So i just bought a new PC 7424...I bought it from craigslist never used brand new. It came with two orange lake country pads, and two white lake country pads the wrench to remove the attachments, a 5" backing plate, and the oem white pad. So i think the only pads i am missing are the grey pad, blue pad, and yellow pad...is that correct? And what does everyone recommend to use to clean the pads?

 

George from detailed Image told me to use cleaning packs for the pads sold by detail stores online. Or just use dawn soap. Lay them foam side down for a while. Massage off wax with thumb. Soak them again, massage w/thumb and rinse. Dry them on a towel foam side down.

 

Upgrade to one of those 6" quick change backing plates. It'll make your life a lot easier!

http://www.detailedimage.com/Lake-Co...able-7424-P56/

 

I just use APC to clean mines. Its quick and effective.

 

bump...to just buying the Lake country blue, gray, and yellow pad, thats all i need right?

 

I just spray mine with the hose and squeeze them out a few times.

 

I find that the key to getting your pads as clean as possible, is cleaning them as fast as possible after the detail. The longer you let products sit on the pads, the hard it's going to be to remove. Once product cakes up on a pad, as you goto use it again, you can often see parts of the product go flying off or being grinded into your paint. You end up just creating more work for yourself in the process.

As others have mentioned, I typically soak them in water along with some sort of degreaser. As they are soaking in the water / degreaser solution, I massage them with my fingers, working as much product out as possible. Repeat as necessary. When satisfied, lay them face down as loudog said on something absorbent, like a bath towel. Once completely air dry, I recommend storing them in Ziplok bags for maximum life and durability.

Another key thing is not letting the pads get over saturated. Switching pads during the detail can help ensure you get the most out of your detail and helps extend the durability of your pads since you aren't over working them. If you have a limited number of pads, make sure you take the time after every couple of panels to clean them out with a soft / medium bristle brush. A toothbrush works or a vinyl bristled brush.

Regarding the colored pads you mentioned, it depends on what you're trying to do with the buffer. Orange pads are great for a medium level polish to remove moderate swirls. White pads are great for finishing polishes, removing haze and other minor imperfections. If your paint is really neglected, the yellow pads are the most aggressive foam pads from Lake Country. These should be used with a compound. Grey pads are nice for applying glazes, paint cleaners or finishing polishes when you don't need much bite to it. Blue pads are ideal for applying sealants or waxes that aren't in paste form.

Hope this helps.

George

 

I soak mine over night and then put in some snappy cleaner and they are good to go.

 

Thanks george!

 

george do you think its best to apply waxes/sealants with the PC blue pad or by hand?

 

IMO, you should always apply waxes by hand. Sealants you can apply by PC, however you'll use more product than by hand. A blue pad would be what you would use to apply your sealants.

 

It's more of a preference thing. After spending hours of polishing with a machine, I usually apply my protective steps by hand. Paste waxes always by hand, sometimes I'll use a blue pad and a buffer to spread a sealant.

George

 

ok awesome. i can't wait for the weather to be a little bit better to do a FULL detail.