5.5" SUPER THIN FOAM PAD OPTIONS for your Dual Action Polisher

Mike Phillips · Jun 14, 2016

5.5" SUPER THIN FOAM PAD OPTIONS for your Dual Action Polisher

Super thin 5.5" foam buffing pads

The primary benefit to super thin foam pads is that free spinning orbital polishers are able to rotate and oscillate these pads better than thick pads.

What does this mean to you?

You can compound and polish paint to perfection faster than ever before when using orbital polishers like the Porter Cable 7424XP or the Griot's Garage 6" DA polisher.

Currently Autogeek carries three brands of super thin foam pads,

From left to right

Lake Country 5.5" ThinPro foam pads

Griot's Garage BOSS 5.5" foam pads

Meguiar's 5.5" foam discs

Lake Country 5.5" ThinPro foam pads

Griot's Garage BOSS 5.5" foam pads

The Griot's BOSS foam pads are unique from the rest in that they have a hole in the center of the pad.

Meguiar's 5.5" foam discs

Thinner, smaller pads rotate and oscillate easier simply because they have less mass. Not only do they rotate better because they have less mass but since there is less mass pad saturation is not as influential of a factor as it is for thick pads on dual action polishers.

On Autogeek.com

It's a good idea to purchase a backing plate from the same company you purchase your pads so that way you know you're the velcro attachment system for the pads and the backing plate will match.

Lake Country

Lake Country ThinPro Foam Pad System 5.5 inch

Lake Country 5" Dual-Action Hook & Loop Flexible Backing Plate

Griot's

5.5 Inch BOSS Pads

6.5 Inch BOSS Pads

Griots Garage 5 Inch Vented Orbital Backing Plate

Meguiar's

Meguiars 5 Inch DA Foam Discs

Meguiars Soft Buff DBP5 DA Polisher 5 inch Backing Plate

Need a dual action polisher?

Below are the simple, safe and easy to learn how to use dual action polishers available at Autogeek.com

These tool all offer an 8mm orbit stroke length and work best with the thin pads and matching backing plates shared in this article. These tools all operate the same way just some of them use a longer body style for those that prefer a traditional shaped polisher.

Note: Some polishers are available with a heavy duty 25' electrical cord pre-wired into the tool. These are exclusive to Autogeek and when purchased through Autogeek you get the same factory warranty as the version with the stock electrical cord. The longer cord enables you to safe time because you don't have to mess around with extension cords coming un-plugged. The 25' cords also use the recommended heavy gauge wire to protect the tools electronics. Using an extension cord that uses light gauge wiring can damage your tool and void your warranty. Wiring in your own extended cord will void your warranty.

Porter Cable 7424XP - Standard cord

Porter Cable 7424XP - HD Cord - 25' Heavy Duty Cord already pre-wired

Griot's Garage 6" ROP - Standard cord

Griots Garage 6 Inch Heavy Duty Random Orbital Polisher - HD Cord - 25' Heavy Duty Cord already pre-wired

Meguiars MT300 Dual Action Polisher

Chemical Guys TORQ 10FX Random Orbital Polisher

Shurhold DA Polisher

AZpolisher15 · Jun 14, 2016

I didn't realize the Boss pads could be used with the GG6. I guess I figured they were for the long throw Boss polishers only. Thanks for sharing. I'll have to give them a try.

Mike Phillips · Jun 14, 2016

Also just to note...

If you're looking to purchase a new buffing pads for your current orbital polisher

OR
If you're getting into machine polishing,

Be sure to check out my article on 5" backing plates for dual action polishers. All the backing plates shown in this article are 5" inches in diameter and you'll need to use 5.5" diameter pads with 5" backing plates.

5” Backing Plates Options for Dual Action Polishers

5” Backing Plates

Harpolith said:
I didn't realize the Boss pads could be used with the GG6. I guess I figured they were for the long throw Boss polishers only.

Thanks for sharing. I'll have to give them a try.

I don't know if Griot's Garage has any type of "official recomendation" for using the BOSS thin foam pads on their GG6 or any other 8mm free spinning orbital polisher I just know they are thin and rotate like a son-of-a-gun.

custmsprty · Jun 14, 2016

Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
I don't know if Griot's Garage has any type of "official recomendation" for using the BOSS thin foam pads on their GG6 or any other 8mm free spinning orbital polisher I just know they are thin and rotate like a son-of-a-gun.

Yeah they are great pads, I started using them on my Duetto and I like them a lot.

axel06 · Jun 14, 2016

have to make my next purchase for some thin pads thank you mike

WRAPT C5Z06 · Jun 14, 2016

I think the thicker pads, like the Rupes and Uro-Tec work much better on long throw polishers. These super thin pads excel on an 8mm random orbital as Mike states.

VISITOR · Jun 15, 2016

Harpolith said:
I didn't realize the Boss pads could be used with the GG6. I guess I figured they were for the long throw Boss polishers only. Thanks for sharing. I'll have to give them a try.

jeff brown (of griot's garage) mentioned a while back that they work really well with the GG6...

