Not always, and by no means is it 100% necessary to do so.

Using a cutting pad alongside a cutting compound means you are using aggressive abrasives to help break down the paint. The result of this 'cutting' action usually results in "haze" or "hazing" occurring on the surface of your paint.

"Haze" or "Hazing" is caused by microscopic scratches left over from the sheer aggression of the cutting abrasives used and often causes the paint to look foggy or hazy, hence the name.

To remove this fine level of haze, we recommend using a finishing pad with a finishing compound to remove the haze. On some of the harder paint systems you may find your cutting stage isn't producing any haze, this is fine and might mean that you won't need to finish down after cutting.

You can use any compound with a cutting pad. But, when you do reach for the cutting pad, it's usually because you are looking for some serious bite to remove deeper scratches in your or the customers paint. With this is mind, cutting compounds are usually paired with cutting pads on most paint systems, and on softer paints, we usually use an intermediate compound like Scholl S20.

Cleaning your pads and maintaining them is actually very simple. There are 2 main elements when caring for your pads, first is to reduce the compound build up on the surface of the pad and the second is to give them a good clean!

To prevent compound build up, we recommend using a pad cleaning brush. These brushes aggravate the surface level compound and helps to reduce and remove any built up compound to ensure optimal performance for the next polishing stage. As compound seeps further into the pad, a deeper clean is recommended. This is where you will need to use a purpose built pad washer, washing detergent with a bucket or an all purpose cleaner to help break down then compound residue. Once this step has been completed, simply rinse off and squeeze the pads out under warm running water and allow them to dry away from direct sunlight.

To learn more about machine polishing pad care, click here.