Lowiepete
07-04-2016, 05:57
Hello Folks,
What Is It?
A pack of 2 pads, one for polishing and another for waxing, each with a
crinkly waffle base. The white polishing pad on initial feel seems very firm.
However, pre-soaking it in warm water will soon relinquish its firmness
and display properties very much like memory foam. By contrast, the
black pad is very soft and ideal for thinly applying waxes and sealants.
Both pads have sliced notches in them making them extremely easy to hold.
These pads bring us a level of simplicity of design that gives any user all the
control they would need over a pad, with no risk of it flying out of their hand.
The pads in their packaging...
http://s5.postimg.cc/ijc3nv31z/spwaffle.jpg
Please note: This first post reviews the firm white pad only!
See Post #3 of this thread for my comments on the black pad.
What Does it Bring to the Table?
The Flexipads Polishing & Finishing Waffle Hand Applicators are
specially designed to increase effectiveness of compound and wax application
by hand. One pack contains 1 x Compound Waffle Pad (WHITE) and 1 x Wax
Waffle Pad (BLACK) The Pads Waffle design: Reduces effort and application time.
Provides an even finish.
Minimises compound wastage, giving you a professional finish faster.
The pads are also sliced, making them easier to grip and protecting the surface
from finger marks.
Using the Compound Waffle Pad: Lightly dampen the Waffle surface (preferably with warm water first)
Apply with a simple back and forth motion
Use an even pressure and change direction regularly for even finish.
After application remove residue and buff with a soft dry cloth.
Using the Wax Waffle Pad: Apply wax with a circular motion.
Use an even pressure, overlapping the circles for an even finish.
Allow to haze up before buffing with a soft dry cloth.
What Am I Testing it On?
Initially, a stainless steel sink that's quite badly swirled. I will revisit this on
paint at a later date...
What Do I Think of It?
The pad itself has a waffle or "crinkly bottom" which helps focus the pressure
and to spread the friction heat over a wider area. The foam is very firm, but
behaves almost exactly like memory foam, so you don't need to constantly
keep firm pressure at the point of contact. This makes it much easier to use
than a pad with a flat base.
Up until recently I've been fairly ambivalent about applicator pads. For the
most part they have all suffered from the same problem, keeping a good hold
of them. For those unaware of my previous postings, I have very limited motor
function in my hands, so this aspect is pretty important.
For anyone, keeping good control over a pad is essential, just to get the
desired results. The slits cut into the sides of this pad, unlike a certain
energy drink, give you real "wings" with which to grip the pad. It provides
such a firm hold that it'll be quite impossible to accidentally loosen your grip.
The confidence that this gives has completely changed my previous ambivalence.
I can now concentrate on the work's progress rather than on struggling to keep
hold of an applicator pad.
When I first felt this pad, my heart sank a little because it is very firm! Visions
of marring on soft Renault paint immediately sprang to mind. However, this
test revealed that it works really well. The bain of my life is the stainless steel
drainer on my kitchen sink and in the absence of some good detailing weather
at the time, it seemed like a good test candidate.
The drainer will mar with the greatest of ease, so I had a go at the swirls with
this pad and some gTechniq P1 polish. I wasn't intending to do this as a review,
but I was so impressed, I thought I'd have a 2nd go. The pictures below were
taken during this 2nd session. Not even with using Duraglit wadding can I get
this kind of cleaning reaction! As Yoda might say: "Impressed, I am!"
http://s5.postimg.cc/adqbr6at3/drainer1.jpg
Note the colour of the pad and how much crud it has absorbed.
http://s5.postimg.cc/5cixpt3cn/drainer2.jpg
http://s5.postimg.cc/6g321rnzr/drainer3.jpg
Not all the swirls are gone, but visitors are always impressed with how it shines.
The pad's behaviour under pressure is just like memory foam, so you can in fact
relax your hold, even when doing some enthusiastic rubbing.
Cleaning the Pad
The pad is made of very dense foam, so it easily absorbs material from the
surface it's being used upon. Rinsing out and cleaning is best performed under
a stream of water from the hot tap. Cold water tends to make the foam "freeze"
into its crushed form whilst squeezing. See my note under Cons below.
