Pad lubricant question
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2003
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From: Northern Illinois
Oldtimer
Pad lubricant question
Do I need to apply a foam pad lubricant when I use my PC7424 with Menzerna polishes? I've seen demonstrations done without it and was wondering if it can cause additional swirl marks or damage the clearcoat. 
Former Vendor
Joined: Feb 2006
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From: Orlando/Oviedo FL
If you really want to add a light mist of water before loading the pad (for the first time only) it can't hurt, but adding qd's or constantly misting the pad with water is not going to help the performance of the polishes can actually hinder them.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2008
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From: Edmond Oklahoma
That's good to know. I have often wondered if I should mist the pad with water prior to loading.So mist a dry pad with water just before the initinal product load but only once, right?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Ponte Vedra Beach / London State: Dazed and confused
Using water - for all intents and purposes water is incompressible, adding too much water between a polish and the paint surface will allow the abrasives to aquaplane and therefore negate their abrasive abilities
Former Vendor
Joined: Feb 2006
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From: Orlando/Oviedo FL
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,909
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From: Ponte Vedra Beach / London State: Dazed and confused
[In reality the water will pull any abrasives out of the pad (if it is loaded) and reintroduce them to the polishing surface. ]
Q: Can you explain how an emulsion (polish) will mix with water? And how water pulls the abrasives from the pad?
[Also keep in mind that oil can not be compressed (most polishes are an oil in water emulision) and adding water to the polishing surface tends to increase cutting action, not reduce it, as it is far less slippery then the oil it displaces.]
Q: As there are differences in their densities won’t the oil permeate to the top of the oil layer?
Q: Can you explain how an emulsion (polish) will mix with water? And how water pulls the abrasives from the pad?
[Also keep in mind that oil can not be compressed (most polishes are an oil in water emulision) and adding water to the polishing surface tends to increase cutting action, not reduce it, as it is far less slippery then the oil it displaces.]
Q: As there are differences in their densities won’t the oil permeate to the top of the oil layer?
Last edited by TOGWT; Apr 19, 2010 at 04:39 PM.
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Former Vendor
Joined: Feb 2006
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From: Orlando/Oviedo FL
Q: Can you explain how an emulsion (polish) will mix with water? And how water pulls the abrasives from the pad?
The downside is that the abrasives may clump together which can reduce the quality of the finish (more uneven scratching) but will increase the cutting power of the polish.
Unless I am doing heavy cutting, I usually don't add water (except for the first mist on a dry pad to help the polish spread and prime the pad).
Q: As there are differences in their densities won’t the oil permeate to the top of the oil layer?
I think that the non compressible liquid (water) would absorb into the pad (particularly with sponging action of a dual action) long before it made the surface too slick or the abrasives 'hydroplane'.
I can also attest that I have never sprayed the surface with water and found the polish to loose cut or created some liquid barrier on the paint. Quite the opposite, I have used water to increase cutting power if needed. I suppose anything is possible, but in the real world, I have never seen it
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Ponte Vedra Beach / London State: Dazed and confused
[I never said it mixes, I said 'displaces'. Most of the abrasives become attached to the foam pad were they load up with removed paint and loose effectiveness. Spritzing the pad with water, particularly when done half way through a buffing cycle, and creating a slurry on the paint will loosen the attached abrasives.]
I can understand this ‘displacement’ when using a rotary polisher as the water would be displaced from the surface and the pad via centrifugal force, and the water ‘spritzing’ would release the abrasive from a wool pad by ‘releasing’ the fibres.
I never thought that the same process would apply to an orbital motion using a foam pad
Thanks for the explanation and 'real world' answers
I can understand this ‘displacement’ when using a rotary polisher as the water would be displaced from the surface and the pad via centrifugal force, and the water ‘spritzing’ would release the abrasive from a wool pad by ‘releasing’ the fibres.
I never thought that the same process would apply to an orbital motion using a foam pad
Thanks for the explanation and 'real world' answers
Last edited by TOGWT; Apr 20, 2010 at 11:27 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2008
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From: Edmond Oklahoma
Sptitz or not to spritz, that is the question? I believe I'm even more confused!
I think what I got out of the technical discussion is to lightly splitz the bone dry pad prior to loading. Then another spritzing half way through the process. It appears that "lightly" is the secret if spritzing with water. would the same hold true with the "pad misters" sold by detailer supply houses?
I think what I got out of the technical discussion is to lightly splitz the bone dry pad prior to loading. Then another spritzing half way through the process. It appears that "lightly" is the secret if spritzing with water. would the same hold true with the "pad misters" sold by detailer supply houses?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Farmingdale NY
St. Jude Donor '06
I've tried it with both the PC and my Flex 3401, and it didn't help. I would just use the products themselves.
