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[ Home > RV Polishers,
Buffers & Pads > Dual-Action & Orbital Polishers,
Pads & Accessories > Gel Coat Finishing Pads ]
 Gel Coat Finishing Pads
Special foam pads for finishing
standard and painted gel coat surfaces.
New gel coats and freshly
polished gel coats on boat's & RV's should be sealed with a wax or gel coat
sealant (We like Bow to Stern One-step, Gel Coat, Micro-polish & Sealant.) This final step retards oxidation and
protects the surface against air and water pollution, acid rain, salt air and
UV-induced fade.
Sealing large vehicles and/or
vessels usually means working outdoors, in direct sunlight. This requires a pad
designed to retain sealant without drying out. Sealants should be applied with a
dual-action machine polisher like the Porter Cable 7424. Professional circular
polishers, even at the slowest speed, create too much heat causing sealants to
dry prematurely.
Three different pads are
available for the 7424 polisher.
Many enthusiasts prefer to use
a one-step, polish and sealant. When used routinely (twice a year) these
products can keep your boat or RV looking bright and glassy almost indefinitely.
We offer both a white and an orange Gel Coat Foam Pad for applying these
combination polish/sealants. The Orange Gel Coat Power Pad has twice the
cleaning power of the white pad. If your boat or RV would benefit from extra
cleaning power (finish becoming dull and chalky) select the Orange Gel Coat
Power Pad.
If using a pure liquid wax or
sealant without any cleaning properties, select the Red Gel Coat Finishing Pad.
This pad does not offer any cleaning properties. All three of these pads are designed to allow
sealants to stay in the pad longer without drying out. This allows you to work
longer without "caking" the pad. They are also designed to conform to
curved, angled and uneven surfaces. This eliminates repeatedly going over the
same area to achieve full coverage on complex curves, sloping and rounded
panels.
Recommended pads for specific
products:
We've
used these pads on the Porter Cable 7424 and found certain products work best
with certain pads. While this isn't cast in stone, here are the combinations we
found that worked best:
Orange,
CCS, Gel Coat Power Pad
Use this 7-1/2 inch, CCS, Gel Coat Orange Power Pad with
combination polish/sealants for maximum cleaning power. The CCS Technology allows you to work longer, even in direct
sunlight without the pad drying out.
This pad is firm for
maximum cutting power, conforms to uneven surfaces and complex curves yet reforms
quickly when you lift the pad. |
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| Orange CCS Gel Coat Power Pads work with:
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Green, CCS, Gel
Coat, One-step, Pad -
Use this 7-1/2 inch, CCS, Gel Coat Green Pad with
combination polish/sealants where mild cleaning power is desired as well
as a high gloss finish. sNote:
You should not
use a circular polisher to apply most one-step cleaner/sealants. Green
CPCF No Longer Available! |
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Green, CCS Gel Coat, One-step Pads work best with:
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White,
CCS, Gel Coat Pad
Use this 7-1/2 inch, CCS, Gel Coat White Pad with
combination polish/sealants for normal cleaning power. Again, the CCS
Technology allows you to work longer, even in direct sunlight without the
pad drying out.
This pad is softer with
less "cut" but still works easily over uneven surfaces and complex curves. |
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White, CCS, Gel Coat
Pad works best with:
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Red,
CCS, Gel Coat Finishing Pad
Use this 7-1/2 inch, CCS, Gel Coat Red Finishing Pad with
"pure" liquid waxes and sealants for maximum shine. This pad has
no cleaning power. Again, the CCS Technology allows you to work longer, even in direct
sunlight without the pad drying out.
This is the softest,
European finishing foam available. It is designed to produce the brightest
possible shine on already-polished gel coats without streaks, swirls or
hazy patches. |
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Red, CCS, Gel Coat Finishing
Pad works best with:
Note: All of the above pads require your
7424 polisher be fitted with a 6 inch, flexible, hook-and-loop backing
plate. This backing plate does not come with these pads and may or may not
have come with your 7424 polisher. If you need a backing plate for your
7424 Polisher, select our part number FBP-6DA listed below. Removing the
stock pad that comes on the Porter Cable 7424 requires a special Porter
Cable Flat Wrench that comes with all Porter Cable 7424
Polishers. If you lost the wrench that came with your machine,
you can order a replacement below. |
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Pad
Care: Spray dirty foam pads with
Gel Coat Labs All Marine Cleaner and soak in a bucket of water with a pad cleaner such as
Snappy
Clean.
Let pads soak for 5 to 15 minutes. Fluff up pad with your fingers then
hand squeeze out excess water. Allow to air dry, preferably in the sun. Do
not use pads still wet from cleaning.
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