Pros
The simplicity of design and the control it gives.
The way that it'll help make hand polishing so much easier and a tad more
effective, assuming a good quality polish is used. It'll never match the results
of a machine, but it'll have its uses even if you've got a machine.
Cons
Not so much of a con, but nevertheless worthy of mention. In the first picture
I drew attention to what the pad had picked up. Getting this out is going to
need more than just a quick rinse in a bucket and certainly not in cold water!
I was quite startled at just how much yucky stuff was coming out of the pad.
When I did this review, I was unaware that these came in a sealed pack of
two, with one white and one black pad. Sadly, this puts a cost factor into
the equation because, in my view, the white pads will get the heavier use. I
would imagine that with polishes other than the gTechniq P1, the black pad
will come into its own. It will probably need someone with more experience of
polishes, and indeed, better motor function than I to make that assessment.
Notwithstanding the cost factor, my suggested remedy would be to have
several of these pads and then take them together to a sink for rinsing out,
using hot water. With just a single pad in use, the frequent running back and
forth will soon wear thin. This to the point where delaying the rinsing out
could result in you marring your paint!
Conclusions
Until now, most of my hand polishing efforts have been with a tri-foam pad.
Yes, the results were pretty good; the problem being that my hands soon
tired with trying to keep secure hold of it. This pad removes all that concern
and is an absolute joy to hold. Polishing by hand is never easy, but the results
I got with the combination of this pad and polish have pleasantly surprised me.
There's no question that using this pad with a good quality polish will help the
cause of hand polishing no end. It's never going to challenge results available
with a machine, but it won't disappoint either! I'm really looking forward to the
Spring when I can put it to good use. Who would have thought that such a
simple design would make all that difference?
Where Do I Buy It?
These packs are available from County Detailing Supplies (https://countydetailingsupplies.co.uk/shop/flexipads-professional-applicator-waffle-pads-set-of-2/): priced at £6.95 per pack, excl P&P.
Regards,
Steve
What Is It?
A pack of 2 pads, one for polishing and another for waxing, each with a
crinkly waffle base. The white polishing pad on initial feel seems very firm.
However, pre-soaking it in warm water will soon relinquish its firmness
and display properties very much like memory foam. By contrast, the
black pad is very soft and ideal for thinly applying waxes and sealants.
Both pads have sliced notches in them making them extremely easy to hold.
These pads bring us a level of simplicity of design that gives any user all the
control they would need over a pad, with no risk of it flying out of their hand.
The pads in their packaging...
http://s5.postimg.cc/ijc3nv31z/spwaffle.jpg
Please note: This first post reviews the firm white pad only!
See Post #3 of this thread for my comments on the black pad.
What Does it Bring to the Table?
The Flexipads Polishing & Finishing Waffle Hand Applicators are
specially designed to increase effectiveness of compound and wax application
by hand. One pack contains 1 x Compound Waffle Pad (WHITE) and 1 x Wax
Waffle Pad (BLACK) The Pads Waffle design: Reduces effort and application time.
Provides an even finish.
Minimises compound wastage, giving you a professional finish faster.
The pads are also sliced, making them easier to grip and protecting the surface
from finger marks.
Using the Compound Waffle Pad: Lightly dampen the Waffle surface (preferably with warm water first)
Apply with a simple back and forth motion
Use an even pressure and change direction regularly for even finish.
After application remove residue and buff with a soft dry cloth.
Using the Wax Waffle Pad: Apply wax with a circular motion.
Use an even pressure, overlapping the circles for an even finish.
Allow to haze up before buffing with a soft dry cloth.
What Am I Testing it On?
Initially, a stainless steel sink that's quite badly swirled. I will revisit this on
paint at a later date...
What Do I Think of It?
The pad itself has a waffle or "crinkly bottom" which helps focus the pressure
and to spread the friction heat over a wider area. The foam is very firm, but
behaves almost exactly like memory foam, so you don't need to constantly
keep firm pressure at the point of contact. This makes it much easier to use
than a pad with a flat base.
