The orange pads tend to be pretty stiff out of the package. I always prime them with a mist of QD then put 4 little lines of product, almost an X but not to the middle, then put a dab in the center. Rub those lines with your finger going clockwise and work the center into a circle. That's my priming routine. I put 3 dabs of product in a triangle, about 1/4 inch from the edges. Put the pad on the panel and make a 1ft figure 8 in the middle of your 2ft x 2ft working section. Start the machine and make a line towards the top right corner then outline the 3 corners of the 2x2ft box going counter-clockwise. Once you get back to the top right, it's your choice to start off with horizontal or vertical passes. My reasoning behind this is: 1) you set the parameter of your dedicated box without having to second guess 2) you're making the outline using material stored in the pad 3) it's a catch-22 with your passes, where you end up spreading 1/2 the initial pad material and picking up the other 1/2 of the material (in the center figure 8) at the same mid-point, thus allowing an even distribution of material within your "working box". I don't know if my technique is 100%, but it works for me! If some of the pro's want to step in and give me input, feel free to do so. I haven't discussed it before, so please critique me if my way is flawed or better put... "over thought"?
