PC : Pads?

0

07SubbieWagon

Guest
PB's got it all but DA pads.

What do you guys recommend/prefer? Brand? Color? Place to get them at the best price? How many?

Most specifically what pads on my 07 Subaru, silver....


My intended get the paint ready for summer detail will be:

Wash
Clay
Wash
Dry
P21S Paintwork Cleanser (what PB product would be close?)
EXP (layers)
Natty's (layers)
 

BigLeegr

Token Brute and Chief Bottle Washer
Staff member
I'm not that well versed in the nuances between different companies, but Steve has mentioned that he likes Lake Country.

I will say that I like lower profile pads better than thick ones. The thicker ones seem to have too much friction/twist for the polisher so you get either just some jiggling or the pad breaks free form the plate. Much smoother operation with thin pads, in my experiences.

As to price, well, that seems to fluctuate. I tend to get them wherever I'm getting some other stuff (not much weight, so it doesn't add much to the cost). Look for companies that are having sales, I guess. I have at least 3 of each pad.

The closest to the P21S would likely be ProPolish. (Just a guess, though.)
 
D

dl07

Guest
quick question,
i have a cyclo polisher with there 4" pads,we finally had some nice weather here in the Northeast so did my wife ford escape.she a few spiral marks on the hood so i started out with the ssr 2.5.i used the orange pad but it didn't take all of the swirls out should i have used the white one instaed.
 

BigLeegr

Token Brute and Chief Bottle Washer
Staff member
Orange are more aggressive than white, so if the marks weren't removed with the orange, it's unlikely that the white would have done better. Try another pass with the orange and see if that helps. However, the orange may leave marring/hazing of their own, so if that's what you are seeing, then following with the white pads and either 2.5 or a milder polish may well help give you a better finish.

This is, of course, assuming that the marks can be removed. Some scratches are pretty deep, even if they may not initially seem so. If they are deep, it's better to just make them less noticable, as paint failure can occur if the paint gets too thin.
 
D

dl07

Guest
I was thinking about it last night,after readiing some posts i don't think i used enough product and didn't work in it long enough.is 4-5 minutes the time you need to work the product right.i'm thinking also i need to get some green pads.
 

BigLeegr

Token Brute and Chief Bottle Washer
Staff member
It would depend on how large of an area you work. The larger the area, the longer it will take to "work" the area. Most advice is to work no larger than a 2'x2' area. 4-5 min. should be long enough-possibly too long. I would recommend "experimenting" on a small area. Try the "inconspicuous" area- that seems to be the most popular area to test things on! :p
Seriously, though, see how long it takes for the product to break down/achieve the results you are looking for, then use that as a guide for the rest of the car. Make sure you overlap passes by about 1/2, so you don't get shadows or faint lines in the paint where some areas have been polished more than others.
If you use too much product, you'll gum up the pads. But, if you don't use enough you may scour the paint. Oh the variables!! :smt042
As to the green pads, I like them for 1 stepping, but I've noticed they seem to die the fastest of the pads. Maybe I just got a weak batch. :smt102
 
Top