Here's an old 2-door Plymouth I buffed out using the Griot's 6" Random Orbital Polisher.
Not how many pads I show for this project.
How to use Griot's Garage to detail your car - A detail job Richard Griot would be proud of!
Now granted - this was a multiple-step or "Show Car Detail", not a one-step detail, but the BIG PICTURE is,
More pads are better
When doing a one-step process, in my detailing classes I teach this as,
Production Detailing
Although you can get show car results when doing production detailing. And the thing is this, each time you apply some product to the face of your buffing pad then place the face of the pad against the paint, some of the product
GOES INTO THE PAD.
The
VIOLENT action of the tool, plus time, plus downward pressure also fills the pad with the product you're using.
After a panel - that pad is going to be
WET or saturated with product and it's going to make the foam SOFT.
So a polishing pad becomes a finishing pad and this means it will take you LONGER to remove swirls and scratches.
The remedy is to switch out to a clean,
DRY pad often.
For most 2-door cars, using a simple one-step cleaner/wax like the BLACKFIRE One Step, I would want at least 6 pads for my major tool, in your case your major tool is the Griot's Garage 6" Random Orbital Polisher.
Look how many pads I used on the Chevelle when I buffed it out with the Griot's 6" DA and BF One Step. I count 8 pads.
Look how I went absolute NUTZ when I buffed out the old 2-door Chevy,
Review: 3D Paint Coating and 3D One Cutting Compound and Finishing Polish
There's a balance somewhere between these two write-ups I shared but one thing for sure, you cannot do a proper machine polishing process with only 1, 2 or 3 pads. 4 pads will be pushing it.
Hope this helps? I think I have an article on this topic somewhere?
