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One Step pad damage


Bscott94

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Did I overheat these pads? I checked them regularly during polishing and they never felt hot, or even overly warm. The foam is splitting between the hook and loop and the face of the pad. Has anyone else had this happen? These are the 3.5". I believe it happened to the 5.5" as well but not nearly as bad. 

 

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Edited by Bscott94
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That can be caused by a couple of things, and I've had it happen. Overheating, too much pressure down on the pad, or just general overuse are some common reasons. How long have you used the pad? How many cars? How much pressure do you think you're putting down on the machine and pad as you polish? It really doesn't take more than the weight of your hand, maybe a little bit more. More and the pad gets overly compressed, braking down the cell structure in the pad and/or the adhesive between the backing and the pad.

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2 hours ago, falcaineer said:

That can be caused by a couple of things, and I've had it happen. Overheating, too much pressure down on the pad, or just general overuse are some common reasons. How long have you used the pad? How many cars? How much pressure do you think you're putting down on the machine and pad as you polish? It really doesn't take more than the weight of your hand, maybe a little bit more. More and the pad gets overly compressed, braking down the cell structure in the pad and/or the adhesive between the backing and the pad.

I think they had just been used for half a car before. I used it on bumpers, mirrors, and roof line of my Edge and touched up around door handles and such when the 15mm was too big. Maybe it was too much pressure. Most of it was just weight of the machine and my hand but I had a few scratches and spots that I put a little more weight on. I'll have to order another set and if they fall apart after 1-2 cars, I'll just try a different type of pad for it. Thanks for the response, Chris. 

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Hi Brandon,

My current one step pads have been used on 7-10 vehicles, I do have multiple and swap them out as I'm doing the vehicle.   I usually use 3-4 pads according to the size of the vehicle and I was them them out as soon as I'm done using them. and hang them to dry. 

 

I make sure that I don't put any extra weight on the SK and if the vehicle needs more than that, then I switch pads to get more of a cut.  I tend to use the One Step as a middle ground between Polish and Compound and then follow up with polish and polishing pad according to what the vehicle needs.   

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I usually see pad failure occur with:

  • Overused pads
  • Hot polishing surfaces - which cause rapid product retreat/evaporation
  • Excessive pad pressure
  • Wet pads (too soon after cleaning or too much product)
    • Accelerates heat wicking from polishing surface to hook and loop)
    • Leeches through the hook-and-loop/foam bond and lubricates the hook-and-loop causing motion and friction

There are some other isolated instances where pad damage can occur. But these are the big ones. Avoid them. And always clean your pads in warm soapy water and air dry them thoroughly. I put them in front of a fan for a full 24 hours. 

 

I honestly don't fret when a pad lets loose. They aren't meant to last more than a couple vehicles. Though, like Ray, I routinely get 7-10 vehicles out of mine. Just continue to develop good habits and you will naturally extend the life of your pads.

Edited by PHOKUS
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It is very easy to heat up these fiber pads (vs. foam pads).  When working with fiber (wool or MF) I use 2 pads and rotate them after each section.  I use the pad, clean it, swap to the other pad, and polish the section, repeat...  I have melted a backing plate on a long throw polisher using MF pads without letting them cool...it was a little scary when the pad detached and went flying across the garage, but thankfully no damage was done to the '67 GTO convertible clone I was working on!

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