Do I have enough pads for correcting one car?

S

Striker

Active member
I had someone recently approach me wanting me to polish their car (black E-class)

I have a bunch of lake country pads but not sure if enough.

-2 red hydro techs
-2 orange hydro techs
-2 blue hydro techs

-2 orange regular lake country pads
- 2 white lake country pads


I also have 4 small LC orange and white pads (4”)


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Eh, not really. You usually want at least 4 of each type of pad. 2 reds are fine cause those are usually for LSP, but for any of the polishing steps you need at least 4 to do the whole car.
 
Striker said:
I had someone recently approach me wanting me to polish their car (black E-class)

I have a bunch of lake country pads but not sure if enough.

-2 red hydro techs
-2 orange hydro techs
-2 blue hydro techs

-2 orange regular lake country pads
- 2 white lake country pads


I also have 4 small LC orange and white pads (4”)


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Striker - You didnt say which Black on the Mercedes. a metallic or jet black.. E-Class = a big vehicle
It`s usually a hard to medium paint, especially if it`s the Mercedes ceramic-coat paint..

I have used L/C Hydro-Shreds since they were invented with Rotary Power, and they work great..

Their Cyan (Blue) is great for initial correction, and the Tangerine (Orange) can sometimes be used if needed to really finish and polishes out beautifully..

Your Crimson (Red) pad is only good for applying something after correction, to the paintwork, and will not be helpful in any of the correction phases..

In my experiences with Mercedes Black Paintwork, I usually use 5-6 of each pad color, to get really beautiful, clear, glossy, perfect mirror paintwork..

I always want to have extra back up pads to take care of something that is not expected or surprisingly challenging, i.e, repaired panels, etc..

If you take a second to wipe off the face of the pad everytime you stop, they will go a lot longer, before enough dead paint, product, has rendered it no longer helpful.. I like that this pad line does not absorb moisture as quickly as other lines do, so you can also go longer with it, before it`s time to change it out..
Good luck!
Dan F
 
So this is what I have as I said- the thing is 1 are the orange LC pads all the same cut? The hydro tech ones vs non


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Striker,
Not sure what your plan is for this Mercedes OR the condition of the paint on this Mercedes..

Your pads look pretty worn out, and how does the backing look like on them?

In the video that Mike linked above, notice how nice those used pads are? Yours are not like that..
Dan F
 
Yeah you’re right. If you’re referring to the blue pads. They’re pretty beat up!

I think the others are in good order. Maybe I need to use water as a lubricant.


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The paint on the Benz isn’t the best. Lots of marring and it has no product on it for a lsp.

I may just order some 6” orange and white LC lads from a local supplier. Should go well with my menzerna line.

Unless you recommend other colours in the css line.


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Striker said:
The paint on the Benz isn’t the best. Lots of marring and it has no product on it for a lsp.

I may just order some 6” orange and white LC lads from a local supplier. Should go well with my menzerna line.

Unless you recommend other colours in the css line.


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Striker,

I always use a pad conditioner spray on my pads - just a little - so I can get longer working time, and of course, it keeps heat down and the pad wears not as fast.. Here is one they sell here at Autopia Store -- https://www.autopia-carcare.com/wolfgang-pad-conditioner.html#.XsyqzUSpH3g
I have used the Chemical Guys version of this for years and it works great.. I do not find the C/G version here so perhaps if you are shopping around, the C/G website has it for sure..

I forget what machine you have - if it`s any of the Random Orbitals, I would want to use a 5.25" pad so I can get as much -pad rotation- as possible to help correct quicker.. The bigger pads, are always going to be more material for the machine to have to now rotate.. And they cost more...

Yes, Orange - correction- pads and White - polishing- Lake Country pads should be ok..

Remember, all your pads (except for the Hydro-Tech Cyan ones) are going to absorb liquid faster and that will render them inefficient pretty quick, so you want to have enough back up to be able to complete the work in the timeframe you`re working with..

Menzerna compounds and polishes, have had great results with them for over 15 years, on all the German marque paintwork..

Once I Detailed a Jet Black, 2008 Mercedes E-63/AMG, for a Doctor. It was so scratched up, swirled, etc., he was going to trade it in for a new one.. Yeah, that is what some people do.. :)

The entire car paint looked dark gray and dead.. Years of going to the Brown Bear Brush-N-Swirl Car Wash will do that..

I turned it into a big, beautiful, black rolling mirror ! He was so happy ! He said I saved him over $80k ! :)
It took a lot of hours and pads and I use Rotary Power..

Good luck !
Dan F
 
If you watch any of apex detail videos he corrects the whole vehicle with 1 pad. He cleans it after every panel. I do them same thing now I have onr and Alcohol mix after every panel I flood the pads face with couple of sprays and scrub with microfiber towel and it ready to go. I go through 2-3 towels that pull all junk from pad. It actually works. I usually use a pad per side once I finish a side I hit the a pillars and then take pad off go to next side repeat with new pad.

I would give this a shot before buying extra pads.
 
I am using a makita rotary! Was going to go with 6.5” pads?

The pad conditioner:

- Do you spray it on on each new pass ? Or just once before a panel until you’re done ?


