Just ordered my new Flex!!

Tom said:
Your posts have been very helpful, thank you.
With regard to rotary machines, do the various foam pads make it alot more difficult to damage the paint, or do they offer an opportunity for a different type of damage?

If you were going to buy a d/a, orbital, machine (again) would it be the Flex or Makita BO? I generally have a great deal of confidence in German products though honesty there have been times when I was convinced they were trying to get even with us for remodeling their Country, twice.

Having said that, I will only buy German combustion analyzers-and we have a BMW motorcycle.
Click to expand...

Foam pads and fiber pads each have unique advantages, although to really answer which is is more dangerous, we have to define dangerous. In general polishing with a machine represents two specific dangers to the paint: Excessive Paint Removal (too much of the paint's film build is removed resulting in the thinning the paint or in worst cases completely removing the paint) or Paint Burn (over heating the paint by a dramatic increase in temperature).

Paint removal is a factor determined by a multitude of factors: The amount of cut the polish has (the lubricants and the abrasives), the amount of cut the pad itself has (composition and size), the type of machine used (rotary, high throw dual-action, low throw dual-action, forced rotation, orbital), the aggressiveness of the operation of the machine (pressure, speed), the paint itself (how it responds to particular polishes and pads and the combination of the above factors), and the skill level of the person who ties this together.

Wool pads come in various cuts, similar to foam pads.
4 ply twisted wool pads are going to be about the strongest pads available and will remove a lot of paint per revolution, all the way down the very low cut lambs wool pads that some shops still use for finishing. In between there are various blends of acrylic and natural wools.

In general the more aggressive wool pads are going to be more aggressive the more aggressive foam pads. This does increase the risk of excessive paint removal when used by a novice polisher. By the same token these pads are sometimes necessary for a professional to remove deeper scratches, sanding marks, and water etching.

Paint burn is caused by an excessive heating of the paint's temperature, causing physical damage to the paint's substrate. Foam pads, as a function of having less air flow and more surface contact area, generally produce a greater rise in temperature. Particularly aggressiveness foam pads such as Lake Country's Yellow pad can really get a lot of heat into the paint quickly. So aggressive foams increase the risk of paint burn vs. a wool pad when used aggressively.

Given each types trade offs, it is best for novice enthusiast (regardless of the type of machine used) to always polish with in their limits. Aggressive polishing increases the risk of paint heat buildup or excessive removal. CMA recommends always using the least aggressive method to get the job done. For a novice with a rotary polisher I would recommend Lake Country's Purple Foamed Wool pads for aggressive polishing (this is a lighter cut wool pad that keeps the paint cool, but has enough power to handle most problems) and for medium polishing using a Lake Country White Foam pad (the new Kompressor Pads in white are amazing) because it runs very cool. Final polishing is best done with a Black Lake Country pad.
 
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