VISITOR · Jun 15, 2016

also, the buff and shine 5.5" flat pads (built very well too) work great with the GG6 as well...

WRAPT C5Z06 · Jun 15, 2016

VISITOR said:
also, the buff and shine 5.5" flat pads (built very well too) work great with the GG6 as well...

Agreed.

Mike Phillips · Jun 15, 2016

Size comparison

Before these thin pads were introduced pretty much all foam pads were thick no matter what the diameter. To give you a point of reference, in the pictures below I have placed each of the three brands of thin foam pads next to three traditional size foam buffing pads.

In this picture on the left are three Lake Country 5.5" ThinPro foam pads and on the right are three traditional foam pads.

In this picture on the left are three Griot's BOSS 5.5" foam pads and on the right are three traditional foam pads.

In this picture on the left are three Meguiar's foam discs and on the right are three traditional foam pads.

Pretty strong visual to show you how thin today's foam pads are for free spinning orbital polishers.

ski2 · Jun 15, 2016

VISITOR said:
also, the buff and shine 5.5" flat pads (built very well too) work great with the GG6 as well...

I've been using the B&S 5.5" pads with my GG6 for five years and never have had a pad fail.

Mike Phillips · Jun 15, 2016

WRAPT C5Z06 said:
I think the thicker pads, like the Rupes and Uro-Tec work much better on long throw polishers.

Actually, I asked Marco D'Inca the engineer behind the RUPES BigFoot polishers when I first met him at SEMA back in 2013,

Why are the RUPES foam pads so thick?

I explained to him that thin pads rotate and oscillate better on free spinning tools. He didn't disagree with me on my point but instead said, and this is a paraphrase,

"The RUPES foam pads are designed to work with the RUPES backing plates and RUPES tools to eliminate vibration"

On this forum and in my 3-day classes I show people the "Air Test". I've seen Todd Helme use this in his power point presentations. What you do is place a RUPES pad on a RUPES tools and turn the tool on to the 6 speed setting and hold the tool in the air. There's simply no vibration in the tool body, it's as smooth as can be. Now take the pad OFF the backing plate and do the same test and you'll feel all kinds of vibrations in the tool body. This is because RUPES isn't a tool it's a system. The pads are engineered to work with the backing plates and the drive mechanisms. The backing plates are engineered to work with their pads and their tools and their tools are engineered to work with their backing plates and their pads. It's a system and the pads are the size, shape, thickness and weight by design.

If you attach a thin foam pad to a RUPES polisher and set the speed to 6 and then hold it in the air you're going to feel vibration because Marco and team didn't engineer their system for thin foam pads but thick foam pads.

In my mind a thin foam pad with less mass will rotate better on any free spinning orbital tool but with the RUPES tool while they might rotate better you're going to feel vibration.

WRAPT C5Z06 said:
I think the thicker pads, like the Rupes and Uro-Tec work much better on long throw polishers.

So it could be that's why you "think" thicker pads work better on RUPES tools Mark it's because they were engineered that way.

For what it's worth... I cover this in my RUPES how to book in-depth like my normal writing style.

On Autogeek.com

How to use the RUPES BigFoot Paint Polishing System
for Production Detailing and Show Car Detailing

natewood70 · Jun 15, 2016

I wonder if the Griot's 5.5" pads have any significant impact with correction performance (good or bad) because of the cutout in the middle. I would assume that less rotational mass, and surface area would in theory allow the pads to correct a little faster and keep the contact surface cooler, but how much of that would translate into measurable time savings during a correction?:dunno:

Mike Phillips · Jun 15, 2016

natewood70 said:
I wonder if the Griot's 5.5" pads have any significant impact with correction performance (good or bad) because of the cutout in the middle.

I would assume that less rotational mass, and surface area would in theory allow the pads to correct a little faster and keep the contact surface cooler, but how much of that would translate into measurable time savings during a correction?

:dunno:

I don't think you will see a huge difference in the time spent buffing out a car due to the hole in the center.

I believe or think the hole in the center of buffing pads either has to do with alignment using a dowel or in the case of these Griot's pads it is to reduce and prevent swirls and heat build-up.

WRAPT C5Z06 · Jun 15, 2016

Thanks for the reply, Mike.

In my personal experience, thicker foams like the Rupes and Uro-Tec pads rotate better on a long throw orbital. I feel the also contour better as there's more cushion to allow that. Again, just my experience.

Mike Phillips · Jun 15, 2016

WRAPT C5Z06 said:
Thanks for the reply, Mike.

In my personal experience, thicker foams like the Rupes and Uro-Tec pads rotate better on a long throw orbital.

Could be with the long stroke tools that mass works for you not against you.

WRAPT C5Z06 said:
I feel the also contour better as there's more cushion to allow that. Again, just my experience.

