# Idiots guide to polishing pads?



## DampDog (Apr 16, 2011)

Well I can supply the idiot if you peeps can supply the guide.

OK, so I finally bit the bullet and splurged on a DA after literally years of dithering and faffing. I bought a kit, so machine comes with X2-Scholl Concepts Purple Foam pads and Scholl S20.

Machine is due to arrive Monday. So here we are at the "all the gear no idea" phase (well some of the gear). I have started to look at alternative pads. Softer because I'm a scaredy-cat. Do pads have a numbering system so you can gauge how hard they are and the various cuts across different ranges? Also do they stick to the same colouring "scheme" across different manufacturers or do they all go their own way?


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## AndyN01 (Feb 16, 2016)

Good for you in going for it :buffer: :thumb: .

The not so good bit is that AFAIK every pad company has a different way of identifying which pads do what. :wall: Some are quite similar in, say, colour but do different things in terms of correction :wall::wall::wall:.

Keeping to my avatar I like Scholl spider pads 'cus there's only a relatively few to pick from which cuts down the variables - particularly important IMHO when you're starting out as you'll have more that enough to keep your mind busy without having loads of different pads from the same manufacturer to consider.

So, my suggestion is to get some (more) Scholl spider pads. Not surprisingly they work very well with Scholl polishes .

The NEO is "softer" i.e. less cut in the pad itself; which would, I think, be a very useful addition.

And very sensible to go for the least aggressive options. Not enough cut is way easier to deal with than too much .

Hope that helps.

All the best.

Andy.

https://www.schollconcepts.com/en/products/pad-technology


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## Titanium Htail (Mar 24, 2012)

A rough colouring scheme yet with so many brands and ranges the cutting pad colour has independence with some. Check out #junkman2000 online, or even Jim @Whitedetails.

TED11 is online as “The devil is in the Detail", Ted Whitehall he shows tools pads and associated polish, he works with Menzerna which makes the whole process far more simple. 

Key is a test section, to see how many passes or sets you need. Mike Philips from AutoGeek 101 suggest 10 passes in a set. Prime the pad if you wish with QD, 3drops of product and spread in on the pad. Slow and steady, a tape line will show if the products has cut with removal of some swirls. Just watch every edge of the panel, as this is where the paint is thinner. 

So 50% overlapping pass so every areas is machined, a medium to slower pace, good luck buddy.

John Tht.


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## Titanium Htail (Mar 24, 2012)

Junkman2000






John Tht


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## Titanium Htail (Mar 24, 2012)

Ted Whitehall

Ted11 on DW.






John Tht.


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## Titanium Htail (Mar 24, 2012)

08:47 Speed and Pace from TED.


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## noorth (Jul 10, 2019)

I'm a detailing baby with 2 DA's and a mini rotary. I would recommend buying 3-6 medium pads with your S20 polish and maybe 1-2 microfibers and a few finishing pads. You will have lots of pads to learn how to polish. If you like this you will not regret buying lots of pads. 

Don't fear paint correction, its way over blown IMO. Its nothing to be scared about thats for sure. Its bit of a joke really how some people put the fear of god into newbies frankly. Its a car. Some detailers treat everyday cars like your working on lambo or something.

Get some different pads and some good towels to remove your polish. Its fun.


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## DampDog (Apr 16, 2011)

Titanium Htail said:


> 08:47 Speed and Pace from TED.


Cheers I'll work my way through those. I've been watching the Forensic Detailing chap. I quite like him, easy to follow and most of what he says appears to make sense.

@noorth + AndyN01 :wave:

The DA Kit comes with X2 Scholl Concepts Purple Foam pads (not the spider pads) My gut feeling is I need something softer??
Sticking with the Scholl pads, for no other reason than that is what I've started with, I was thinking of picking up an Orange (Finishing) and possibly?? a Scholl Black SOFTouch Waffle Polishing Pad (I think that is as soft as Scholl go.)

I've already spent up to my self imposed max spend. So I am now keen not to go Bat****-crazy just buying stuff.

That said I do need some additional supplies... I'm probably going to order up some 99% IPA and deionized water and mix up some home-brewed panel wipe. (15-20% IPA, 78% H2O, 2% APC.) Also any recommendations for cheap decent quality Microfibers are welcome.

However so-far, so-good. Only had time to fire up the DA for 30 seconds but the build quality and feel has exceeded my expectations. Also comes with a bag which I had not noticed which is a win.


