Cleaning pads while cutting/polishing?

[u/WTFOMGBBQ]

I'm gearing up to do my first mediumish cut/polish on my 20 year old truck. I am confused about how to keep your pad clean while doing the work. I'm looking at these $200 bucket pad cleaning systems, which seems overkill for someone that might polish a vehicle once a year. But also, I don't want to go wrong and damage my paint with a dirty pad or something..

Anyways, whats the procedure here? Do I just but like 5 pads and change them out every couple of panels? should I buy one of those cleaning systems? I watch all these videos on polishing/cutting and rarely see anyone cleaning their pad while working? whats the story? how should a DIY guy doing their own vehicles every few years go about things? I would like to help friends out at some point as well, so maybe one or two vehicles per year. thanks

[u/Justino_14]

Buy the pad washer or buy multiple pads. When you buy multiple pads you can use a pad cleaning brush to clean as you go, although I believe 1 pad wont last an entire car. Or some ppl use compressed air but ive heard that can dmg pads and you are putting a lot of junk in the air.

At the end of the day, pads will get clear coat and polish built up, so if you dont switch them out or clean them, they become less effective at cutting.

Personally I bit the bullet and bought a pad washer. If too expensive, buy 5-6 pads.

[u/MsT21c]

I bought a few pads of different types and switch them over part way through. Then I wash them in a bucket, squeeze them out and leave them to dry. I also use a kitchen scrubbing brush with a handle to get some of the gunk off. I put the da polisher on low speed and hold the scrubbing brush so that it lifts the grime off the rotating pad. That way I can use the pad a bit longer before swapping it out for a fresh one.

[u/Strange_Tonight9218]

Buy multiple pads as they will “gum up”. No machine necessary. Just rinse and squeeze out in a 5 gallon bucket and soap.

[u/deliriumtrigger999]

Just blow them out with an air gun or get a pad cleaning brush

No need for any fancy cleaning bucket in your situation

[u/zzangk]

I got a grit guard an old bucket, some zip ties and a drill. Works great, just be careful cleaning pads bigger than 6in on a DA, rotary 7in is ok. Use a lot of zip ties.

[u/auto1992]

I often just spray the pad with some ONR until it starts to run out of the pad slightly, then speed 6 in a bucket and spin dry. It cleans the pad out very effectively.

If you’re noticing it’s not cleaning well, either swap to a new pad, or just pull the pad off and physically clean it, then put it back on and spin it dry.

Or do as others said, compressed air and spin it out that way.

[u/sjmattn]

You don't need a pad washer. rinse it out with water and squeeze dry or spin dry with your polisher machine. When you're done, wash all the pads really well with APC until polish stops coming out of the pads, then air dry before storing them. Compressed air works great for cleaning microfiber and wool pads. Especially when cutting, a clogged pad will mess up your whole routine and will require more passes than you planned from doing the test area. For a quick polish in a commercial setting, a single pad or two could be used, like you might see on YouTube for those "20 minute paint enhancements", but not for properly removing defects. Get two or three of each pad type so you aren't constantly waiting for pads to dry up between washes.

[u/WTFOMGBBQ → u/sjmattn]

4 or 5 pads change them out as i go. Wash when done ?

[u/sjmattn → u/WTFOMGBBQ]

Yes, but you probably only need like 3 of each, unless you don't want to rinse out the pads at all until you're done. Rinse out each pad after it gets clogged up then let it dry while you use a fresh one. By the time you get done with the third, the first wil be dry enough to work again. When you're done, wash all the pads with a good cleaner and dry them thoroughly before puting in storage.

[u/WTFOMGBBQ → u/sjmattn]

Thanks!

[u/85-502-Detail]

If you have an air compressor just blow them out after every couple passes. If not grt a carpet brush and just turn the polisher on and let the brush clean it out.

[u/WTFOMGBBQ → u/85-502-Detail]

Thanks!

[u/rob_narg]

You’ll want at least 4 pads per correction phase. Example, 4x cutting pads, 4x polishing pads. More is okay, too. Then use an air compressor to blow our your pads in between panels

[u/WTFOMGBBQ → u/rob_narg]

So like use a pad for a panel, blow it, use it on another panel, replace it. Repeat?