DA Pad Simplicity

[ChasKSC]

Good Afternoon Mike and all!

I am preparing to detail my car for the spring. It's a Subaru Legacy in Lapis Blue/Dark Blue. It does have Mothers carnauba wax, as part of their 3 step system on it already. I am new to detailing and did everything by hand but it does have minor scratches - the type that straight on, you don't see but in the sun at an angle, you do see if you specifically look. Now I'm looking to invest in the PC8424XP.

1. I've spent a good amount of time on here researching pads. I see charts with the differences between pads, but what is the difference between the wool pads, foam pads, knitted wool pads?

2. What's the difference between the different foam pad types, i.e. CCS, HDO, Flat, Better Edge, SDO, Hydro-Tech, Cross Cut, Double Sided, Waffle Pro, and Tufted? Whew... lol.

3. Which pad type would be good with the Mother's products? I have their paste wax

4. Is the PC really much louder/vibrate more then the Griots 9?

5. The car does have a few curves and such, will the pads work for that, or just on flat surfaces?

6. Any other tips/suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks Mike & all!

 

[PaulMys]

1) Wool pads cut better than foam

2) Different applications. HDO for long stroke machines, Hydro for water-based polishes, etc. As for all the face designs, just stay with the flat pads. Waffle, CCS, and cross cut designs are all gimmicks (IMO).

3) See 2 above

4) Not by a lot. The PC is a little tank of a machine, but if you can pony up a few more bucks, I'd get the G9. It's a lot more machine for the money. But if the PC is your choice, there is certainly nothing wrong with that.

5) You will find that that you have to adjust your technique a bit on curves. Lighten up on the pressure, and/or attack angle. You will get good at this in about 2 minutes. It's nothing to worry about.

6) Just get the machine of your choice and dive in. I remember when I was in your shoes. Reading, worrying, reading some more, worrying....... Lol. About 2 minutes into your first machine polish,

you will be laughing at yourself for over-thinking it so much. The only way to damage your paint with a random orbit machine is to throw it at the car.

 

[richhinz]

I'm just a novice don't know enough about pads to give you the correct info. but on machine i have the pc 7434 and the griots 9. nothing wrong with the pc but between the too i reach for the g9 with 5 inch backing plate all the time. have put 3 inch bp on the pc.

 

[ChasKSC]

1) Wool pads cut better than foam

2) Different applications. HDO for long stroke machines, Hydro for water-based polishes, etc. As for all the face designs, just stay with the flat pads. Waffle, CCS, and cross cut designs are all gimmicks (IMO).

3) See 2 above

4) Not by a lot. The PC is a little tank of a machine, but if you can pony up a few more bucks, I'd get the G9. It's a lot more machine for the money. But if the PC is your choice, there is certainly nothing wrong with that.

5) You will find that that you have to adjust your technique a bit on curves. Lighten up on the pressure, and/or attack angle. You will get good at this in about 2 minutes. It's nothing to worry about.

6) Just get the machine of your choice and dive in. I remember when I was in your shoes. Reading, worrying, reading some more, worrying....... Lol. About 2 minutes into your first machine polish,

you will be laughing at yourself for over-thinking it so much. The only way to damage your paint with a random orbit machine is to throw it at the car.

Thanks for your response! Forgot to add,

1. What exactly is a cutting pad and how is that different then a polishing pad? Which pad would I use to apply wax?

2. Everyone seems to rave about the Lake Country pads, is there a better brand?

3. What specifically is a compound...is that a polish or a glaze or wax? For the Mothers 3 step wax system, which step would be the compound?

Thanks again

 

[PaulMys]

Thanks for your response! Forgot to add,

1. What exactly is a cutting pad and how is that different then a polishing pad? Which pad would I use to apply wax?

2. Everyone seems to rave about the Lake Country pads, is there a better brand?

3. What specifically is a compound...is that a polish or a glaze or wax? For the Mothers 3 step wax system, which step would be the compound?

Thanks again

No problem.

1) Cutting pads are made with a more aggressive foam. (If you run your fingertips over a cutting pad, and then say, a pad designed to apply wax, you will feel how much more coarse the cutting pad is).

2) LC pads are among the best in the industry, but there are other brands that are also top-notch. Buff and Shine brand is another great option. And Griot's makes excellent pads as well. Unfortunately, the color-coding across the different pad lines is not standardized.

3) A compound would be the most aggressive product to use, and it would always be the first step. But........ only if you need to use a compound. All but the most severe defects can usually be tackled without using one.

A Polish is the next step down (less aggressive), and then you have finishing polishes, glazes, etc.

 

[ChasKSC]

No problem.

