tool combo.



hogie said:
Will these or the thin meguiars pads work with the backing plate that comes in the meguiars 5 inch microfiber kit?
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The 5.5" ThinPro pads will work with the Meguiar's 5" backing plate.


:)
 
I agree with Mike on the blue vinyl tape...worth it's weight in gold. This may go without saying but may help a few. Make sure you don't stretch the tape when you use it. It can take up to 3 or 4 minutes, but it will shrink back and pull away from whatever you taped. In my case I had several areas taped before I noticed it pulling away.
 
From the description it looks like these pads are much firmer. It would be nice to have a firm black pad. I almost never use black pads any more because they're so soft that they morph too much when using them and don't finish well. How does the Lake Country Black compare to the Meguiar's Black in terms of density/firmness?
 
NextLevelDtail said:
Quite the opposite the thin pads stall more then thick pads. On contoured edges and curves. That is why griots made that innerflex pad to make the pad thicker to adjust to the curved panel.

The innerflex pad works however at high speeds its junk it shreds.

Thats why i just use LC pads the thick ones for those areas and it spins and rotates fine.

That is on a da of course the flex will have no problem no matter what you stick on it
Click to expand...

It is my understanding that a thinner hence lighter pad has less energy being lost and will be more likely to maintain rotation. Either way I can't wait to get my grubby lil paws on these and the Buff and Shine Low-Pro's and compare the grey vs green in outright cut. Whichever has more cut, thats the ones I will be reordering on a regular basis.
 
conman1395 said:
From the description it looks like these pads are much firmer. It would be nice to have a firm black pad. I almost never use black pads any more because they're so soft that they morph too much when using them and don't finish well. How does the Lake Country Black compare to the Meguiar's Black in terms of density/firmness?
Click to expand...

All Lake Country black pads are soft finishing pads but compared to other brands they firmer and to me the reason they finish better: Soft+Firm makes for nice jeweling and uniform results.
 
Zubair said:
It is my understanding that a thinner hence lighter pad has less energy being lost and will be more likely to maintain rotation. Either way I can't wait to get my grubby lil paws on these and the Buff and Shine Low-Pro's and compare the grey vs green in outright cut. Whichever has more cut, thats the ones I will be reordering on a regular basis.
Click to expand...

They help increase rotation and correction on flat panels or little concave areas.

On a curved edge . They struggle because the pad does not have enough foam to mold and shape into that contour, all thin pads do.

Just keep some LC pads when you want to use the da Or just use the flex
 
How are the Rupes and GG long throw polishers not free spinning spindle machines?
 
are these suitable for the GG Boss g15, or are there better options(other than the ones made by GG)
TIA
 
drabon74 said:
are these suitable for the GG Boss g15, or are there better options(other than the ones made by GG)
TIA
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"Each pad utilizes a new foam composition that promises to withstand the rigorous abuse of long-throw orbital polishers, like the Rupes LHR 15 and 21ES and Griot’s Garage Boss G15 and G21 polishers. A super strong adhesive used for attaching the backing material to the foam pad provides a rugged attachment point that is virtually indestructible, even after extended polishing sessions."


ThinPro pads are available in 5.5" diameter and 6.5" pads.


On Autogeek.com

Lake Country ThinPro Foam Pad System 5.5 inch

Lake Country ThinPro Foam Pad System 6.5 inch
 
I am curious, would these require more frequently cleaning since they are so much thinner?
 
timsatx said:
I am curious, would these require more frequently cleaning since they are so much thinner?
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IMO, the surface of the pad does all the work so in terms of cleaning, shouldnt makes any difference.

The size are really optimal with DA. If they punch a 1.5cm hole in the center, my guess is the pad may works even better.
 
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