One of the most confusing topics when you’re first getting into machine polishing is trying to figure out which pads to buy? There are hundreds of different types of pads, sizes of pads, colors of pads and even shapes of pads. Here at 3D we keep it simple. For most people and most detailing projects, you only need access to 3 different types of pads,

Cutting – This is our dark purple foam pad.
Polishing – This is our light purple foam pad.
Finishing – This is our black foam pad.

Get maximum polishing efficiency with 3D’s spider-cut design 5.5” foam pads
Some people think foam is foam, but this is simply not true. There’s a lot of chemistry and physics that go into the design of a quality foam pad. 3D’s quality foam buffing pads use the latest in foam chemistry to create pads that simply outperform the competition.

Foam Chemistry
Different chemicals can be added to a foam formula to make foam react differently under time, heat, and pressure and exposure to liquids or chemicals. Simple, non-descript foam pads cost less and that’s because they do less. Cheap pads also don’t last as long.

Unique foam structure
Run your hand over the face of a clean, dry 3D 5.5” light purple spider-cut medium polishing pad and you will feel the mild but crisp texture of the foam. This pad starts out a tick on the firm side but as soon as you start to use it the foam texture softens just a little for the perfect balance of light cutting, polishing, and even finishing depending upon the product you’re using and the hardness or softness of the paint you’re polishing.

Pad design
The slotted spider-cuts across the face of our foam polishing pad flex when spinning against the surface, this increases their surface area, which increases their polishing ability for faster refining of the surface and finishing swirl-free and show car quality.

Product trapping
The spider-cut structure flexes to open up when buffing allowing the polish powders or abrasives to migrate in-between the spider-cuts trapping them in the pad for extended work time and more efficient polishing and refining of the surface. As you’re buffing, the abrasives have greater contact against the surface for a more efficient polishing-effect.

Longer lasting
The open-cell design also offers great tensile strength as compared to closed-cell foam pads and this means they are more tear-resistant and thus last longer.

Cooler buffing temperatures
The slotted spider-cuts across the face of the pad flex as you buff allowing better air movement over and through the pad for improved heat transfer from the pad to the air. This helps keep surface temperatures lower and helps to prevent the face of the pad from bowling-in.

Excellent polishing range
3D’s 5.5” light purple spider-cut medium polishing pads are versatile because they offer light cutting, medium polishing and even fine finishing simply by changing the product. To get light cutting use with 3D compounds or 3D’s unique 505 Correction Glaze

3D’s 502. For normal polishing on any paint or final polishing on harder paints, use with 3D’s 502, 510, ONE or SPEED. See? Very versatile!

Best value
These pads offer a great range of polishing options, and the foam is extra durable. 3D’s buffing pads don’t cost more money, they make you more money.

Versatile
Our 5.5” light purple spider-cut medium polishing pads work great on any type of polisher including rotary polishers, long stroke polishers, short stroke polishers, free spinning polishers, and gear-driven polishers.

3D Foam Pads are made to last and get the job done.

What is it?
High performance foam polishing pad for use with rotary and orbital polishers.

What does it do?
When used with 3D compounds, polishes, glazes and AIOs, these foam polishing pads can remove a wide range of defects or refine and maximize gloss and clarity.

When do you use it?
Typically foam polishing pads are the workhorse of the paint correction industry. When doing multiple step paint correction, a polishing pad is used as the second step after a more aggressive step, for example after the compounding step when removing sanding marks or after the compounding step when detailing severely neglected car. The 3D 5.5” light purple spider-cut medium polishing pad is also perfect for doing one-step correction with 3D AAT 505 Correction Glaze or SPEED. This polishing pad is also a perfect match when using 3D ONE.

Why use 3D’s 5.5” Light Purple Spider-Cut Medium Polishing pads over other options?
All the foam used to create 3D’s foam pads is of the highest quality. Cheap foam buffing pads don’t last long because the foam tears-up or bowls inward when exposed to high temperatures from heavy compounding. 3D’s foam buffing pads use advanced foam chemistry where the foam is modified and tuned for specific functions like durability, heat and chemical resistance, sustained cell wall structure under extreme work loads for more uniform polishing performance from start to finish.