1) Cutting pads are made with a more aggressive foam. (If you run your fingertips over a cutting pad, and then say, a pad designed to apply wax, you will feel how much more coarse the cutting pad is).

2) LC pads are among the best in the industry, but there are other brands that are also top-notch. Buff and Shine brand is another great option. And Griot's makes excellent pads as well. Unfortunately, the color-coding across the different pad lines is not standardized.

3) A compound would be the most aggressive product to use, and it would always be the first step. But........ only if you need to use a compound. All but the most severe defects can usually be tackled without using one.

A Polish is the next step down (less aggressive), and then you have finishing polishes, glazes, etc.

Hi again,

I'm still a bit confused as to the cutting pad. I've spent 3 hours researching on here lol.

When would I use a cutting pad, and are there different "levels/colors" of cutting pads, like the polishing pads i.e. red, black, white, etc?

You said wool cutting pads cut better then foam, when would I use which? My car has light scratches that only show in bright light at an angle. Could I damage the paint with a cutting pad and DA polisher?

Thanks again

 

[PaulMys]

Hi again,

I'm still a bit confused as to the cutting pad. I've spent 3 hours researching on here lol.

When would I use a cutting pad, and are there different "levels/colors" of cutting pads, like the polishing pads i.e. red, black, white, etc?

You said wool cutting pads cut better then foam, when would I use which? My car has light scratches that only show in bright light at an angle. Could I damage the paint with a cutting pad and DA polisher?

Thanks again

If you are familiar with sandpaper, a cutting pad would be like 80-grit. A polishing pad like 180-grit, and waxing pads like 320 or 400-grit.

As I mentioned above, each company has their own color coding, so it's not just a matter of "this color does this, that color does that" across the different pad lines.

If your paint only has the light swirls you mention, don't even worry about wool. You don't need that.

Just start with polishing pads (Lake Country White Flat Pads e.g.) and a standard Polish (Griot's Correcting Cream e.g.).

 

[MisterSnoop]

Hi again,

I'm still a bit confused as to the cutting pad. I've spent 3 hours researching on here lol.

When would I use a cutting pad, and are there different "levels/colors" of cutting pads, like the polishing pads i.e. red, black, white, etc?

You said wool cutting pads cut better then foam, when would I use which? My car has light scratches that only show in bright light at an angle. Could I damage the paint with a cutting pad and DA polisher?

Thanks again

To use Lake Country as an example, if you look at these:

Lake Country 5 1/2 x 7/8 inch Beveled Edge Foam Pads, buffing pads, Lake Country curved edge pads, polishing pads

They have 2 different cutting pads - a light cutting pad and a more aggressive cutting pad. And 3 levels of polishing pads. They all have some "cut".

 

[ChasKSC]

To use Lake Country as an example, if you look at these:

Lake Country 5 1/2 x 7/8 inch Beveled Edge Foam Pads, buffing pads, Lake Country curved edge pads, polishing pads

They have 2 different cutting pads - a light cutting pad and a more aggressive cutting pad. And 3 levels of polishing pads. They all have some "cut".

Thank you! I think that's what was confusing, as I kept reading about polishing pads and cutting pads, just wasn't sure when to use which, and which pad for the wax.

 

[fly07sti]

If I was you, I’d go with the GG6 or the G9. Lifetime warranty is priceless and they have much more power than
the PC. I’d also recommend getting a few MF pads just to have for compounding. The Rupes Mille pads are awesome on PC styled machines, especially the yellow. For most Subarus that I’ve worked on, that pad alone can cut well and finish incredible. They are also very durable. Look into getting a 3” BP as well.

 

[ChasKSC]

If I was you, I’d go with the GG6 or the G9. Lifetime warranty is priceless and they have much more power than
the PC. I’d also recommend getting a few MF pads just to have for compounding. The Rupes Mille pads are awesome on PC styled machines, especially the yellow. For most Subarus that I’ve worked on, that pad alone can cut well and finish incredible. They are also very durable. Look into getting a 3” BP as well.

Thanks for the advice! Have you ever detailed a Subaru Legacy? Isn't the Rupes Mille pads specific for the Rupes polisher, and not the PC or G9?

I'm guessing by MF pads, you mean microfiber pads? Any specific level/color you'd recommend? Lastly, why would I need a 3" BP, It seemed most folks use the 5". Would I need 3" foam pads to match? Thanks!

 

[fly07sti]

I have detailed many subarus. The 3” BP will allow you to polish around door handles, pillars, bumpers, etc. I would go with the Griots BOSS MF pads. They cut well and don’t mat down like many other MF pads. Yes those pads were developed for the Mille, but I have personally used them on a GG6 and a Rupes Duetto. I have also used them on a Rupes 15 and BOSS 21.