Pad problems...

[35th Anniversary SS]

So I did a couple details over the weekend and I had a problem with 2 of the 8006 pads that I was using.

The one that nearly failed me on Sunday was really bad. If youre looking at the back side of the pad, right around the circumfrence of the white velcro circle, the pad started tearing/ripping inward towards the face of the pad, all the way around the circumfrence of the white velcro pad. This was on a pad that I had only used twice. It bothered me because it was the only 8006 I had brought with me for the detail, the other one I had was cleaned and drying at home.

The other one was a brand new, right out of the wrapper, 8006 pad that I used with #80 following my #83 pass. It didnt rip or tear nearly as bad as the #83 8006, but it did start tearing lightly in the same mannor and area as the other.

The pad I used the #83 with is so bad I cannot use it again. The pad I had the #80 isnt nearly as bad, I can probably get away with another job, but I deffinately will have to replace it a lot sooner then I anticipated.

Is this normal? What is the cause of this? The whole time it was happening I kept thinking about how Joe (Superior Shine) uses the larger backing plate with the 6" pads, and how that may have eliminated the chance of this happening. I may have to do that.... it makes sense to me

Anywho... Im a little dissapointed that I have to replace a couple 8006 pads after 2 passes with one and only 1 pass with another. I just really expected a lot longer durability with them.

Any help or info would be appreciated. THANKS!

[35th Anniversary SS]

Did a quick search and found this...

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3664&highlight=pad

Thats exactly what happened but the tearing is closer to the white circle then this. I can take some pics later.

For what its worth I stayed at speed 5, Ill reattach the pad a few times until its completely centered before starting, I do have the Megs backing plate that came with the G100 from ADS, and I do practice regular pad cleaning during the detail with a MF towel. I also read in another thread that came up in a search that this is something that happens to older "well used" pads. This wasnt the case with mine.

What else could it be? I really cant go through pads this quick.

[Mike Phillips]

What speed are you using?


About Joe and his use of larger backing plates, when you use a large backing plate you have to be more careful not to ever run the backing plate into any component on the car or tip the polisher and touch it against the paint.

Joe is a seasoned professional and his years of experience prevent him from making all kinds of mistakes this one being just one example.

[35th Anniversary SS]

Hey Mike..

I think I may have posted my second post right before yours.. I was using speed 5. Maybe I should go a little lower?

After reading a couple more searched posts Im wondering if the pad is getting too saturated before I do my MF cleaning while working on the car. Also.. Im wondering if maybe pushing on the pad while MF cleaning it is the culprit. I do try to squeeze it a bit while doing that.

About the bigger backing plate.. that does make sense and I think Ill hone my skills a bit more before going to the larger plate.

[35th Anniversary SS]

I detailed a car last night... I used the OTHER 8006 pad I had to apply #83. 3/4 of the way through the car the pad starts flinging tiny little particles of foam. I stop polishing and pull the pad off the surface of the car and the white velcro attachment is half way falling off the foam. Not only that but the center little circle, center of the white velcro, is shredded almost all the way to the face of the pad. I ended up using the pad that was damaged on Sunday to finish my #83 application, at speed 4. I was VERY uneasy about it but I needed to get the job done and its all I had for #83. My 3rd pad was clean and waiting for my #80 pass.

After seeing what happened to my other 8006 pad on Sundays detail job I decided to be extra cautious with the pad I used yesterday. I used speed 5, I cleaned the pad 4 times between start of the detail and 3/4 the car, I avoided odd angles where it would put more pressure on the outsides of the pad. The pad was not saturated, Im going to take pics after work today and post them.

I wash my pads by hand with mild soap.. I let them air dry in my laundry room. I specifically wash by hand and air dry to avoid the velcro adhesion problem.

I have 2 cars to detail this weekend and no pads for #83... I hope I can find some locally. At this point I dont care if they are Megs brand or not.

What is going on with these pads????????

FRUSTRATED!

[Mike Phillips]

This isn't normal. Normal is people use our pads till they wear out from normal use, what you're describing is abnormal.

