Adjust cut/agressivness with pad or polish?

[gofastman]

If you need more or less cut do you start by changing one to get sort of a fine tuning effect rather then changing both at once? using a rotary BTW.

[GoudyL]

I'd let the chemicals do the work...

[sellncars]

The pad has to account for alot of it + the compound. This must be a trick question?

[Jason M]

I prefer to adjust my polishing liquid rather than my pad in a given set. For example, I'll try SOLO first and then 105 on a polishing pad before I'll move to a cutting pad and try SOLO and then 105 before moving to wool, etc.

Some common sense comes into play also. Like starting with a finishing polish on wool doesn't make much sense for example.

[SCoach]

Originally Posted by sellncars

The pad has to account for alot of it + the compound. This must be a trick question?

Maybe, maybe not. There's a good thread going around right now that speaks to this and it makes a lot of sense.

If we look at the common pad densities we can move to a neutral ground. Let's say:

YLW/ORN/WHI/GRN/BLK/RED

If we look at using the White pad as "neutral" then ALL products used on white will get some help from the pad in terms of polishing. So we don't get a true idea of what the polish will do. If we move to a no-cut pad like the Black, then we let the polish do all the work on it's own.

The thing is, if the pad is doing some cutting, then we can never get the polish to finish down to it's ability, because the pad is also in the mix. How would M205 for instance, finish down if we used a black pad instead of the normal white pad?

I think if we are going to look at truly compounding and looking for a strong cut, then using something like M105 on an orange pad makes a lot of sense. If fine polishing is still needed, then moving to something like 205 on a white pad also makes sense. But if very little swirling is left, and we are simply trying to get the second step to truly finish out, then moving to a black pad begins to make more sense.

Honestly, I am going to be testing this out a lot more in the future. Using a no-cut pad, or nearly no-cut pad to finish out with in step 2. Should allow the product to be worked longer, jeweled out better, and provide a better finish. In theory anyway. Additionally, it simplifies the pad purchasing. A set of pads for compounding (wool or PFW and Orange) and then a bunch of no-cut pads. You simply break out the level of abrasive suitable for the job, and go to work.

It does mean that you might be using more abrasive compounds than you are used to, but I can imagine finishing out with 205 or IP without having to do a third step before LSP could be most welcome. It should also eliminate micro-marring and holograming seen when using more aggressive pads.

Just an alternate school of thought that seems to hold some promise.

[scary bill]

I move to a more aggressive compound before changing pads. Aggressive pads will leave more marring behind vs. using a compound on a polishing pad may finish nice. Why create more work?

[eyecandy]

Not to jack the thread, but it sounds as though you want the compound/polish to do the work rather than the pad. And if I gather this right having the compound do the work would give a better finish, even it it means a second application?

How do the pads last in comparison, using a softer pad with the compound/polish doing the work versus the same scenario with a harder pad?

[Accumulator]

I think of the pads as *facilitating* the work of the product or conversely, in some cases limiting it.