When to toss a pad?

AV8R

AV8R

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I've been using my detailing stuff more recently and tonight I found my yellow LC pad was drinking up the 105 as quick as I'd put it on. If I sprayed a little ISA and water on the pad I'd get a nice dose of compound (little runny) and could work a little more, but it soon went dry again. The pad isn't dry, but seems like maybe the foam has broken down and the compound is just soaking into the pad. So...is it time to toss this pad or am I doing something else wrong perhaps?

Is there a signal or obvious sign when it's time to toss a pad like these?

This pad has been used to do my terribly neglected F350 crew car long bed truck twice and now used on my wife's Santa Fe. It worked great for 75% of the car. I clean the pads in Simple Green/water or some dawn and water after use.

Thanks in advance
 
A very rough pad like a yellow one is bound to get more worn down than say a white polishing pad or a gold jeweling pad.

Id say if you think its not performing right, just cut it up into tire gel spreading peices :) depending on how big it is you can cut it up into 4s or in half.
 
So is soaking up product like I'm describing a common sign of a pad that needs to be replaced?

Thanks
 
BlackHawk said:
A very rough pad like a yellow one is bound to get more worn down than say a white polishing pad or a gold jeweling pad.

Id say if you think its not performing right, just cut it up into tire gel spreading peices :) depending on how big it is you can cut it up into 4s or in half.
Click to expand...

Great idea!

Sent from my SPH-M930 using AG Online
 
AV8R said:
So is soaking up product like I'm describing a common sign of a pad that needs to be replaced?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I would assume so, but ive never used a yellow pad myself so i cant say 100%. If you believe it isnt working like it used to and its hindering your ability to use it correctly, then look back to my previous comment:xyxthumbs:
 
As long as it's not shedding and spitting foam everywhere, and of course it's still doing it's job, then I'd still use it.

Speaking of shedding foam. Some may have read my tails of working with "the OG" on the black Porsche. First time I worked with that guy he handed me an el-cheapo' Harbor Freight pad to do a black Lexus 860 that was literally falling apart. I swear it was like it was freaking snowing! :eek: After working with it on the fender and door for a bit I told him I HAD TO have another pad. At that point he had me dig out a worn out orange CCS pad and use it. I remember thinking, "This guy does some seriously high priced paint restoration and uses the cheapest pads he can find." Then I found out he was using the Wal-Mart sanding towels, (oops, that's the finishing towels he uses) which I also seriously don't like using.

But getting back to your pad(s). If it's still working, and not shedding, no problem using it. If it's soaking up more product it sounds like some of the closed cells have broken open that's all. Although a saturated pad will affect how it works, so keep up with cleaning on the fly.
 
I tried the same pad on the hood of my wife's Santa Fe after I attempted to wet sand some old egg damage out of the clear (which didn't work, BTW) The first pass worked pretty well, but after that no matter how much 105 I put on the hood or the pad it just disappeared into the pad. A little water and IPA would bring the 105 back out, but I think I'll just toss this pad into the junk pile and take out a new one.

Thanks much
 
^no not the junk pile!! LoL make the pad into tire gel applicators!!!
 
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