# How to prime a foam pad when using a DA Polisher



## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

*How to prime a foam pad when using a DA Polisher*

Here are 3 ways to apply product to your pad.

*1. Priming the pad then adding product to work with*

Priming a clean, dry pad is considered the best approach for using a DA Polisher because it ensures that 100% of the working surface of the pad is wet with product and working at maximum efficiency when you turn the polisher on.

Priming the pad also ensures that you don't have any dry portion of the pad working over the paint un-lubricated. This really isn't a risk because since you're just starting out you're going to be removing defects a lot more serious than would be caused by any portion of the pad that is dry and spinning against the paint. I originally learned of this technique from my friend Kevin Brown.

Plus, after just a few passes, the product you apply to specific areas of the face of the pad will migrate over the entire face of the pad and it will do this rather quickly when you're on the higher speed settings.

*Priming the Pad - For clean, dry pads*
Start with a clean, dry pad and add some fresh product to be spread out to the face of the pad. Using your finger, spread the product out over the pad and then using your finger work it into the pores of the pad. Don't saturate the pad, just use enough product to make sure that 100% of the working face of the pad has product coverage.



















Work the product around the face of the pad and into the pores


















Any extra, take and apply to the outer edge until 100% of the working face of the pad is primed with product.









As an option you can also prime the outer edge. This helps if you're buffing around convex curves or around panels that the edge of your buffing pad may come into contact with, like spoilers, side mirror housings, curved panels etc.



















*Primed and ready to add "Working Product" to.*


















*Adding "Working Product" to the primed pad*
Some people will recommend 3 to 4 pea size drops of product as the proper amount of product to use and this can be correct for _*concentrated products*_ or working small sections and if you follow this advice make sure you are not _*under-lubricating*_ the surface being worked.

*Pea size drops of product*


















For some products and paint conditions, you may want more product on the surface working for you. Here's an example of dime size drops of product.

*Dime size drops of product*


















*How much product to use after priming*

*Ample*
You want an AMPLE amount of product when first starting out because you pad is dry and some of the product is going to seep into the pad leaving less on the surface to LUBRICATE and ABRADE the paint

*Cut down on the amount of product AFTER pad is broken-in...*
After your pad is broken in with product, clean your pad after each section pass and when you apply fresh product you can cut down on the amount of product you actually apply to the face of your pad.

*Too Little Product*
_Under-using_ product reduces lubricity and will make it more difficult for your pad to rotate efficiently.

*Too Much Product*
Using too much product will _hyper-lubricate_ or over-lubricate the pad and will interfere with the abrasives ability to abrade the paint.

Keep in mind that you want enough product on the surface so you have,


Abrasives working for you.

A lubricating _film_ between the paint and the pad.
Often times if you don't have enough product to work with you'll end up buffing to a dry buff. When you lose lubrication, _*friction increase*_ and this can lead to micro-marring or hazing.

*2. Applying a Circle Pattern of Product*

*Benefits to a Circle Pattern*
As you work around the car you'll find that _*your product will migrate to the center on it's own*_. This can lead to _*pad saturation*_ starting at the center of the pad where most of the heat is generated.

This can cause problems because wet foam will hold in heat better than dry foam and over time this can accelerate de-lamination between the hook & loop material and either the foam of the pad or the backing material on the backing plate.

Knowing this... I don't help the problem by using an X pattern as using an X-pattern means putting product onto the middle of the face of the pad.

If you're placing pea or dime sized amounts of product to the face of your pad then it's also a good idea to avoid placing the product directly in the center of the pad.

*Circle Pattern on a clean dry pad and then worked for a Section Pass*
















After working the circle of product over a section, you can see it spread the product out over the entire face of the pad without having to spread it with your finger. The pad is now equally primed with residual product.

*Cut down on product after your first section pass*
At this point you could clean your pad or add fresh product and when you add fresh product you can adjust how much product you apply.

In this example I used half a circle of product since 100% of the face of the pad is now primed from the previously applied and worked product.
















*3. Applying an X-Pattern of Product* 
Applying your product to the face of your buffing pad using an X-pattern is a fast and simple way way to get product out of the bottle and onto the pad in a measured way that's easy to teach others and a method that's easy to duplicate over and over again.

*X-Pattern on a clean dry pad and then worked for a Section Pass*
















*Cut down on product after your first section pass*
After making a thorough Section Pass. The pad is now equally primed with residual product. At this point you could clean your pad or add fresh product and when you add fresh product you can adjust how much product you apply. In this example I used half an X-Pattern, or a single strip of product since the pad is already primed.

















*Wet Buffing Technique*

*Maintain a wet film on the surface*
The key is to have enough product on the surface as you're working a section to have a _*wet film of product*_ that you can see on the surface _*behind*_ the polisher as you move the polisher over the paint.









*Options*

*Pad Conditioners* 
Another option is to use a product called a Pad Conditioner to lubricate and condition the surface of a dry pad. This will improve the buffing cycle and provide protection to the paint surface to help prevent micro-marring during the initial break in of a dry pad. This will also make cutting pads which are usually very stiff and aggressive when dry more pliable to conform to the contours of body panels.

*XMT Pad Conditioner*


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## ercapoccia (Nov 14, 2008)

Do i need to clean the pad after each section? Can i use your on the fly technique?


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## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

ercapoccia said:


> Do i need to clean the pad after each section? Can i use your on the fly technique?


Great questions!

How often you clean your pad is up to you...

In a perfect world, after buffing a single section you would wipe off any leftover residue on the paint and also clean any spent product or removed paint off the face of your buffing pad.

Some people clean their pad less often, but if you think about it... getting spent product off the face of the pad and any removed paint would enable you to buff cleaner for the next section and that's a good thing.

Cleaning your pad on the fly is all about getting most of the built-up product off the face of the pad QUICKLY so you can get back to work.

Cleaning the pad with any kind of liquid solution would kind of take the QUICKLY aspect out of the process but "yes" you can clean with cleaning products and water also, just depends upon what you're trying to do and what you have to work with.

I love pad washers and especially for cleaning wool pads when working with a rotary buffer, they just can't be beat for effectiveness.

But when working with a DA polisher I like the speed and simplicity of simply using a terry cloth towel to get most of the gunk off the face of the pad and then getting back to work.


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