Finishing pads?

C

CharlesW

The Rainmaker
Other than applying a wax/sealant,what other uses do you find for a "finishing" pad?

Since I usually apply my wax/sealant by hand, I don't seem to get much use out of my finishing pads. Maybe I'm missing something.

Charles
 
They work well for applying glazes. The LC blue final finishing pad really excels with Red Machine Glaze.
 
I just use them for apply liquid LSPs. The paste LSPs will get applied by hand. I have heard other people are using the finishing pads with rotaries and a finishing polish to prevent the risk of holograms and not being too aggressive.
 
I use a finishing pad with a finishing polish. Personally, I compare polishing paint to sanding wood in my mind. So, if I can finish with the finest "grit" possible I'll get the smoothest finish. In my arsenal I can't get much finer than a finishing pad and finishing polish. IMO it adds a little gloss to the finished product.
 
About the same for me. Glazes or a final buff to gloss up an area--usually a hood/bonnet, roof, trunk, sensitive area. Seldom do I use a finishing pad on the whole car (I use Edge, so I use Blue way more than white).
 
I also sometimes use a finishing pad with a finishing polish. This method often produces a glaze-like appearance without having to resort to the heavy oils that are present in many traditional glaze products. This can be especially important if you are trying to achieve the look of a glaze in combination with a finicky sealant as a LSP (won't bond to an oily glaze).
 
In response to some of the uses/comments:

My machine use is limited to the PC only. The only time I used a rotary was not a good experience for me or the vehicle's paint. :)

I also don't use true glazes although I do have some RMG.

I have used a finishing pad to apply wax/sealant and actually prefer to do it by hand. The exception being NXT Tech Wax for friends, but I use a polishing pad with the NXT. Even on a black vehicle I had no problem with halograms.

I have always used Klasse AIO with a polishing pad, but had considered using it with a finishing pad. There again, the finish left by the polishing pad looked good to me.

One reason I'm curious is the fact that I'm thinking seriously about switching to the Edge system. Since I don't use my Velcro finishing pads, I wasn't planning to order any Edge finishing pads to also not use. :)
It seems that all I have really needed are the polishing pads so they will probably be all I order the first time around.

Thanks for all the information so far.

Charles
 
CharlesW said:
One reason I'm curious is the fact that I'm thinking seriously about switching to the Edge system. Since I don't use my Velcro finishing pads, I wasn't planning to order any Edge finishing pads to also not use. :)
It seems that all I have really needed are the polishing pads so they will probably be all I order the first time around.
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Charles - Just an FYI for you, the Edge polishing foam seems to be a little more aggressive than the Lake Country polishing foam.
 
awd330 said:
Charles - Just an FYI for you, the Edge polishing foam seems to be a little more aggressive than the Lake Country polishing foam.
Click to expand...
Thanks, (I think:D).
I guess that means I'll probably be ordering a finishing pad or two as well. :)
I happen to be using mostly Meguiar's pads. How does the Edge foam compare to the Meg's foam?

Charles
 
Charles,

IMO you can't go wrong with the Edge 6" DA kit from our sponsors. I'm referring to the kit with 5 Edge pads, the PC adapter, 2 MF towels, 2 MF bonnets, XMT Pad cleaner, and XMT pad conditioner. I don't use the bonnets, but everything else is great. The pad cleaner and pad conditioner are both very good although I find the cleaner much more useful than the conditioner. Plus, I like having all five pads including the white ultra fine finishing pad which I often use for my final polishing to give the surface as much gloss as possible.

As far as Megs pads go. I've never used the burgundy pad or the finishing pad, but I would say the yellow polishing pad is somewhere between the Edge orange and blue pads.
 
yellow cutting pads are more aggressive than Megs burgundy.

yellow cutting
Megs burgundy
orange light cut
edge green light cut/polish
finishing pads
 
I use the blue Edge pad for finishing and in some applications applying a coat of sealant. When I buff P&S Ultracoat Wax (Sealant) it leaves a very smooth, glossy finish. I'm going to pick up a white pad tomorrow to try on a vehicle Saturday.
 
So, the Edge pads: Orange with PB's #2.5, Blue with #1, maybe go over again with #1 or a finish glaze/polish and a white pad, (If i were to do a three step polish),then protection wax/sealant with blue pad?
 
awd330 said:
Charles - Just an FYI for you, the Edge polishing foam seems to be a little more aggressive than the Lake Country polishing foam.
Click to expand...
Totally agree ..if you haven't had any experience the the pads find a panel and do some practice.I find the pads to be very abbrassive as to the LC pads,so pisk your Poilshes/SMRs very carefully .02..
 
joe.p said:
Totally agree ..if you haven't had any experience the the pads find a panel and do some practice.I find the pads to be very abbrassive as to the LC pads,so pisk your Poilshes/SMRs very carefully .02..
Click to expand...
That actually didn't used to be the case with the early velcro versions of the Edge DA pads. Back then, the Edge polishing and finishing pads were less aggressive than the LCs. Now, the opposite is true.
 
When I first began practicing with a rotory, the pad system I bought with it was the edge system. I bought 2 polishing pads and one finishing pad thinking thats all I would need to practice and start..

After hours and hours of practicing with different techniques, products, speeds, I never understood why I would get such heavy holograms and buffer trails. I even almsot gave up on it and wanted to go back to the PC. Gregcavi recommmended I look more into the pads Im using. Never did it occur to me to test both pads, and soon enough I realised that the edge pads were WAY more aggresive than they should have been and the finshing pad acted more like a polishing pad...

Im back to LC now.
 
joyriide1113 said:
When I first began practicing with a rotory, the pad system I bought with it was the edge system. I bought 2 polishing pads and one finishing pad thinking thats all I would need to practice and start..

After hours and hours of practicing with different techniques, products, speeds, I never understood why I would get such heavy holograms and buffer trails. I even almsot gave up on it and wanted to go back to the PC. Gregcavi recommmended I look more into the pads Im using. Never did it occur to me to test both pads, and soon enough I realised that the edge pads were WAY more aggresive than they should have been and the finshing pad acted more like a polishing pad...

Im back to LC now.
Click to expand...

Yep, I've seen the same thing Joy.
 
Sure glad that this topic came up. After reading so much about the edge pads I was going to try them but now I think I will stay with my LC pads. I have all of their pads and I have used the Black pad with Menzerna FPII with excellent results with my PC.
 
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