A Guide to Chemical Guys Hex-Logic Pads

Chemical Guys Red Perfection Ultra Fine Finishing Pad

It can be used on the Dual Action polisher for applying glazes, refined paste waxes and sealants and due to the nature of its ultra-soft foam composition type works by not inducing any cut and leaving any pad marring behind. It provides full contact with the paint surface to minimise the pressure applied by the user. It is extremely useful of application of Chemical Guys Ez Creme Glaze (Pure Glaze) or any other types of filler heavy products, including cleansers after correction.

Chemical Guys Black Finishing Pad

The Black Finishing pad, as the name suggests it a very soft, however it is firm enough to withstand added pressure during final finish to remove buffer swirls. It is a closed cell pad and it main purpose is to finish down and level a crystal clear finish of all paint types. Although this pads is slightly firmer than the Red Pad within the range due to its closed cell nature. So again it will not leave foot print or pad marring after use. It main purpose is to be used with Glazes, filler heavy products, cleansers & light finish polishes.

Chemical Guys Blue Soft Polishing / Finishing pad

This is a glaze and cleaner foam pad with a unique composition that compliments all glazes and light surface cleaners delivering a perfect super fine finish for use with ultra-fine polishes, such as 3M Ultra Fina or Chemical Guys V38.
So as you can see with the blue pad this is where most of the confusion starts. Due to the cross over in levels of cut. (This will be explained later why CG have used this overlap system) The Blue pad is an open celled structure and offers a softer less dense pad than the Black. But it has an increase in cut when worked with very slight pressure or even just the weight of the machine. (Open & closed cell is discussed below.)
This pad is responsible for light finishing where a slight cut will aid the compound being used. It can also be used with a variety of non & abrasive paint cleansers where the addition of cut will cut back some very slight marring or cloudiness within the finish. It is still a soft and forgiving foam and as long as the user works the pad as intended it should not level an marring behind. So again filler heavy glazes can be used in conjunction. With the added benefit of a very slight cutting action from the pad in use.

Chemical Guys White Medium to Light Polish Pad

This is one of Chemical Guys general workhorse pads. Made up of a closed cell structure and denser than all previous pads but exhibiting a light cut. It can be used from finishing to medium defect removal on most paint types. It is capable of removing most medium defects on any given surface; however with the addition of being able to work longer it can finish down mar free, with the correct compound.

Chemical Guys Green Heavy Polishing / Light Cutting pad

The green pad is another workhorse or general defect removal pad. It is tough enough to remove swirls and scuffs while at the same time producing a high gloss swirl free finish (although personally I would still use one of the finishing pads to get that crystal clear). It offers an increase in cut compared to the previous pad, due to its softer but open celled structure. The pad has its own cut and used in conjunction with a correction polish will increase defect removal on any given set. This is an ideal pad to be used with an AIO – All-In-One product application.

Chemical Guys Orange Medium - Heavy cutting pad

This pad as the name suggests is for Medium to heavy defect removal. As it is made from a closed cell foam structure is ideal for scratch and defect removal. It is very firm to the touch, but smooth across the top surface. The pad works by pressure and working the abrasives harder on the surface, not by the cut of the pad, but by density. These types of pads and above in this cutting range should only be used once you have exhausted all other beforehand. As they are capable of removing paint fast and always monitor your removal rate prior and during use with a paint depth gauge.

Chemical Guys Yellow Heavy/Compound Pad

This is Chemical Guys top of the range cutting pad and it is made up off an open celled structure and has very coarse foam type. It is in fact softer than the previous pad, but with a very rough surface texture. It is capable of leaving its own foot print behind due to the nature of its cut and as before should only be used under extreme circumstances as it is the most aggressive and should really only be used on oxidised and older paint finishes. This pad should be used for deep and serve defect removal. Ideally on localized correction to conserve paint levels over the panel.
Chemical Guys advise that you follow up after this pad with an orange pad and a fine polish and then a white pad to refine the paint until it is smooth.

Open Celled pads

As you can see open celled pads as best described as an Aero chocolate bar with its top cut off. These pads have sharp edges and exhibit their own cut. Add an abrasive polish which coats the inside of these pockets and work with slight pressure and you introduce the cut of the pads pores coupled with the abrasives. Lubrication also comes into play as open celled pads have a habit of absorbing liquid deep within the foam.

With all foam pads it paramount that good housekeeping is maintained. Clean your pads often and de spurring will help to remove the build-up of broken down abrasives, removed paint and maintain the pads cut.

Closed Cell Pads

Again we shall look at these pads as before our Aero Chocolate bar. However this time the bubbles as complete. It offers a smoother surface, but with a denser type of pad. The pad exhibits almost zero cut across the range. It relies on pressure being transferred from the user through the pad to the abrasive compound to introduce cut. These pads also hold the abrasive polish and lubrication on the surface as a whole, therefore once you start to refine your set the dryness with lack of lubrication is not a concern. This type of pad can be extremely versatile when used with non-diminishing abrasives, as pressure it the main key to their correctional ability.

The only down sides of these type of pads as they are not as flexible or forgiving as open celled pads and are sometime harder to work within tight concaved section on a cars bodywork.