# How do you prime a pad?



## Karls (Apr 12, 2009)

As per the title, can someone advise how to prime a new pad prior to use please? Thanks in advance. :thumb:


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## james_death (Aug 9, 2010)

Some wash the pad first time out, then primed with a QD some just water some rub in some of whatever product your going to be working with.


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

i prime my pad with the product.. put an x on the pad, polish the area your starting with, most of the polish will absorb into the pad, this is priming it, 
then just 2-3 pea sized dots per panel


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## Dream Machines (Mar 13, 2006)

Black Baron spritz, two 10 cent piece drops of Product onto the 9 o clock and 3 o clock positions on the pad. Rub in thoroughly
If I'm working with sticky paint, doing orange peel removal or wool, I add a couple tiny drops of Parrafin Oil for extra lubricity and working time

When using 80 to 100 ppi foam pads or orange Lake country pads, I soak in boiling water before use


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

A lot seems to be getting made of this pad priming lark, with specialist pad primes being developed as well it seems! In fairness, all you need to do (in my experience) is a quick spritz with some water and wipe off the excess so the pad is damp and then a line of polish on the pad at the start rather than two little pea sized dots. Job done. And I find water is perfectly suitable for any of the polishes that I have used or paints that I have experience with.

If you want to be a bit fussier, spritz of water on the pad, machine on low speed on a clean area of paint or glass depending on the pad and work the water into the pad with the machine on (with no pressure).


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## BAXRY (Aug 11, 2009)

Dream Machines said:


> I add a couple tiny drops of Parrafin Oil for extra lubricity and working time


Isn't Parrafin flammable 

There is two ways to do it and people have already said both but there is no right or wrong way to do it weather you prime with polish like Craig or you damp it with QD or water.

The thing I tend to find though is if I prime with just water it will dry up quicker than if I primed with polish or QD requiring me to spray a little more to keep it lubed while working.


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

I prefer a slightly damp pad rather than priming.

Dunk it in a bucket of warm water, squidge it in the bucket to break it in a bit, wring out then spin on the machine at full speed for a few minutes.

Result, one nicely just damp pad, and just damp enough so it does not splatter and suck in all the polish.

We all have our ways and this is just mine.


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## HornetSting (May 26, 2010)

Mirror Finish said:


> I prefer a slightly damp pad rather than priming.
> 
> Dunk it in a bucket of warm water, squidge it in the bucket to break it in a bit, wring out then spin on the machine at full speed for a few minutes.
> 
> ...


I was impressed with this method, and it worked when I tried it at Steve's.


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## Dream Machines (Mar 13, 2006)

BAXRY said:


> Isn't Parrafin flammable
> 
> There is two ways to do it and people have already said both but there is no right or wrong way to do it weather you prime with polish like Craig or you damp it with QD or water.
> 
> The thing I tend to find though is if I prime with just water it will dry up quicker than if I primed with polish or QD requiring me to spray a little more to keep it lubed while working.


Water is not a good lubricant and the black baron is there to prevent any dusting with any polish, extend the working time and also make it impossible for foam pads to marr the finish if you begin dry buffing

So I have to disagree with Dave.

Also, Quick detailers may contain protective agents which may affect the polishes performance as well as the surface tension of the paint
the last thing we want as pro's is to use anything product that has protective properties, even just QD strength, during our machine polishing.

Many body shop old timers still buff with dry pads or use water to prime the pad and I've seen far too often the poor results that brings compared to black baron

With 99% of the polishes on the market, you shouldn't rely on the lubrication they provide as most contain harsh solvents which dries paint out even more and hides the results your really getting a little and dont provide the ease of use we all demand, thus the IPA wipedowns many do, which I dont have too

Pad priming is not a fad and wont ever go away and it makes machine polishing much better and easier for the beginners all the way to the pros and masters. 
we now have burn proof polishes and pad priming makes pad burn almost impossible, pads cant marr the finish as your not dry buffing

I'm sure in the near future, the way I prime may change and may even become obsolete with what we and our associate in Los Angeles are working on.

Credit goes to member DSMS as some of my technique comes from him. Thank you.


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## TOGWT (Oct 26, 2005)

*Priming / Seasoning Pads*

The main reason for priming a pad is to ensure that the accumulated mass of the polish / compound is on the upper surface or face of the pad. By ensuring the pad doesn't become saturated it allows the in-built cushioning effect and the pads designed foam qualities i.e. density (or rebound), compression ('hardness or stiffness) and without altering its in-built air-flow, which will decrease its heat dissipating abilities, causing it to transfer more kinetic friction heat to the surface

Polishes and compounds appear to work better when the foam pad is 'primed' some things to note about pad priming: the cutting ability is increased, a better finish is obtained, it reduces any product 'flashing' problems, it produces a more even finish and the polishing machine is less likely to hop.

Dampen the pad thoroughly (do not over wet) as this will aid in compound/polish dispersion. You could also wet the foam and press in a folded towel, do not wring the foam as this could weaken the Velcro® backing. When the pad is dampened properly it becomes flexible and much easier to use, this also helps the pad to absorb polish (capillary action) efficiently.

Dampened foam will be less brittle and therefore less likely to tear or shred.

Spread the polish / compound over the pad evenly and ensure it is absorbed into the foam, then spread that polish onto the pad by hand until it becomes 75 % saturated. After polishing for a minute or two the pad will become more evenly saturated spraying water onto the surface to induce capillary action to draw more abrasives to the surface of the pad for more cut. Once the pad has been seasoned (pad is saturated with product) you can reduce the amount of polish / compound applied to the pad for subsequent passes; dependent upon what you're trying to accomplish.

Once the pad is primed it helps by spreading the abrasives uniformly and by keeping the pad flat thus ensuring constant paint / polish contact it becomes similar to a piece of wet-sanding finishing paper, the oils in the polish provide the lubrication (like the water does in wet-sanding)


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## ercapoccia (Nov 14, 2008)

TOGWT said:


> *Priming / Seasoning Pads*
> 
> The main reason for priming a pad is to ensure that the accumulated mass of the polish / compound is on the upper surface or face of the pad. By ensuring the pad doesn't become saturated it allows the in-built cushioning effect and the pads designed foam qualities i.e. density (or rebound), compression ('hardness or stiffness) and without altering its in-built air-flow, which will decrease its heat dissipating abilities, causing it to transfer more kinetic friction heat to the surface
> 
> ...


Does it depends on the combo polish/pad? If i have an oil based polish like 3M or a water based polish like P1 would be the same?


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## TOGWT (Oct 26, 2005)

I've always primed my pads regardless of the type of polish


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