Up until recently I've been fairly ambivalent about applicator pads. For the
most part they have all suffered from the same problem, keeping a good hold
of them. For those unaware of my previous postings, I have very limited motor
function in my hands, so this aspect is pretty important.
For anyone, keeping good control over a pad is essential, just to get the
desired results. The slits cut into the sides of this pad, unlike a certain
energy drink, give you real "wings" with which to grip the pad. It provides
such a firm hold that it'll be quite impossible to accidentally loosen your grip.
The confidence that this gives has completely changed my previous ambivalence.
I can now concentrate on the work's progress rather than on struggling to keep
hold of an applicator pad.
When I first felt this pad, my heart sank a little because it is very firm! Visions
of marring on soft Renault paint immediately sprang to mind. However, this
test revealed that it works really well. The bain of my life is the stainless steel
drainer on my kitchen sink and in the absence of some good detailing weather
at the time, it seemed like a good test candidate.
The drainer will mar with the greatest of ease, so I had a go at the swirls with
this pad and some gTechniq P1 polish. I wasn't intending to do this as a review,
but I was so impressed, I thought I'd have a 2nd go. The pictures below were
taken during this 2nd session. Not even with using Duraglit wadding can I get
this kind of cleaning reaction! As Yoda might say: "Impressed, I am!"
http://s5.postimg.cc/adqbr6at3/drainer1.jpg
Note the colour of the pad and how much crud it has absorbed.
http://s5.postimg.cc/5cixpt3cn/drainer2.jpg
http://s5.postimg.cc/6g321rnzr/drainer3.jpg
Not all the swirls are gone, but visitors are always impressed with how it shines.
The pad's behaviour under pressure is just like memory foam, so you can in fact
relax your hold, even when doing some enthusiastic rubbing.
Cleaning the Pad
The pad is made of very dense foam, so it easily absorbs material from the
surface it's being used upon. Rinsing out and cleaning is best performed under
a stream of water from the hot tap. Cold water tends to make the foam "freeze"
into its crushed form whilst squeezing. See my note under Cons below.
Pros
The simplicity of design and the control it gives.
The way that it'll help make hand polishing so much easier and a tad more
effective, assuming a good quality polish is used. It'll never match the results
of a machine, but it'll have its uses even if you've got a machine.
Cons
Not so much of a con, but nevertheless worthy of mention. In the first picture
I drew attention to what the pad had picked up. Getting this out is going to
need more than just a quick rinse in a bucket and certainly not in cold water!
I was quite startled at just how much yucky stuff was coming out of the pad.
When I did this review, I was unaware that these came in a sealed pack of
two, with one white and one black pad. Sadly, this puts a cost factor into
the equation because, in my view, the white pads will get the heavier use. I
would imagine that with polishes other than the gTechniq P1, the black pad
will come into its own. It will probably need someone with more experience of
polishes, and indeed, better motor function than I to make that assessment.
Notwithstanding the cost factor, my suggested remedy would be to have
several of these pads and then take them together to a sink for rinsing out,
using hot water. With just a single pad in use, the frequent running back and
forth will soon wear thin. This to the point where delaying the rinsing out
could result in you marring your paint!
Conclusions
Until now, most of my hand polishing efforts have been with a tri-foam pad.
Yes, the results were pretty good; the problem being that my hands soon
tired with trying to keep secure hold of it. This pad removes all that concern
and is an absolute joy to hold. Polishing by hand is never easy, but the results
I got with the combination of this pad and polish have pleasantly surprised me.
There's no question that using this pad with a good quality polish will help the
cause of hand polishing no end. It's never going to challenge results available
with a machine, but it won't disappoint either! I'm really looking forward to the
Spring when I can put it to good use. Who would have thought that such a
simple design would make all that difference?
Where Do I Buy It?
These packs are available from County Detailing Supplies (https://countydetailingsupplies.co.uk/shop/flexipads-professional-applicator-waffle-pads-set-of-2/): priced at £6.95 per pack, excl P&P.
Regards,
Steve