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## noorth (Jul 10, 2019)

I never used scholl's pads before but i'm sure they are top shelf. The spider pads do seem to get high praise but i haven't used of one of them either lol 3D as spider pads too.

Yeah i would pick up a few extra orange scholls pad. If your doing this for yourself i don't think you have to bother with a super soft black pad.

What machine do you have?


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## macmaw (Mar 5, 2007)

Titanium Htail said:


> A rough colouring scheme yet with so many brands and ranges the cutting pad colour has independence with some. Check out #junkman2000 online, or even Jim @Whitedetails.
> 
> TED11 is online as "The devil is in the Detail", Ted Whitehall he shows tools pads and associated polish, he works with Menzerna which makes the whole process far more simple.
> 
> ...


10 passes in a set??


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## macmaw (Mar 5, 2007)

Rupes have a very simple, easy to follow system, where pads and polishes match, however you can mix it up once you gain experience. 
One of the best systems out there for efficiency, one pass per set in most cases, due to their extensive R&D. 
There are so many variables, whether or not you are using a constant cut, or diminishing abrasive, whether it’s an oily or dusty polish. 
Lots to learn. 
Also, have a look at Lake Country Pads, very good guides on their SDO, UDO & HDO pads with the differences explained well.


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## Rappy (Oct 2, 2020)

macmaw said:


> Rupes have a very simple, easy to follow system, where pads and polishes match, however you can mix it up once you gain experience.
> One of the best systems out there for efficiency, one pass per set in most cases, due to their extensive R&D.
> There are so many variables, whether or not you are using a constant cut, or diminishing abrasive, whether it's an oily or dusty polish.
> Lots to learn.


Again, agree with Macmaw :thumb:

The Rupes system is fantastic!!.

My go to polishing system & I can't see that changing anytime soon.


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## Rappy (Oct 2, 2020)

Titanium Htail said:


> A rough colouring scheme yet with so many brands and ranges the cutting pad colour has independence with some. Check out #junkman2000 online, or even Jim @Whitedetails.
> 
> TED11 is online as "The devil is in the Detail", Ted Whitehall he shows tools pads and associated polish, he works with Menzerna which makes the whole process far more simple.
> 
> ...





macmaw said:


> 10 passes in a set??


Guessing John means 10 section passes/ 5 polishing sets :thumb:


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

Stick with Scholl, class leading pads and compounds. You've dipped your toe in so grab the neo honey and white spider pads (along with purple) and you have a foam system capable of tackling most defects across all paint types.

Rupes pads are pretty good I have a couple of the latest yellow and white ones but the biggest let down is their compound range. There isn't one product I'd reach for over Scholl or even Zvizzer. Everyone will have opinions, have a look on YouTube and you'll see many other professionals have compared them and what they think. 

Scholl pads are just so clever, so much going for them and crazy durable, for regular users like me the price difference is easily worth it.

My biggest problem when I was starting out was jumping between brands trying to find the 'best' and not taking the time to learn the system. You can get comparable results by properly learning any polishing system but there are huge differences to be gained in efficiency, margin for error, clean working etc. 

Sent from my LYA-L09 using Tapatalk


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## macmaw (Mar 5, 2007)

I think some folks just misunderstand the Rupes system and I certainly did before being trained on it. 
Forgetting the Uno range, let’s take just the blue DA Coarse and yellow DA Fine. 
There are three different types of pad designed for each, so that opens up six different possible finishes straight away, and like I say, you can mix it up even more if you want, DA Coarse works very well with yellow wool for example so the list goes on. 
Others will offer more compounds but you don’t really need too many. 
The main thing for me is the R&D Rupes have put into their system, and the fact that in most cases you can “one step” and get brilliant results, add to that the fact that you only need one pass in most cases, less time polishing. 
It’s designed for one pass, if you need more then either step up a pad or polish, or do more sets, cleaning the pad after every set. 
A clean pad and short cycling gives very impressive results.


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## JU5T1N (Dec 7, 2019)

Theres no standard across the different manufacturers what one manufacturer might consider a heavy polishing pad another might consider a finishing pad.
Pads are ultimately a trade off of cut vs finish its a case of finding a pad that has the right balance for what you want to do on your paint.


