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The second order of business in a discussion of equipment is to understand rotary buffing pads, which come in several sizes, are round in shape, and come in a variety surface configurations and compositions. If you have chosen a hook-and-loop backing plate for your buffer (which most detailers do), you will need to chose pads that have the "loop" style backing.
Pads range in size from six to ten inches in diameter. Probably the most common size pad used has a diameter of 7 1/2 inches. The larger sizes are more likely to cause swirl marks and heat damage because the outer edge of the pad is spinning so fast. On the other hand, the smallest pads lack some cutting ability because they cannot generate as much heat as the larger pads. Your best bet is to experiment with several types of pads and also have several types on hand so that you can interchange them as the need arises.
The first breakdown is between wool and foam pads. In general, wool pads are considered "cutting" in nature. That is, the fibers of the wool pad "cut" into the paint, removing top layers of paint much more rapidly than foam pads, which do a relatively small amount of cutting but instead rely on greater heat build-up to do their work.
There are several types of wool pads. The four-ply yarn cutting pad (white wool) is perhaps the most aggressive of the lot. It is not recommended on newer clear coat finishes. The blended pad, which combines both natural and synthetic fibers, is best for cutting newer clear coats. Then there is the "finishing" wool pad, which can be composed of genuine lambs wool or a combination of lambs wool and polyester (synthetic) fiber. The genuine lambs wool, although more expensive, is recommended over synthetic because it contains lanolin, which is a natural oil that helps to lubricate the buffing process and keep the pad soft. This reduces the amount of micro-scratching left behind by the pad, especially on darker paints.
To clean wool pads, use a device known as a spur, available from your favorite detail supplier. To remove chemical build-up as well as the contaminants that are being picked up by the pad while it works over the paint surface, spur the pad often during use. When you are finished with the pad, remove it, set it down, face up, and allow it to dry over night. Never apply any kind of heat to dry a wool pad. The next day, virtually all of the dried chemical residue will come off with by using the spur. To use the spur, lay the back of the buffer on one knee, turn it on, and run the spur back-and-forth along a horizontal line on the side of the pad that is spinning toward the ground. Make sure the cord is out of the way of the pad so that it does not catch in the spinning wheel. Wool pads should never be washed or force-dried. This will break down the pad and remove natural oils, which can cause swirl problems down the line. It will also shrink the pad. If the paint damage is severe, a wool pad may be good for only that one job. But most will last for several jobs. Don't make the mistake of trying to save money by stretching the life of a pad--if an over-worked pad causes damage that you have to repair, you have just lost all the money you tried to save by trying to extend the life of the pad.
Foam pads are generally for light compounding as well as final finishing (or polishing). In general, foam pads do not cut nearly as much as wool pads, but they do produce much more heat than the wool pad. Therefore, foam pads are usually reserved for final finishing and finessing of the paint finish to remove minor damage and any scratches leftover. Also because of the heat factor associated with foam pads, using compounds or aggressive polishes is not recommended.
There are several types of foam pads available, but the main categories involve the size of the foam cells and the surface configuration. Cell "openness" refers to the size of the holes in the foam. A closed-cell pad has small holes and an open-cell pad has larger holes. The latter is more aggressive than the former and is sometimes even called a foam cutting pad; whereas closed-cell pads have much smaller holes in the foam, making them perfect for final finishing.
A standard foam pad has what is known as a "flat" surface configuration, even though the face of the pad is actually convex. Other pads have a "waffle-" like surface that resembles an egg crate. These, and other specialty pads are designed to reduce the amount of surface heat generated by the pad.
When shopping for pads, do not be fooled by the color of the foam pad. Since there is no standardization among manufacturers, the color of the pad really should not be used as an indication of the type of pad. Make sure you read the label and speak with your distributor about the properties and recommended uses of the pads you are considering.
Foam pads can be cleaned with a toothbrush-sized, soft-bristled detail brush. Some detailers use a wire brush, however, this is not recommended because of the possibility that one of the wires could break loose and lodge itself into the foam, causing a disaster the next time the pad is used. Use the brush to clean the foam pad in similar fashion as using the spur on wool--lay the back of the buffer on one knee, turn it on, and run the brush back-and-forth along a horizontal line on the side of the pad that is spinning toward the ground.
Clean the pad often during use. When you are finished with the pad, remove it, set it down, face up, and allow it to dry over night. Never apply any kind of heat to dry a foam pad. The next day, virtually all of the dried chemical residue will come off with by using the brush cleaning method described above. Finally, should a foam pad lose chunk or plug of foam, discard it immediately--the sharp edges from the missing area can cause scratching on the paint surface.
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