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andy2485

andy2485

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Happy holiday's,

Just want thoughts on my pad routine. I generally have a pad for every polish, wax, and compound. therefore I dont need to get my pads 100% clean when done. Is this bad as long as i dont cross contaminate?

thanks!
 
andy2485 said:
Happy holiday's,

Just want thoughts on my pad routine. I generally have a pad for every polish, wax, and compound. therefore I dont need to get my pads 100% clean when done. Is this bad as long as i dont cross contaminate?

thanks!
Click to expand...

I don't follow, you use 1 pad for polishing, then 1 pad for waxing and 1 pad for compounding?

Or:

You use 1 pad for all 3 steps?


Alittle more specifics and we can get you pointed in the right direction.
 
I have 1 pad for when i use Ultimate Compound, 1 pad for my cutting compound, 1 pad for collinite, 1 pad for dodo juice, etc.
 
As a best practice, you should use multiple pads for each of the paint correction steps
 
andy2485 said:
I have 1 pad for when i use Ultimate Compound, 1 pad for my cutting compound, 1 pad for collinite, 1 pad for dodo juice, etc.
Click to expand...

You should have a few pads for polishing and a few for compounding, depending on your methods. Using 1 for applying wax/sealant is ok.

You need multiple pads for paint correction as they will get full spent product and clear coat (or paint for single stages) as you work. This is ok for a few passes, but after that they need to be cleaned (using a pad washer) or a new pad needs to be used. Mike Phillips has a video on cleaning on the fly, which helps for in between sections, but isn't used for 1 pad for a whole vehicle.

I have 8-10 pads for polishing and 8-10 pads for compounding. After a few passes, I just toss the used pad into a bucket with some apc, and clean them all at the end of the day. I also don't take on huge correction work as I don't have a paint depth gauge, yet. If your doing alot of correcting all of the time, a pad washer might be a better idea than having a ton of pads.

That's really a long story short.
 
Guys.... what he's saying is he uses a *dedicated* pad for each product he regularly uses.

IOW's....

  • For compounding he has pads that uses ONLY Meguiar's Ultimate Compound.
  • For polishing he has pads that he uses ONLY for Meguiar's Ultimate Polish
  • For applying Collinite he uses ONLY that pad
  • For applying DoDo Juice.... again.... ONLY that pad
I think it's a great practice! ;) That is if you have enough pads for the amount of products you use. I know for sealants I use dedicated pads because you can literally NEVER get them clean. For Collinite 845 you'll never get that one clean either! :eek:

I generally use the same pads for compounding, and never let those pads be used for polishing. For instance I have orange pads that I can use with heavy cut (and SMAT) compounds, but NEVER use those with light polishes, or DAT/Menzerna polishes that break down. I have different orange pads to use for those applications.

Some don't have enough pads to do that with, others will. I have over 100 pads, of just 5½" and 6½" foam LC varieties so it's not a problem. In the early years I thought I might dedicate pads for only say 105, and 205 etc. but now that I have over a dozen regular compounds and polishes (and that many more that I don't regularly use) it doesn't make sense for a totally dedicated pad. But.... I do still dedicate pads for compound, polish, sealant, wax. :xyxthumbs:
 
^^^And he`s got plenty of Microfibers to go with those pads too. Lol.

On a side note, not a bad idea as long as you have plenty of pads. Just make sure you do clean them well to increase pad life.
 
Sicktred08fsi said:
^^^And he`s got plenty of Microfibers to go with those pads too. Lol.

On a side note, not a bad idea as long as you have plenty of pads. Just make sure you do clean them well to increase pad life.
Click to expand...


:laughing: Just a few. :laughing:

The day I took this photo I had two more bins in the garage.
One bin in my car..... plus a load in the washer! :D

 
But, you'd probably want to was them as best you can. At least I do.
 
Sicktred08fsi said:
Btw, I had to get a cabinet for mine because of you Tony! Hope all is well. Back good?
Click to expand...

Heheheeeee...... :laughing:

Ahhhhh you don't wanna' know about the back. :rolleyes:
Scheduled for a arthrogram in my left SI joint next Monday. If it helps the pain they are talking about a SI joint fusion. That's three triangle shaped porous titanium pieces about ½" wide (x3) about 3" long being hammered in. They go in from the side of your a$$ with a DRILL!

Just gotta' talk Blue Cross into paying for it. Not holding my breath on that one. :(
 
andy2485 said:
Happy holiday's,

Just want thoughts on my pad routine. I generally have a pad for every polish, wax, and compound. therefore I dont need to get my pads 100% clean when done. Is this bad as long as i dont cross contaminate?

thanks!
Click to expand...


I think it's just a better idea to get your pads 100% clean and use them with whatever. While it seems like a good idea to not mix and match pads and products; the reality is - I can't see it making any difference in real life if the pads are cleaned correctly.

Look at the AG Show Car Garage. Cars come out of there almost perfect, some of the pads they use have probably seen 10+ products. Keeping one pad to one product just isn't something that pans out as a necessity. Tons of pros and amateurs have got great results mixing and reusing pads with different products.

Don't get your pads perfectly clean - that could be an issue - that we know.
 
If you don't clean your pads, the crap from the previous section might re-introduce those scratches you are trying so hard to get rid of.
 
The reason for cleaning pads is not cross contamination of other products, but dirt embedded in the paint and abraded paint that is in the pad. This will cause damage to the paint.
 
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