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## noorth (Jul 10, 2019)

atbalfour said:


> Stick with Scholl, class leading pads and compounds. You've dipped your toe in so grab the neo honey and white spider pads (along with purple) and you have a foam system capable of tackling most defects across all paint types.
> 
> Rupes pads are pretty good I have a couple of the latest yellow and white ones but the biggest let down is their compound range. There isn't one product I'd reach for over Scholl or even Zvizzer. Everyone will have opinions, have a look on YouTube and you'll see many other professionals have compared them and what they think.
> 
> ...


Have you tried the S2 Black yet Adam? Always was keen on that product, i wish it came in 250ml here in Canada. Its expensive for 500ml. The ninja pads look great too, so cool looking.

It doesn't seem like scholls does a lot of marketing in North America, i can only get S2 Black from one site here in Canada that i know of. Unlike koch chemie the last year or 2.

Brad


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

Hey Brad, generally use very little heavy cut compound as S20 is very capable in itself combined with a cutting pad and it's safer to sand out deeper scratches or imperfections. To remove more course sanding marks I have always had some Koch Chemie H9 (which I've been trying to use up) and have recently been testing CarPro UltraCut which is a super product - would go as far as to say you could use it as a one-step on a trashed car with hard paint.

Honestly could have gone for either UltraCut or S2 on the strength of the advice and reviews but it isn't available in <500ml which I just wouldn't get through quick enough.


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## noorth (Jul 10, 2019)

I heard some good things about carpro's ultracut actually from my distributor, they sell nearly all the top brands. Using it on a medium foam pad it can finish out on some paints he said to me. 

Seems to me high gloss 1 step compounds with the right pad is becoming a trend.

Thanks, i might pickup S20 or S2 black sometime. I love my compounds/polishes. :buffer:


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## Taxboy (Aug 23, 2006)

Interesting thread for an intending DA user. From what I can tell from the advice given, is the best way to start be to choose a major manufacturer be it Scholl, Hex Logic, Rupes, Lake etc ? Try a selection from their range rather than trying to mix and match initially to get a feel for how they perform.

I'm looking at doing a single stage first and have decided on Sonax 04-06 as it seems to get universally good reviews without suffering too many negatives. Will probably start with either Hex or Lake due to the range and ease of availability

Sent from my moto g(7) plus using Tapatalk


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## noorth (Jul 10, 2019)

Taxboy said:


> Interesting thread for an intending DA user. From what I can tell from the advice given, is the best way to start be to choose a major manufacturer be it Scholl, Hex Logic, Rupes, Lake etc ? Try a selection from their range rather than trying to mix and match initially to get a feel for how they perform.
> 
> I'm looking at doing a single stage first and have decided on Sonax 04-06 as it seems to get universally good reviews without suffering too many negatives. Will probably start with either Hex or Lake due to the range and ease of availability
> 
> Sent from my moto g(7) plus using Tapatalk


I really like my lake country SDO orange frankly. So much so i ordered the heavy blue SDO pad. If i can't 1 step and get the results i want from them pads i have a uro-fiber from buff and shine.

Its a simple line up. As per Lake Countries charts.

The orange SDO 6/10 cut and 9/10 finish. In an older autogeek video i watched over the weekend with David Patterson(might be misspelled) - now with Oberk - he stated all the cars leaving his shop at the time the Orange SDO was the polishing pad they used.

The blue SDO as a 8/10 cut and 8/10 finish. I will be trying it with Nv precision compound in a few days on my bonnet. I have other compounds/polishes to use if i want. 3D One and sonax cutmax. With a few finishing polishes.

Many great pads out there, i have some of the DA rupes pad too they work just as well. I just prefer the SDO because they compress a bit more.

A lot of high praise in some circles of the yellow wool pad from rupes for instance. But they usually recommend compressed air to clean out fiber pads.


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

Taxboy said:


> Interesting thread for an intending DA user. From what I can tell from the advice given, is the best way to start be to choose a major manufacturer be it Scholl, Hex Logic, Rupes, Lake etc ? Try a selection from their range rather than trying to mix and match initially to get a feel for how they perform.
> 
> I'm looking at doing a single stage first and have decided on Sonax 04-06 as it seems to get universally good reviews without suffering too many negatives. Will probably start with either Hex or Lake due to the range and ease of availability
> 
> Sent from my moto g(7) plus using Tapatalk


That would certainly be my advice as you can inadvertently be matching products with completely different technologies, requiring different techniques, work times sometimes even pads or machines! I was trained on the Zvizzer system which is not dissimilar to Scholl, I learnt that even their Heavy Cut compound could be used to great effect on their Orange (medium) or Yellow (fine) pads. Pads are the main variable and it is for this reason that I would always recommend starting out with compounds and pads from the same manufacturer.

