Best pads to use with Rotary.

S

sfa500

New member
Hello, I believe I am ready to jump into the world of rotary buffing, and had some questions. I currently use a PC and use foam LC pads. When I get a rotary what pads are good for a beginner? What polishes are good to use. I currently have pinnacles XMT line, is that good with the rotary? Thanks guys.
 
Edge pads can be perfectly centered. If you use the Edge Wave it will reduce skipping and the chance of burning paint.



I use both LC and Edge pads. Depends on products and mood...



I have never used the Pinnacle XMT but Menzerna works wonders with LC pads. Menz SIP tends to not get along with edge pads, though. Many like to use Optimum Polishes with the rotary...
 
I believe the Edge 2K 6" pads are good for a beginner on the rotary. This size is easy to handle and the self-centering feature prevents wobble. The blue foam one is especially forgiving and doesn't seem to skip or jump, plus it is very mild.
 
I'm not a huge Edge foam fan to be honest - I like the 6" LC pads, their black is my favorite for finishing and it is very easy to learn on. LC orange is good too, a bit of a curve though. For cutting, it's easier to learn on a 6" Edge Green wool pad than anything else - yellow and Edge black foam is a handful.



For polishes, Presta and Menzerna are great. I like Presta's heavier compounds over Menzerna (UCC and UCCL > PowerGloss and IP), but Menzerna's finishing polishes and light compounds are better (SIP and P0106FF). If you really want to experience buffing perfection, try to get your hands on some Menzerna P085RD and an American Buffing 110ppi pad - it'll take some hunting, but money can't buy a better shine.
 
I like wool for removing swirls and foam for adding gloss. I would go with a green wool (edge) pad for compounds as a beginner and a white LC pad for polishes. Avoid the heavier cut wool pads (edge yellow and black) as those have a tendency to tear up edges in inexperienced hands.
 
I've only used the regular double sided edge foam pads so far. I have bough a whole set of the Wave ones from an autopia member and I should be getting them this week. The edge website claims the Wave runs cooler and reduces skipping while not impacting polishing so much. I'll test them when I get them
 
I've spent so much money on different pad combinations and have always come back to this combo :



LC twisted wool for cutting

LC purple foamed wool for polishing

LC white 7.5" ccs curved pad for finishing
 
When I would teach employees new to polishing, I started them with a 3M waffle-style pad.



The waffle design helps minimize chatter and keeps the heat down, minimizing damage.



Haven't used any of the Edge waffle pads, but I'm sure they would offer similar benefits
 
I've used LC 6" foam pads, Edge 8" foam - regular and waffle, and Edge wool pads. My favorites are the Yellow and Green wool pad, Yellow Edge and Yellow LC, Green and Blue Edge foam pads and the LC White pad. I like the flat pads over the waffle - but I like the wool the best.
 
Epoch said:
Do any of you guy's like the Megs pads?



W7006 - Cutting

W8006 - POlishing

W9006 - Finishing
Click to expand...

I think they do a good job, I’ve never used them on my Makita. When using on my PC, I always got the cookie cutter effect on the Meg’s pads because the backing of the pad doesn’t go close to the edge. Therefore, the backing plate would always cut into the back of the pad. Otherwise, they performed well while they lasted. I’m just trying to use up what I have left of the megs and I already have a ton of LC CCS pads which I really like.
 
Thanks, a guy i know off a UK forum recommended using a 6 inch backing plate with the Megs pads to avoid that problem.



I'm getting a rotary in a few weeks for some practicing
 
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