wool or foam?

[swampshark]

Getting ready to start wet sanding / compounding / polishing my boat....I've read several posts here on subject but I am confused about which compound / rubbing pad to use....some say wool...some say white foam waffle pad....which one...what's the difference?

[krindgen]

I think I would throw the wool in the trash. No pro, but I nearly ruined a black paint job with a rotary and a wool pad. Bad combination and bad choice for the application. But the foam pads are so nice to use and reuse and easy.

[Sbassin22]

Lots of posts on here with a ton of specifics. I believe most guys recommend the 3m pads. I did mine and just used the harbor freight foam pads. They did a fine job. I used 1000, 1500 and 2000 grit paper and the mcguiars compound polish and wax. A lot of big fans of protec products on here as well. It came out great, but it's a lot of work. If I could go back in time I would have gone slower and tried to salvage more of the clear gel as I was hastey and got into the flake in a couple spots. I was dealing with a lot of oxidation so not sure I had much of a choice, but if I went slower I think I would have like the result even more. If you have a hi level of oxidation make sure you're ready to be very proactive with wax to keep it from coming back.

[MikeKz]

I use the 3m pad in black color on cars with Protec polish, really does a nice job after clay barring.

I will do same to my boat using 1200 and 2000 grit. I watched Protec video and do believe I will try wool pad.

[crank68]

Getting ready to start wet sanding / compounding / polishing my boat....I've read several posts here on subject but I am confused about which compound / rubbing pad to use....some say wool...some say white foam waffle pad....which one...what's the difference?

What is the color/colors of your boat and what is your level expertise with sanding and buffing? In most cases a wool pad on gel is the way to go. Very seldom do I use a foam pad on gel. Here is a pic of a black wake boat I restored the gel on with several rounds of sanding, a wool pad then a wool finishing pad, then sealed. Everything in the pic on the left is a reflection. On the right you can see a small bit of the actual tape measure...

[paulrodbender]

For me on gel coat, wool pad with 3m super duty for compound and then wool with polish. Crank knows his stuff.