In reality as you progress and gain more experience there are so many other levers you can pull with any one combo. If things just aren't going 'right' it can be really difficult to pinpoint what lever is causing the issue if you don't take the time to understand the pad and compound first and foremost, and the quickest and most sure-fire way to do that is time and practice within one range.

As mentioned if using two different polishing systems exactly as designed you aren't going to get massively different end results.. even some of the usability differences are slight (Scholl vs. Koch & Zvizzer). I would have no hesitation in recommending any of them, but Scholl suits my needs best.

Pick one which is widely used so that you'll have plenty of support and reading material, do some research into the characteristics of the various ranges and mention of dust, short working times, tricky wipe offs etc.

Not to put you off but I really didn't like EX 04-06, admittedly I used it with Scholl and Zvizzer pads. I read the same positive reviews as you before trying it.


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## noorth (Jul 10, 2019)

There are a number of great systems these days like Adam said. If i were to pick one it would probably be oberk. Its the simplest out of the bunch IMO. 2 liquids and only 3 different pads.

Oberk's compound actually won product of the year at detailing show in the southern states in the spring i believe it was. Lots of the leading companies where there. So its no joke.

But seems i'm not really into it personally and i'm not prepared to throw all my pads and liquids in the trash. But if i was just starting out and knew what i know now i might of went with one of them. I kinda got wrapped up in 1 steps at first.


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## Taxboy (Aug 23, 2006)

atbalfour said:


> That would certainly be my advice as you can inadvertently be matching products with completely different technologies, requiring different techniques, work times sometimes even pads or machines! I was trained on the Zvizzer system which is not dissimilar to Scholl, I learnt that even their Heavy Cut compound could be used to great effect on their Orange (medium) or Yellow (fine) pads. Pads are the main variable and it is for this reason that I would always recommend starting out with compounds and pads from the same manufacturer.
> 
> In reality as you progress and gain more experience there are so many other levers you can pull with any one combo. If things just aren't going 'right' it can be really difficult to pinpoint what lever is causing the issue if you don't take the time to understand the pad and compound first and foremost, and the quickest and most sure-fire way to do that is time and practice within one range.
> 
> ...


Thanks for that. Could you say what you disliked about the Sonax and recommend something suitable as a single stage for a newbie

Sent from my moto g(7) plus using Tapatalk


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## noorth (Jul 10, 2019)

I can answer that for you.  Scholls S20, which does have a great reputation.

I have never used it. Its not readily available in canada. The site i would have to buy it from charges ridiculous shipping fees.


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

There's a few pad guides about which may help, CG Hex Logic for example -


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

^^^ Too many pad variants for me. You'd need to spend a small fortune to cover the whole range with enough pads to work cleanly without losing performance or time. Then factor in 3 inch, 2 inch and 1 inch pads!!! 

That's the trouble with some of these gimmicky ranges like Chemical Guys... they have about 50 different QDs which all do the same thing. Give me straightforward, no BS any day.


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

Taxboy said:


> Thanks for that. Could you say what you disliked about the Sonax and recommend something suitable as a single stage for a newbie
> 
> Sent from my moto g(7) plus using Tapatalk


Perfect Finish is excellent and generally well regarded but I and many others have found that it can ball up - I haven't seen the little balls of polish do any harm but it's been enough to put me off. In comparison Scholl S20 is for me a better rounded product with slightly more cut and equally good finish.

Ex04-06 has nowhere near as easy a wipe off as either of the above, seemed to work really well on certain paints but just not across the board. Dries out very easily, nowhere near versatile enough for my needs but again you do hear of people using that with good results and no issues (hence why I had to try it myself).

I will caveat the above by saying that I have only used 200ish ml of each product which does not equate to a lot of polishing time. I won't be replacing either but YMMV.


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## noorth (Jul 10, 2019)

atbalfour said:


> ^^^ Too many pad variants for me. You'd need to spend a small fortune to cover the whole range with enough pads to work cleanly without losing performance or time. Then factor in 3 inch, 2 inch and 1 inch pads!!!
> 
> That's the trouble with some of these gimmicky ranges like Chemical Guys... they have about 50 different QDs which all do the same thing. Give me straightforward, no BS any day.


haha yeah way too many pads.

You only need 2-3 foam pads and some wool and/or microfiber pads for the complete range of machine polishing car paint.


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