For the most part the term refers to machine polishing pads - the most common being foam pads used for paint correction and refinement - but it can of course also include foam and microfibre pads and applicators used for hand polishing, glazing and spot defect removal. Some pads - like our Revitalise Spot Pads can even be used for both hand or machine polishing.
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For the most part here though, we'll be looking at finding the correct machine polishing pads for the job, but it's always worth remembering that hand polishing pads and applicators (which are usually constructed from the same materials), work in exactly the same way, just at a much slower pace.
On the face of it there are many, many different types of polishing pad, but these can be quickly broken down into categories according to their size and materials used. In detailing circles at least there are three types of pad available - foam, microfibre and wool. The latter two are aggressive and used chiefly for heavy cutting and spot defect removal, while foam pads are available as different types to tackle everything from cutting to refining and finishing.
In terms of size and fit, the vast majority of modern pads that you'll come across use a hook and loop design to enable them to stick to the backing plate on the machine, these are most commonly found in 5-inch, 3-inch and 1-inch sizes to cater for the most common machine polisher sizes, but this is by no means all the sizes available. There are of course also foam pads that can simply screw directly to a machine polisher, but these tend to be used on rotary machines by refinishers in body shops to make freshly sprayed panels flat, relatively free of orange peel and "passable' after a repair. For the most part these are more of a "mopping' tool, than the sort of paint refinement essential we look for in the detailing world.
When polishing, there are many different ingredients that influence the end result. The four largest ingredients are the polisher, polishing paste, polishing pad and the lacquer or surface. In this blog we will go deeper into the different types of polishing pads. There are many different types of materials to polish with. For example sheep's wool, foam, microfiber, felt and denim. The first three are most commonly used. Time to highlight these three types.
A woolpad or sheepskin has an abrasive effect of its own. This is because the hairs have a very coarse structure. Woolpads are usually made of real sheepskin. In addition to these real sheepskins there are also woolpads that consist partly or even one hundred percent of synthetic hairs. In general the woolpads of real sheepskin perform best. With such a woolpad you can easily remove deep scratches.
Traditional woolpads can only be used on a rotating machine. They cannot handle the eccentric forces of a Dual Action machine. However, Cartec also has an Orbital Woolpad. This pad is suitable for use on an eccentric machine. The advantage of wool is that it generates less heat than a microfiber pad. Especially on gelcoat, wool gives the best results, as well as on very soft lacquers and sticky paint. To finish, a woolpad is less suitable because of small scratches that the hairs leave behind. It is best to use foam or microfiber for this.
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Want to know more about different polishers? Read it here.
Foam comes in many different variations. From very hard to very soft foam and from very coarse to very fine cell structure. These variations can be combined infinitely. The harder the foam and the coarser the structure, the deeper the grinding force and the faster scratches can be removed. However, the risk of holograms increases enormously. The softer the foam and the finer the cell structure, the higher the gloss level and the fewer holograms. This in turn has a negative influence on the abrasive power.
To choose the right pad, it is important to know what kind of lacquer is being worked on. A hard lacquer needs a different approach than a soft lacquer. It is essential for a manufacturer of polishing pastes to look for the right type of foam when developing. Cartec has a wide range of different foampads. These have been specially developed in combination with the polishing paste. For very coarse and deep polishing up to very fine and high gloss.
The green pad is most suitable for deep scratches and hard lacquers. The grey pad is most suitable for extreme gloss and soft lacquers. The yellow and white are in between. The yellow pad has a little more abrasive power, the white pad gives a little more gloss.
Fact: all Cartec foampads are reticulated. This means that the pads have an open cell structure. These are the advantages:
Reticulating is an extra step in the process while making the pad. Gas is injected into the foam, after which it is detonated. This causes the cells to crack open, changing the structure of the pad. This benefits the result.
Microfibre is a very nice material to polish with if the right quality is chosen. Like the woolpad, it has many hairs that absorb the product well. This makes the microfiber pad very suitable for cutting. At the same time, the hairs are a lot softer than wool. Because of this, besides the high cutting, a high shine can be achieved. Especially with eccentric polishing on deep scratches and hard lacquers, the microfiber pad comes into its own.
Learn more about removing scratches? Read all about it in this blog.
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