Cutting, polishing and finishing pads are made with varying degrees of aggressiveness. Wool polishing pads are typically used with a rotary buffer for the removal of severe paint defects. If the surface to be polished is oxidized or if it has deep scratches, wool buffing pads are the fastest way to get rid of the contamination. Using a compounding car polishing pad with a rotary polisher has associated risks, so a dual action random orbital polisher might be safer for a beginner.
For most cars, wool buffing pads will not produce a flawlessly smooth finish. In these cases, it's best to follow up with foam car polishing pads. This will bring back the shine. The last step will be to protect the shine with a foam finishing pad and wax or paint sealant.
3M has perfected the art of the double sided wool pad. Rupes recently released coarse and medium wool pads for use with the Bigfoot Random Orbital Long Throw polishers.
