New Pads???

Do I need to do anything to prep my pads before I use them for the first time? They are going on a Makita and they are Uber 5.5" and 4" inch pads I got from DD. Any help at all would be great.

 

You shouldn't have to. Normally I put two or three pea sized drops of polish on the pad but if its a fresh pad I might put five on, evenly spaced to help prime the pad. I never spray my pads with water, QD or anything.

 

Before using them, I always give my pads, new or not, a nice once over with my Edge Conditioning brush to make sure there aren't any small particles that could marr the paint.

 

I always sqeeze them with my fingers as I rotate them in a circle to soften them up a little...Just my thing...:shrug:

 

What about getting them squared up on the backing plate? Any pointers?

 

I eyeball it from the side to make sure the amount of pad showing from the edge of the backing plate out to the edge of the pad is consistent from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock. Then I eyeball it looking down to compare the two sides; 9 o'clock vs 3 o'clock. On the Flex, I'm much more lax about it.

 

Try taking the backing plate off the machine if you're having trouble lining it up.

 

Thank you. The Uber Orange pad just felt very stiff. I just didn't know if there was a process for getting it ready to use. I didn't want to fling the product everywhere but on the car.