LC sucks, need recommendations

C

Chicagoareanew

New member
I know I'm new at polishing, but at this point I am convinced it's the pads and not me. Even with priming, giving them breaks, cleaning them with DP pad cleaner, they soften up which defeats the purpose of having orange pads. And then they lose control, where instead of spinning they freeze for a split second and then do something unpredictable. I'm pretty sure at this point it can't be my technique because it starts out ok, but then goes down hill.

So, I'm wondering if Chemical Guys has good pads. They seem to have a pretty big selection; it's smaller than LC but they have too many anyhow. I know some people like Meg's pads, but I don't like that brand in general.

Edit: I'm willing to consider anything, not just CG but they are the only other brand I know of.
 
Sounds to me like you're using too much product for one thing, the softening up as it's being used is a good thing because it lets the pad conform to the surface better and instead of washing them out you should try just brushing the off with a wire brush or scrapping with a wood rasp to remove the excess polish/compound.



Here's what you can expect with Lake Country pads and the right polish and technique.



bobwhyte1783.jpg




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This car got colorsanding and detailing and went to Pebble Beach. If you right click the picture and then choose open in a new tab you can see more pics of this car and a couple of other things. The shots on the grass were from a different show a few weeks later.



Robert
 
Are your surfaces completely void of all waxes and silicone based fillers? The LC orange pad can be problematic if there's anything left on the surface. Try several ISO 50/50 wipedowns and see if that helps.
 
Both great points above. I have been using LC pads for 4 years and don't have the same issues as long as the above advice is followed.
 
Sorry to hear that, but I haven't had a single problem with my pads. I've used 4", 5.5" and 7.5", both flat and curved. I wan't to try some megs though
 
I'm always amazed at the small amount of polish you actually need to get optimum results. I was polishing quite a while before I realized I was using too much.
 
Chicagoareanew said:
I know I'm new at polishing, but at this point I am convinced it's the pads and not me. Even with priming, giving them breaks, cleaning them with DP pad cleaner, they soften up which defeats the purpose of having orange pads. And then they lose control, where instead of spinning they freeze for a split second and then do something unpredictable. I'm pretty sure at this point it can't be my technique because it starts out ok, but then goes down hill.

So, I'm wondering if Chemical Guys has good pads. They seem to have a pretty big selection; it's smaller than LC but they have too many anyhow. I know some people like Meg's pads, but I don't like that brand in general.

Edit: I'm willing to consider anything, not just CG but they are the only other brand I know of.
Click to expand...



The details are overwhelming!:p

I am pretty sure it is you and your technique than the pads. Maybe even the product you are trying to use. There are thousands of folks here that use the LC pads with no issues. What size pads are you using and what machine? I assume when you say "freeze for a split second" you are using a PC? What product are you using? All very important details you left out.



I don't understand what you mean by "giving breaks"....."then do something unpredictable", can you explain what you mean?

Also when are you using the pad cleaner?



I have not used CG pads so I have no opinion. Did you have a bad experience with a Megs product? Not sure why you dislike Megs brand but maybe give them another shot as they have a lot of good things to offer.
 
Thanks for all of the responses, guys. I guess I will address all of them in an organized list lol.



Chemical guys does sell a weird type of pad with a hexagon pattern, but they don't say the name of the company that produces it, they just mention that it was designed just for them and that it was produced in CA.



I was using a PC, 4 inch pads, and Menzerna polishes (PG, IP, FPII). I primed with chemical guys pad conditioner. I also have their brush so I try and not let the pad get too crusty. I cleaned the pads with the DP after I gave up on them, otherwise I just scrape and spray them.



I'm not sure if I'm using too much polish. The bottles say just use a quarter sized amount but that won't even spread. But it's not like I'm using so much that it ends up overwhelming, since I can always just spread it further if need be.



When I say I give the pads breaks, I mean when they soften up and become easilly compressed, I switch to a fresh, stiffer pad.



When I say they do things unpredictable, basically when they are fresh, they are easy to control. But when they get soft, they either start expanding and contracting, or it'll just stop spinning for a split second and then start again which makes the machine jump. Comparing a fresh pad to a one I've been using for a while is like comparing some petting zoo pony to a raging bull.



My correction is being done on speed 5.



The surface of my car shouldn't have any fillers or anything because the surface will not bead whatsoever. I'll try some extra wipe downs just incase, but I don't think that is the problems.



I don't like Megs because after trying 105 and probably some stuff in the past, I just don't think they are high quality. If their pads are amazing, then I'm closed minded and suffering from that. But I am willing to spend more for quality because I've got so many LC pads that if I would have spent 2x more and the pads have less problems, I could get by with less cleaning and clutter.
 
Chicagoareanew- I can sympathize with how you must feel, hearing that it's all your technique as opposed to the pads, but I really do think that is the case. The diffs in pads simply aren't that significant IME.



Saying that you're predisposed against trying Meguiar's pads due to experiences with other Meguiar's products seems, uhm...ill-considered.



Since things are OK when you start and then degrade, IMO you need to figure out what's happening to cause that drop in performance. Maybe you simply need to clean/dry your pads more often/thoroughly or even just get out a fresh one.



