Re: NEW: What size pads do you use? (Updated 2009)
All else being equal ("all else" meaning pad foam construction, tool speed, pressure, arm speed, liquid used, temp, humidity and the paint itself), a smaller pad on a D/A polisher will be more aggressive than a larger pad. A small pad on a D/A will concentrate all the energy into a smaller area.
The opposite is true with a rotary buffer since speed plays a huge role. As a rotating circle gets bigger the velocity increases as you approach the outer reaches of the diameter. The rpm does not change, but the farther you go from the center axis the more distance you have to cover for one revolution, so the outer edge of the pad is moving faster than any other point on the pad. It follows, then, that a larger pad will provide more maximum velocity for the same rpm than a smaller one will, and with speed comes cutting power. So, on a rotary, a smaller pad will actually provide less cut than a larger pad - all else being equal.
It should also be noted that a pad with a contoured face will provide less cut than a pad with a flat face - all else being equal. This holds true for both D/A and rotary buffers. It's a simple matter of surface area in contact with the paint.
All else being equal ("all else" meaning pad foam construction, tool speed, pressure, arm speed, liquid used, temp, humidity and the paint itself), a smaller pad on a D/A polisher will be more aggressive than a larger pad. A small pad on a D/A will concentrate all the energy into a smaller area.
The opposite is true with a rotary buffer since speed plays a huge role. As a rotating circle gets bigger the velocity increases as you approach the outer reaches of the diameter. The rpm does not change, but the farther you go from the center axis the more distance you have to cover for one revolution, so the outer edge of the pad is moving faster than any other point on the pad. It follows, then, that a larger pad will provide more maximum velocity for the same rpm than a smaller one will, and with speed comes cutting power. So, on a rotary, a smaller pad will actually provide less cut than a larger pad - all else being equal.
It should also be noted that a pad with a contoured face will provide less cut than a pad with a flat face - all else being equal. This holds true for both D/A and rotary buffers. It's a simple matter of surface area in contact with the paint.
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