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William_Wallace said:
If you watch any of apex detail videos he corrects the whole vehicle with 1 pad. He cleans it after every panel. I do them same thing now I have onr and Alcohol mix after every panel I flood the pads face with couple of sprays and scrub with microfiber towel and it ready to go. I go through 2-3 towels that pull all junk from pad. It actually works. I usually use a pad per side once I finish a side I hit the a pillars and then take pad off go to next side repeat with new pad.

I would give this a shot before buying extra pads.
Click to expand...

You clean the panel with alcohol or the pad surface after you’re done a panel ?


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Short Version: Despite our using different types of polishers..what Stokdgs said.

Longer Version:

Striker- As you can see, opinions, experiences, and approaches vary. IMO it`s all about what works for the individual in question and it`s hard for me to get inside somebody else`s head. BUT, OK...

IMO, no, you don`t have nearly enough. Even when I use MF Cutting Disks (which I highly recommend) that clean up fairly well (for a while but not forever) with compressed air, I`d want a lot more than that.

(FWIW, I clean my pads after basically every section pass, spending a lot more time cleaning pads and inspecting than I do actually running the Polishers. I`m a fanatic about having clean/good pads for the reason that it makes such a *HUGE* difference in how my correction goes. No way to exaggerate/overstate that, and I came from an era where you`d regularly do a whole vehicle, or ten ;) with one wool pad and think nothing of leaving it on the machine that whole time.)

I too think those look pretty worn out (moreso than mine, and I don`t give up on `em easily).

And FWIW, I utterly despise those dimpled pads and threw mine in the trash. All negatives zero positives regarding their not being flat.
 
Striker ---
Like Accumulator above, I have also cleaned my foam pads after every set of passes, for decades..

I only like to use bigger pads like the 6.5" for large, long, flat, things like Vans, Trucks, or Airplanes..
For MY needs and process, they are just too big for anything else, require more cleaning, are easy to accidentally get into places where they do not need to be, and after all that, they cost more, and you still have to clean them...
My go-to pad for almost everything else will always be the 5.5" size, period..

I have no idea how anyone can really correct an entire vehicle with 1 pad.. How bad was the condition of the paintwork?? Perhaps, if the vehicle had already been corrected with multiple pads, then maybe you can go all around it again with only one??.. Or, the vehicle had virtually damage-free, clear, glossy, paintwork to start with ?
Sometime, when I have time, I will try to find those videos from that guy that uses only 1 pad..

I clean my pads out with clean, white, small cotton towels, so I can SEE what color of stuff is coming out of the pads, from the paint..

I only use a pad conditioner mentioned earlier for this to keep the pad Just Moist Enough for that spot at that time, and it has really helped ME get amazing, clear, clean, glossy, smooth, finishes every time.. And yes, I also only use Makita Rotary Power..

Once a pad gets loaded up with stuff and too wet, it will NOT work as efficient or not at all..

How do I know, when the pad on the machine that I have cleaned after every pass is done and needs to be changed??
When all things being equal, that pad is NOT performing as it did when it was a clean, dry, pad from the cabinet and placed on the backing plate..

If one is really paying attention to the work, you will SEE when this starts to happen..

There is no set number of passes, downward pressure, machine speed, etc., keeping the work just moist enough, for Anything.. One has to be totally innovative and flexible the entire time..
Good luck !
Dan F
 
Alright fellas. It’s done. I will order 5/6 of orange and white pads. Without the holes.

After a pass is complete- I will wipe it with a rag. I’ll also get a pad conditioner and use a spray or two before each pass. I will also do no more then two panels for ONE pad.

Good/bad?

Thanks boys


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Striker said:
Alright fellas. It’s done. I will order 5/6 of orange and white pads. Without the holes.

After a pass is complete- I will wipe it with a rag. I’ll also get a pad conditioner and use a spray or two before each pass. I will also do no more then two panels for ONE pad.

Good/bad?

Thanks boys


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Striker --
Again, there is no set rule for this. :) Depends on how bad the paintwork is, how good your pad is, your pad choice is, the correction product choice is the best one for that panel, and your technique..

If the pad is still performing about as good as it did when you started and finished that panel, then perhaps you can start the next one and see how far it takes you before it stops performing and needs to be changed..

I absolutely Love correcting all black paintwork, hope this goes really great for you!
Dan F
 
Well, if you recall last year, you were heavily involved in my thread where I was correcting my black single stage mustang paint. That was a pain in the ass. But it turned out super deep and glossy.


I have the menzerna line up at hand and that’s what I’d be using with the orange and white LC pads.

I work slow, never exceeding speed 2.5 on my makita and have had good results. On clear coated vehicles that mustang was not fun.


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Striker said:
Well, if you recall last year, you were heavily involved in my thread where I was correcting my black single stage mustang paint. That was a pain in the ass. But it turned out super deep and glossy.


I have the menzerna line up at hand and that’s what I’d be using with the orange and white LC pads.

I work slow, never exceeding speed 2.5 on my makita and have had good results. On clear coated vehicles that mustang was not fun.


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Striker -
Yes! I remembered that Mustang Single Stage Black Paint !
Anything single stage is not fun and dangerous if you go too far.. :) Bet it still blinds people out in the sun ! :)

Ok, Mercedes Metallic Black, here we come! It Will be a lovely paint to work with, and the results - should be stunning..
Dan F
 
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