Festool polishing sponges

[redcliff]

Greetings.

What is the expected lifespan of the various Festool polishing sponges?
Can they be reused? If so, would you simply clean them as you would a brush?
Is there really a difference in the three color coded types?
Is there a recommended alternative?

Any advise on polishing is gratefully accepted.

Thank you for you help. I usually stick with the Festool ecosystem, however, those sponges are a bit expensive even for Festool.

 

[leakyroof]

Polishing Pads are often color coded for the 'aggressiveness ' of the pad.  Generally from what I've seen, and at least with Festool, Yellow was Coarse, Orange medium, and probably the most common.  Black was Fine.
For me, Orange is my Polishing pad for defects, cleaning, spot issues, And Black , or other fine pad, is for Waxing.
Foam type and density add to the mix. Honeycomb or Waffle looking Pads are often wax only. Really fine foam pads will only hold up for gentle work, while the Orange pads are tougher and last longer.
For me, it's really rare that I need coarse pads like a Yellow pad, but I have a couple of them ,just in case.
For Cleaning, my GO TO Cleaner is Griots Garage Micro-Fiber and Pad Cleaner. It cuts through polishes and waxes on the pads really quick, faster than just using a Dishwashing Soap like Dawn[ which also works].
Lots of places sell foam pads, just venture out into Auto Detailing Supply web sites and you'll find 3" pads, 5" and 6" pads galore.  3" pads will work with an RO 90 just fine. Close enough to 90mm stock pad size from Festool.
Griots Garage sells pads as well.  I use a mix of Festool and Griots Garage , but you don't have to buy from them

Compounds/polishes... Everyone has their favorite, and a lot depends on what you're working with, or trying to do.
Buffing a Lacquer finish on an older piece of Furniture, or polishing your Car.....Leveling a finish that looks like Orange Peel?

 

[Cheese]

What Festool machine are you using as a polisher?

The Festool sponges can be reused but their length of life depends upon many issues, including operator error. The pads I use for buffing out headlight covers are over 4 years old and I've buffed out at least 10 sets of headlight covers.

I also prefer to use Griots Garage Foam Pad Cleaner as it works better than dishwashing liquid. After a thorough cleansing & rinsing, I place the cleaned pad face down on a soft cotton towel. Some pads have a denser foam backing and by placing the pad face down, the water from the backing will drain easily into the cotton towel and the entire pad will dry faster.

[attachimg=1]

I started with Swissvax pads but moved on to Festool as the results were the same and the Festool pads are half the price. I've heard people also having good luck with Lake Country pads.
https://www.autogeek.net/lakecountr...MI9djawtOygwMVdlNHAR2GdQZ-EAAYASAAEgK-4PD_BwE

For compounds & polishes I'm a fan of Menzerna products. If Menzerna is good enough for Corvette, Porsche, Mercedes, Bentley, Audi and the stringed instrument and furniture business...then they're good enough for my projects.  [big grin]
https://www.autogeek.net/swreandpo....ms_per_page=24&sort_method=_score/desc&page=1

As far as pad colors, 90% of my work is with blue, white or black pads. I do have some orange pads but I seldom use them and I have 1 yellow pad that I've never used.

 

[HowardH]

What Festool machine are you using as a polisher?

The Festool sponges can be reused but their length of life depends upon many issues, including operator error. The pads I use for buffing out headlight covers are over 4 years old and I've buffed out at least 10 sets of headlight covers.

I also prefer to use Griots Garage Foam Pad Cleaner as it works better than dishwashing liquid. After a thorough cleansing & rinsing, I place the cleaned pad face down on a soft cotton towel. Some pads have a denser foam backing and by placing the pad face down, the water from the backing will drain easily into the cotton towel and the entire pad will dry faster.

[attachimg=1]

I started with Swissvax pads but moved on to Festool as the results were the same and the Festool pads are half the price. I've heard people also having good luck with Lake Country pads.
https://www.autogeek.net/lakecountr...MI9djawtOygwMVdlNHAR2GdQZ-EAAYASAAEgK-4PD_BwE

For compounds & polishes I'm a fan of Menzerna products. If Menzerna is good enough for Corvette, Porsche, Mercedes, Bentley, Audi and the stringed instrument and furniture business...then they're good enough for my projects.  [big grin]
https://www.autogeek.net/swreandpo....ms_per_page=24&sort_method=_score/desc&page=1

As far as pad colors, 90% of my work is with blue, white or black pads. I do have some orange pads but I seldom use them and I have 1 yellow pad that I've never used.

I have used the pads on my RO150 and it turns out beautifully.  Sedge has a Festool live video on how to polish.  Welll worth the view. 

 

[luvmytoolz]

Lots of places sell foam pads, just venture out into Auto Detailing Supply web sites and you'll find 3" pads, 5" and 6" pads galore.  3" pads will work with an RO 90 just fine. Close enough to 90mm stock pad size from Festool.

I bought a bunch of the cheap bulk packs of 75mm auto use velcro backed sponges off Ebay, and are using them with the RO90 on varnished timber with Maguires plastic polish, the results are absolutely spectacular.

 

[redcliff]

Thank you for all the help and suggestion. Very helpful.