That's true. A thick foam pad has more mass to flex and thus contour.

Kind of like when you're machine sanding. If you want to only focus on the tops of the hills when removing orange peel you use a sanding disc not a foam backed sanding disc because the foam backing will tend to remove paint of of both the hills and the valleys since it will conform.

I personally prefer thicker pads on direct drive tools and share that in my FLEX how-to book. The only time thin foam pads seem to be advantageous is when working with the entry level, simple dual action polishers like the Porter Cable style.

I have another article I'm working on called,

5.5" THIN FOAM PAD OPTIONS for your Dual Action Polisher

Note I leave out the word

SUPER

In the title of this next article. For example B&S have some thin 5.5" foam pads but they are not SUPER thin.

WRAPT C5Z06 · Jun 15, 2016

Thanks Mike, you are great!

Mike Phillips · Jun 15, 2016

More information

Here's the complete line of ThinPro 5.5" foam pads for your dual action polisher and the Lake Country matching 5" backing plate.

Pad specifice information

Here's the complete line of Griot's BOSS 5.5" foam pads for your dual action polisher and the Griot's matching 5" backing plate.

Pad specifice information

Here's the complete line of Meguiar's 5.5" foam discs for your dual action polisher and the Meguiar's matching 5" backing plate.

Pad specifice information

Desertnate · Jun 16, 2016

I have a couple questions about these pads when being used on a "basic" DA polisher:

How do these pad handle heat? Do you have to swap them out sooner than you would a thicker pad?

Do these pad become saturated faster since there is far less pad material to absorb product, or do you use a little less product?

I like the idea of the thinner pads. As my skills improve, I'm becoming much more aware of my "pad discipline" and would like to know how I'd adjust for these thinner pads.

Mike Phillips · Jun 16, 2016

Great questions, thank you for asking. Let me take a stab at them.

Desertnate said:
I have a couple questions about these pads when being used on a "basic" DA polisher:

How do these pad handle heat? Do you have to swap them out sooner than you would a thicker pad?

I'd say they handle heat the same most other foam pads handle it and that is they don't like it. NO pad like heat and for the recored clearcoat paints don't like heat.

As for swapping pads out, in a PERFECT WORLD you would use one pad per panel and on really large panels you would use two pads. By swapping out pads after each panel you won't wear out the pad and this means you'll get more use out of it overall. People that try to buff out cars using only one or two pads for each process, that is one or two pads for the compounding step and one or two pads for the polishing step, find out the hard way that not only do they wear out their pads fast but it will take them more time to do the job and as the pads become wet they don't work as well so they are less effective at the process no matter how great they may be at using a buffer.

For anyone NEW to machine polishing, (not you Desertnate), see this article and note that my recommendations in the article are MINIMUMS - Let your budget be your guide.

How many pads do I need to buff out my car?

Desertnate said:
Do these pad become saturated faster since there is far less pad material to absorb product, or do you use a little less product?

The pads will saturate at the same rate as a thick foam pad, by this I mean that the liquid in the product you're using will seep into a thin foam pad at the same rate liquid will seep into a thick foam pad. The difference is more about that with a thin foam pad there's less foam or less mass to hold liquid so they will fill up with liquid or become saturated faster. There's actually a difference between the rate liquid will penetrate into foam and the volume of liquid pads of different thicknesses will hold.

Here's the part that matters to you... because a thin foam pad has less mass and thus will not hold as much liquid, even if the pads become saturated they will still rotate and oscillate really well. That said, you should still swap out pads as often as your budge will allow because using a pad after it's fully saturated with liquid, (a normal characteristic of foam pads), will cause a heat issue since liquids or specifically, wet foam will hold heat better than dry foam.

This in my mind could be one benefit to the Griot's pads since the majority of heat created on a simple or entry level dual action polisher like I show in this article is at the CENTER of the backing plate. Remove the foam from the center of the pad and there's no contact between the foam and the backing plate. I want to say... genius! But I'm not an engineer or a chemist.

Desertnate said:
I like the idea of the thinner pads. As my skills improve, I'm becoming much more aware of my "pad discipline" and would like to know how I'd adjust for these thinner pads.

You would instantly see better pad rotation. You still have to hold the polisher in a way that the pads remain flat to the surface but overall there's much better pad rotation and oscillation.

When we removed the water spots out of the paint on this 1955 Chevy Bel Air just a few weeks ago, I found out the paint was on the hard side. In order to completely remove the water spot etchings or IMPRINT RINGS we had to use the Lake Country GRAY foam ThinPro pads. These pads are very hard and the foam is dense and sharp and it is these characteristics that make it cut like a son-of-a-gun.

Together with the McKee's Fast Compound the water etchings were completely removed.

1955 Chevy Bel Air with a $15,000.00 Custom Paint Job - How to remove water spots

Imprint Rings - Water spots that have left an etching IN the paint at the perimeter of where water pooled.