# Machine Polishing Pads - Hard or Soft?



## Flakey (May 5, 2013)

I am new to Rotary polishing and still building up my inventory of machine polishing pads. I want to do a 3 step correction with a compound on the yellow pad, then refine with the same compound on an orange polishing pad and then finish with a finishing polish on a finishing pad. The pad color scheme is same for most brands like CG Hex Pads, Lake Country CCS Pads etc.

So I managed to get the following:

Cutting Pad - Optimum MF Cutting Pad
Another Cutting Pad - CG Hex Logic Yellow Foam Cutting Pad
Polishing Pad - Scholl Concepts Orange Foam Polishing Pad
Finishing Pad - Scholl Concepts Soft Black Finishing pad

I always thought that the harder a pad, the more it can cut so cutting pads should be hard and polishing pads should be soft. To my surprise, the Hex Yellow cutting pad is as soft as a finishing pad. On the contrary, the Scholl Orange polishing pad is very hard and coarse.

1. Is there a science behind hard & soft pads? Do hard pads cut more than soft ones? Do things like open cell structure & closed cell structure have any practical significance?

2. How do I pair the above pads with my polishes? I have Optimum Hyper Compound and Menzerna Super Finish 4500. The Car needs a complete correction as it has many swirls and scratches.


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## paul mersea (Feb 25, 2013)

i use menz polish pf2500 and menz power finish try a compound with the polish pad if you dont get the results your after ie rid of swirls then step it up to one of your cutting pads and then refine with your finishing pad always start off with the least aggressive hope this helps mate.


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## Onrcnn (Dec 14, 2012)

Some people told me that orange school pad is ideal while using S40 for extra soft paint. I found it a bit weird, any thoughts about that ?


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

Ok so firmness is only part of the story. Its fair to say that if you are using the same "set" of pads, then the the harder will more than likely be the most aggressive. But if you compare for example lake country hydrotech pads with constant pressure pads, ht pads are WAY harder. Its down to cell structure. A closed cell pad will be much firmer than open cell equivalent, but will in my opinion finish better. A crimson hydrtech pad is just about the best available imo, YES there is softer, YES there are more ppi available, but ultimately the surface is much "smoother" meaning if used properly, it will finish out better. 

Easy way to tell if open or closed is to blow through the side of it, if it is easy to blow into it, its open cell, if its difficult then its closed


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## Flakey (May 5, 2013)

Thanks Stangalang. I always thought the open cell Hex pads will finish better than Scholl close cell pads. But you are suggesting otherwise? All CG Hex pads are open cell while all Scholl pads are close cell AFAIK.


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

Flakey said:


> Thanks Stangalang. I always thought the open cell Hex pads will finish better than Scholl close cell pads. But you are suggesting otherwise? All CG Hex pads are open cell while all Scholl pads are close cell AFAIK.


No, HALF the hex pads are open, half are closed, for example white is closed, green is open, they go in order, one closed one open etc. And i don't know what scholl describe theirs as, but i would say they were actually "semi", they are firm, but i can blow through them better than a ht pad, they also feel rougher on the surface than the ht pads. Scholl polishes are compact polishes so in fairness their pads work great with the polishes. Orange pad and s40 finishes great, but crimson ht is WAAAAY finer imo


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## Demetrios72 (Jun 27, 2011)

stangalang said:


> No, HALF the hex pads are open, half are closed, for example white is closed, green is open, they go in order, one closed one open etc. And i don't know what scholl describe theirs as, but i would say they were actually "semi", they are firm, but i can blow through them better than a ht pad, they also feel rougher on the surface than the ht pads. Scholl polishes are compact polishes so in fairness their pads work great with the polishes. Orange pad and s40 finishes great, but crimson ht is WAAAAY finer imo


Good info on the CG Hex pads
Wasn't aware of that

Cheers :thumb:


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