Do you guys use wool polishing pads?

**fastfed** · 06-25-2018, 03:24 PM

As an amateur detailer, but have done a good amount of polishing work in my life, I never understood the use for these . I`m talking about these pads

Do you use them after applying a wax/sealant dry? or do you use them to remove the product after applying?

I have a bunch of these pads but never used them.

**JustJesus** · 06-25-2018, 03:31 PM

wool is typically (not always) used for compounding. Do you have any additional info on them?

**fastfed** · 06-25-2018, 03:46 PM

Yea I should have been more clear, I`m talking about the ones pictured, pretty sure those are not for cutting at all but more for finishing ? Mine are super soft and plush, maybe I`m wrong and they are all for cutting? The ones I have the description usually says they are a "finishing pad"

**ShaneB** · 06-25-2018, 09:19 PM

I would think maybe on a DA polisher wool may be able to finish nicely... but on a rotary I believe wool will pretty much always leave holograms or trails.

I have some small wool pads I use on my PE-8 when I need to do some aggressive spot correcting but that`s basically all I use them for. I always follow that up with a finishing polish though as it needs refinement after.

**richy** · 06-25-2018, 11:11 PM

I typically use the Tuff Buff black wool pads to compound. I adore them. I just tried the Buff and Shine black and white wool finishing pad...still tried it with compound and it finished down VERY well indeed.

**Stokdgs** · 06-25-2018, 11:41 PM

fastfed - Are those pads in the picture Bonnets that you put on the backing plate and tie the strings together to tighten them on ??

Wool or wool blend pads are used typically in auto body shops to quickly cut down newly painted work, and the panels surrounding it so, they will all blend in when the polishing step is done with again a wool blend pad, usually diry, because they dont clean them..

Detailers for the most part have moved away from these pads you pictured, and onto newer technology pads such as Richy mentioned above, or things like Lake Country Purple Foam Wool pads.. These particular pads will correct paint quickly with a Rotary but can leave the paint not crystal clear and glossy without a second step with say, a good foam pad, or even a microfiber pad..

No one would use one of those pads pictured to apply anything like an LSP to the paint, because it would probably sling it everywhere if one is not careful and who knows what it might do to the just corrected perfect paintwork.. Then, you have a pad full of wax or whatever, that you now have to clean up, and probably you will never get all that oily stuff out of it..

Detailers today are using a lot of microfiber and the old standby good european foam, and only the newest technology wool pads mentioned above..
Dan F

**Mary B** · 06-26-2018, 09:45 AM

Might I add the LC Force Blue foamed wool. My favorite as of now.
They are thick without having a foam interface edge in the center, that could scratch.
Are not just the fluffy muffin top of the fast cut ones, but something with substance.

**jrock645** · 06-26-2018, 10:21 AM

I’ve only used wool when needing to correct heavily messed up, very hard paint. Like a Hyundai I did once. Nothing else I threw at it really made a dent, but wool compounding via rotary leveled it all quick.

**JustJesus** · 06-26-2018, 10:50 AM

I believe the OP meant those specific wool pads pictured.

**Accumulator** · 06-26-2018, 10:54 AM

I`ve used wool via rotary/RO/Hand. Still have a mountain of wool pads. I liked `em best on the rotary (eh, just experience) and the Cyclo (it was a good way to do harsh work back in the day), sometimes used 4" ones on other ROs. Now I just use them as backing pads for MF bonnets.

The finest wool Finishing Pads can do a pretty decent job *IN THE RIGHT HANDS*. I have some *EXTREMELY* soft wool pads that some here once raved about, saying no other wool pads came close...but even the RotaryMeisters who could finish out OK with them said straight out that they would *NOT* finish as well as foam. And note that people can be mighty picky about foam Finishing Pads too, so I`d simply put the wool in the Also Ran category.

The Foamed Wool (I`ve only used the Purple ones) never quite worked as well as I`d expected. User error perhaps, but in a fraction of the time it might`ve taken to "master" them I just got the jobs done and moved on. I won`t say they`re "not Accumulator-proof", but they weren`t All That for me.

Primary benefits of wool are that it can 1) cut more than most foam, 2) can be easy to clean on the fly, 3) runs *considerably cooler* than foam and is thus safer.

**JustJesus** · 06-27-2018, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by Accumulator

The Foamed Wool (I`ve only used the Purple ones) never quite worked as well as I`d expected. User error perhaps, but in a fraction of the time it might`ve taken to "master" them I just got the jobs done and moved on. I won`t say they`re "not Accumulator-proof", but they weren`t All That for me.

Interesting timing. I just did a test spot using the THIN Purple Foamed Wool. Was using this to buff out sanding. Did okay, and much better than the Rupes UHS combo on the same panel.

I`m hoping to make time tomorrow to use the Purple Foamed Wool again tomorrow. *IF* things go well, I`ll post the results in a separate thread.

**Accumulator** · 06-28-2018, 12:08 PM

JustJesus- I gather the "thin" PFW are, well...thinner...than the ones I`ve used. Seems like Thin is In these days what with all the long-throw/forced-rotation units. Yeah, makes sense that those`d work well.

**JustJesus** · 07-02-2018, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by Accumulator

JustJesus- I gather the "thin" PFW are, well...thinner...than the ones I`ve used. Seems like Thin is In these days what with all the long-throw/forced-rotation units. Yeah, makes sense that those`d work well.

I`m not sure, but I`d guess they were developed prior to the Long Throws getting popular. The Store site lists them as being made to work with DAs such as the Porter Cable, Griot`s Random Orbital, and Meg`s G110. So a bit older (note the G110 on the list)

Originally Posted by Accumulator

The Foamed Wool (I`ve only used the Purple ones) never quite worked as well as I`d expected. User error perhaps, but in a fraction of the time it might`ve taken to "master" them I just got the jobs done and moved on. I won`t say they`re "not Accumulator-proof", but they weren`t All That for me.

I guess you can say my experience was similar. I was getting better results as I tweaked the process, but with time NOT on my side, I put that aside and eventually ended up using Meg`s MF Cut Discs. Some day, I will revisit the Purple Foamed Wool. Some day....

**Accumulator** · 07-02-2018, 12:22 PM

JustJesus- Heh heh, my days of revisiting also-rans in an effort to "master" them are long behind me, you younger guys can take over that stuff

But seriously, I`d think that pads suitable for long-throws would also work fine on the forced ones. Less deflection of (thick) foam, exact opposite of the "Green Giant" idea that had a brief moment a while back (still have at least one of those dumb things...).