Wool Pad Preferences and MF Pad Preferences

Just trying to look for opinions on which wool pads people prefer for their rotary compounding.

There are a few options out there and unlike foam pads (where the color tells much about the cut and finish), with wool pads there isn't much of a description.

I've used the lake county white ones before but wondering if there are other ones that might be better. Also what is the difference between the foamed wool pads that they sell and the normal white colored wool pads? I've never used the foamed ones before.


I've experimented with the Optimum MF pads when they first came out. I was disappointed as it only lasted me half a car and it started to come apart from the foam. Are the new ones better? How do the Lake Country and Meguairs ones compare for durability and cut?

Any knowledge and experience is appreciated :applause2:

 

Would the MF pads be for rotary? To my knowledge you won't have a good experience with the because the oscillating motion is what really benefits the MF pads. A circular, rotary motion just matts the fibers down almost instantly and doesn't provide a whole lot of cut...not to mention the extra heat. That might explain your prior experience with MF pads.



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Sorry should have mentioned I was using the MF pads with a porter. It worked well - it just didnt last very long.

 

Keeping the speed down, like on 4 on a GG6, and using compressed air to clean them, will make your MF pads last a long time. Both things keep the heat down, which is the cause of the separation in most cases.

 

Any reason to choose a specific?

Meguiars, Optimum, Lake Country

 

I prefer the Megs, mostly because I can get them locally, others have said they provide better cut over the other two.

 

I love meguiar's cutting...i constantly am switching pads to keep heat down. After every panel I alternate pads, usually using about 4 per car...keeps the heat down and the cut up.

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Have used both traditional wool and wool/blend pads when that was all there was and the paint was acrylic lacquer, enamel, and Imron airplane paint.
For my shop there is really no more need for traditional wool or wool/blend pads given the paint used today, unless you are going to be compounding airplanes or something else with older really hard to correct paint.

The Lake Country Purple Foam Wool pads of a few years ago have been a great product that I have used on airplanes with great success. They will not lint up as much as the older wools, and will also not last as long. But the finish they leave even with something like Meguiars 105 Compound is really nice and makes the 2nd step so much faster and easier.

There are another set of wool pads out there, that are black. I cant remember the name but a lot of people like these too.. If I can find them I will post their information up.

For my needs, I only break out the Purple Foam Wools very rarely, unless of course its an airplane, etc...

You dont need crazy fast speeds with these pads either, you want to avoid as much pad sling of product as possible, and keep all that product on the surface you are working on at the moment. They can cut very quickly, so be aware of that, and that is yet another reason to not spin them up so fast. Stop and check your work often, and especially avoid as many edges as possible. These pads come in the 4 popular sizes perhaps even down to 3" now. Not sure of that, but you can find out easily.. For sure they are at 7" 6", 5" and 4" sizes.

Please be sure you need them before you start. What you remove cannot be replaced without repainting.. Not trying to scare or dissuade you, just the facts..

Good luck with this !
Dan F

 

Buff and shine mf pads. I've tried them all. Next would be megs. I don't have a compressor so I have to use a brush and have 4 mf pads. I probably should get a small compressor or go back to foam for cutting. Mf pads kick ass, but cleaning them is a pain in the ass.

 

A compressor really does make a huge difference

 

Thanks for all the opinions and experience. I am looking for wool simply for speed of correction on very bad cars. Some of the cars I do are extremely scratched up and using a pad just takes longer than I'd like. I have used the purple foamed before and it worked well. i was just wondering what the other preferred choice of wool was.


I generally use the wool to start as a time saver on very poor quality paint conditions.


I think I am just going to try all the MF brands and see for myself.

 

Here is a link to the black wool pads I mentioned earlier - MICRO-SURFACE FINISHING PRODUCTS, INC

Some guys I know in Canada say these work better than L/C Purple Foamed wool and do not lint.. Could be a good thing in your case, needing something to quickly knock down bad paint surfaces..

Good luck !
Dan F

 

Thank you for the advice and link!