Meguiar's has never recommended washing our pads, this is something non-Meguiar's employees do and recommend but it is not a Meguiar's recommendation or policy. If you wash them you do so at your own risk.

From the way you describe what's happening to the foam, it brings up the question of is it possible the soap is having a negative effect on the foam?

[Mike Phillips]

Just to note, out in Meguiar's Garage, we use a lot of W-8006 pads, enough that if there were any kind of issue with the pad itself it would be revealed to us in the garage. To date, no problems.

I'll contact Customer Care and Tom McDonald and see if they are aware of any known issues and get back to you.

[Mike Pennington]

We have seen this type of pad "tearing" when there is excess pressure applied and/or uneven pressure.

When you are not flat against the surface, edging the pad, the backing plate really grinds into the pad and begins to cut into the foam. Not sure if this is your exact situation, but we have seen this several times.

What I would recommend is to try a new pad and make sure you keep even pressure and not too much downward pressure, and see how it lasts...

Like Mike stated, we haven't seen or heard of this in normal operating conditons

Please let us know how it works out

Mike

[sneek]

i also think its too much pressure I have a dead W9006 pad because I was applying wayy to much pressure ( I was using M20 and noticed some light swirling).

When you use the pad does it "mushroom"?

[BuckeyeMCS]

Originally posted by Mike Phillips
This isn't normal. Normal is people use our pads till they wear out from normal use, what you're describing is abnormal.

Meguiar's has never recommended washing our pads, this is something non-Meguiar's employees do and recommend but it is not a Meguiar's recommendation or policy. If you wash them you do so at your own risk.

From the way you describe what's happening to the foam, it brings up the question of is it possible the soap is having a negative effect on the foam?

I am having this same problem. If you don't wash the pads, do you make them product specific and never use it for anything else? How do you get old product out?

[MotorcycleDetailing]

For me its.
1 pad for each product.......clean the pad with a terry towel while still on the machine after use.
Before using again I sqiuish it, in my hands and hit it against my hand before placing it on the machine and using a terry towel to clean it.
Add product and go to work.

If the pad is looking tired I will soak it in hot water and wring out and allow to dry.

Works for me...so far anyway.

[sneek]

all my pads are product specific! Meguiar's reccomends just shakking the pad to get out old product. Personally I do wash my pads, just because they get pretty yucky from one thing or another.

ex. full car is clear coated besides the moon roof, the moon roof is single stage paint and all the paint comes off onto the pad...the pad looks pretty bad so I wash it!


back to the pads, i really think it's too much pressure

[35th Anniversary SS]

Well shoot.. maybe it is the cleaning Im doing on them, Ive cleaned them after each detail because I thought it was the right thing to do. I think Im a victim of miss information.

Although.. Ive read a lot on this board where people clean them periodically. Oh well.. I wont do it again. Ive learned my lesson.

Is there anyway I can find out if there is a local distributor that would have a few 8006 pads in stock? Id love to order from megs online or ADS but Im detailing a Corvette on Sat and a full size GMC on Sunday.

Thank you guys for the help.

[SVT Lightning]

Here's a good write-up on cleaning foam pads......

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3598

[35th Anniversary SS]

Originally posted by SVT Lightning
Here's a good write-up on cleaning foam pads......

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums...&threadid=3598

Thank you!

I found the problem after reading a few posts in that thread.

Quoted from Jason Rose:

First, one of the reasons washing foam pads with detergents is not a good idea is due to the fact that some cleaning chemicals can change what is called "compression strengh." In simple terms, this means the bounce-back or resistance of the foam to compression. After washing, with altered compression strengh, the foam pad may not perform as it should.

Looking back.. this is exactly what happened. I noticed this very thing with the pads I was using. The density of the foam was deffinately not there after washing them a couple times. After the pad lost its density I believe it became destructive to the pads when putting the required pressure on the paint surface, the backing plate just started eating the foam around the velcro. I also now notice why the product wasnt working the paint like it should have.

Live and learn.