And as soon as the pad is loaded with broken-down product and cut-off clear, you *will* experience a difference because of that. If fresh pads work better, keep your pads fresh.



If the way you're doing things requires you to change pads very frequently, then either just do that or reconsider how you're doing things. I sure wouldn't expect a different brand of pads to make much difference.



FWIW when working with non-rotary polishers, I never prime my pads with anything except the product I'm using. And I'm very careful to prime my pads properly, even when *not* using M105-type products. I actually spend a whole lot of time priming, cleaning, repriming, etc. my pads; it's time well-spent IMO and if for some reason I have to do it *very* frequently, then so be it.



I sure wouldn't just put a blob of product on the pad, I'd want the foam's surface to be more uniformly loaded than that (which is *not* to say "use a lot of product").
 
Chicagoareanew said:
Chemical guys does sell a weird type of pad with a hexagon pattern, but they don't say the name of the company that produces it, they just mention that it was designed just for them and that it was produced in CA.
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Chemical Guys and Adam's both sell the 'self-centering' hexagonal faced pads. I believe they are from Buff and Shine. This design does make it easier to center the backing plate on the pad, but they still work similar to the Lake Country pads.
 
You are using way too much polish on a 4" pad if you are putting a quarter size drop on them each time. You should prime the pad with product!- then add 2 or 3 pea size drops to the pad to do the next 12x12 section. I use a few 4" pads and dont bother cleaning them or scraping, it makes them wet, and i dont trust just scraping off paint/product off the pad, but thats me.,



Cut down on the product, switch to a new pad, dont push down so hard possibly also.





I also really only need the 4" pads for hard to get to areas, or spots that need a little more pursuasion.
 
Yes, the Chemical Guys and Adam's pads are indeed produced by Buff and Shine. Unfortunately Buff and Shine doesn't sell pads of this foam type and design to the public. Their foam types are very distinctive from those of Lake Country. I think I prefer the Lake Country pads over the Buff and Shine ones. I do, however, recommend the Adam's Polishes to those that do not want to have to figure out which pad is which among the many types of pads produced by LC.





Chicagoareanew said:
I know I'm new at polishing, but at this point I am convinced it's the pads and not me. Even with priming, giving them breaks, cleaning them with DP pad cleaner, they soften up which defeats the purpose of having orange pads. And then they lose control, where instead of spinning they freeze for a split second and then do something unpredictable. I'm pretty sure at this point it can't be my technique because it starts out ok, but then goes down hill.

So, I'm wondering if Chemical Guys has good pads. They seem to have a pretty big selection; it's smaller than LC but they have too many anyhow. I know some people like Meg's pads, but I don't like that brand in general.

Edit: I'm willing to consider anything, not just CG but they are the only other brand I know of.
Click to expand...



Have you tried other different brands of pads in order to justify your claim? Seeing that you so eloquently express your distaste for a particular brand, I doubt you have tried out the next popular brand of pads. Therefore, I am fairly convinced that you are either not familiar with the nature of polishing pads or that you are not using your supplies correctly, or both. The fact of the matter is, you will probably face the same problem even if you switch to another brand of pads. Pads tend to soften up when they absorb the oil and liquid contained in compounds or polishes. Even more so, priming the pads soften them up even more.



Once in a while, I mess up my buffing process by simply using too much product and working them for too long with some compound, which creates excessive gumming and pad contamination. However, even with the gumming and contamination, the pads still work satisfactorily.



Sometimes depending on the clear coat hardness and compound used, cleaning on the fly may not sufficiently restore the pads' cutting power. It is almost crucial to have at least three pads for one car. Some people may be able to buff out an entire car with just one or two pads, but you never know if you will eventually need some extra pads in case you run out of pads.



Keep in mind that Lake Country is probably one of the leaders of polishing pads technology. If you find their pads not up to your standard, then I am afraid you will not be too satisfied with the other ones as well.
 
The Meguiar's Solo 1 Cross-cut polishing pads are also self-centering and work exceptionally well. I clean my pads VERY often. I usually don't get more than a fender and half a door done before I'm cleaning my pad again.



I use APC and warm water, rinse VERY thoroughly and spin them dry at speed 6 on my new Griot's Polisher and I never have problems like you're expressing.



It's definitely an issue with technique and probably too much product. Do you also work in direct sunlight? Sounds like you're building up a lot of heat and too much product which will cause the product to heat the center of the pad causing it to slow or stop rotating, which is bad...it's even worse when you start to see smoke coming from the center of your pads and it's not your machine smoking. :( Trust me, I know first hand what too much product in direct sunlight will do. Anyway, it's not your pads, and they're supposed to soften up. It doesn't affect the cutting ability of the pads, so just work on using less product, clean more often and use less pressure. Remember, only use about 25lbs. of pressure. Use a bathroom scale to get an idea of how much 25lbs. of pressure feels like. It's not much.



Good luck.



Adam
 
wfedwar said:
I'm always amazed at the small amount of polish you actually need to get optimum results. I was polishing quite a while before I realized I was using too much.
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+1 - My polish is lasting longer, the cars are looking better and the polish is easier to remove!!
 
The Megs yellow polishing pad is good general use polishing pad. The Sonus yellow cutting pad is easy to work with. The LC orange pads are a bit stiff but soften up after some usage.
 
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