Variable Contact Foam Pads

[RAG]

I love these pads (6.5" Lake Country VC pads), particularly with a rotary - I can crank up the RPMs to over 2500 and basically never get splatter. http://www.properautocare.com/hi612infopaa.html



However, I have not had much luck with "curved edge" (aka "Advanced") version of these pads. These are basically just the old-school style pads with a pocket in the middle as seen here:

http://www.lakecountrymfg.com/foamvar_feat.html



Am I missing something (other than my marbles)? The problem I have with these pads is that when you hold them flat (as you're supposed to) the edges are not in contact with the paint surface, leaving room for product to escape. The only way I've been able to avoid splatter with this style pad is to either keep the RPMs really low, or use very very little product and make sure even less products gets on the outer portion of the pad...basically resulting in dry buffing. Or I can keep the pan "on edge" but this leaves noticably greater buffer swirrels.

 

[MichaelM]

If you're getting splatter when you're picking up product off the paint you need to tilt the buffer so that the 9 o'clock edge is up a bit with the 3 o'clock portion on the car and lay it flat once the pad covers the bead.



If you're getting splatter just while buffing either your pad is too wet or there is too much product in the pad.