Compounding and polishing head recommendations

[laika]

I’ve previously used 3m 9” wool compounding and polishing heads as recommended some years ago (and examples generously sent to me by) @Marine Reflections . These worked much better on my silverline polisher (m14 thread) than foam pads I’d previously used. However it’s proved impossible to get a replacement backing pad and 3m tell me they’ve been discontinued from the uk market, they’ve deprecated wool products and I should look at the green foam 6” heads for both compounding and polishing.

What are the forum’s current recommendations?

 

[PCUK]

Waffle foam heads are considered very good and they work for me.

 

[Bobc]

Type "3M wool polishing mop" into Google and look at the shopping results. You can still get both the white and yellow mops.

Marinescene have both types here:- Search Results

 

[laika]

Marinescene have both types here

interesting. They also have the m14 backing pads which 3m told me this morning were only available in the us. I’d been searching by product number with no joy. Are marinescene any good? I’ve not bought from them before.

 

[Bobc]

interesting. They also have the m14 backing pads which 3m told me this morning were only available in the us. I’d been searching by product number with no joy. Are marinescene any good? I’ve not bought from them before.

Yes, I've used them many times in the past.

 

[laika]

Thanks! Order placed and I’m hopefully sorted out unless they’re advertising stock they don’t have, but if these are discontinued in the UK recommendations for alternatives that folk have might benefit others.

 

[Keith-i]

My local car factors had a range of Velcro backing pads and wool heads at very reasonable prices. They have worked fine for me and I prefer them over foam heads.

 

[laika]

Thanks! Order placed and I’m hopefully sorted out unless they’re advertising stock they don’t have,

They were advertising stock they don’t have :-(

Heads will arrive Thursday but backing pad not until next month. Target date for relaunch was Friday.

 

[laika]

I should have said that actually marinescene were very good with actually calling me to say that the backing pads were out of stock with the supplier and offering to cancel the order. Very nice about it so no complaints (I decided to continue with the order for next time). They don’t seem to keep the in stock items where they dispatch from so delivery times are a couple of days more than we’re used to these days but they arived when they said so again, no complaints.

I managed to use the new heads with the old backing pads but as with last time, I’ve forgotten how to do it: Not in theory but I recall last time round it took nearly half a boat before I found a rhythm. Currently having difficulty seeing where I’ve done until I get off the ladder and step back. With launch day tomorrow, at current rate I’m going to have a boat with one half shiny and one half full.

EDIT: make that a quarter boat. This is no weather for being up a ladder with a polishing machine. Boat will have to launch clean but dull. At least the anti fouling is done, shaft seal changed, anodes done and prop shiny

 

[shortjohnsilver]

Incidentally when using foam heads, what colour foam head is best suited for compounding and what colour best for polishing?