[roger1]

I was afraid it would be pretty slow as you describe using a standard throw orbital. Since the denim pads are supposed to be used with a rotary, I never tried one one on my orbital.
I really like my Dewalt polisher for the denim pads. Here's a pretty good deal:
https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DWP849.../dp/B004W1WGIC

Even if this is the last car you ever paint, I think this would be a good investment. You can do paint correction on your everyday cars with it. The denim pads work great for polishing out bird poop etching, acid rain spots and things like that.
Some say the polisher is heavy. I don't find it heavy for me at all to use. I think it might even be an advantage with denim pads. One thing that can happen while getting used to controlling it is that the pad can start jumping around on you. Once you master how to grip it and keep it flat, it won't do that anymore. If it does jump, back off and start again making sure the pad is flat on the panel before you pull the trigger. The soft start really helps with this too.

Since you are getting so much gumming up, it sounds like you might be applying a bit too much compound. It does need to be run almost until it's totally dry. I'd say maximum cutting comes when it first starts to dry out and diminishes as it gets more dry. As it drys, it can build up heat faster too and why it is necessary to check for heat by touching the panel with your hand. I also try to polish about a 2 sqft area at a time. If you work a smaller area, it will heat up faster. I don't get a lot of gum build up like you are describing but I do get a little and check and scrape off with my fingernail if needed between iterations.

After an initial priming of the pad and running the first pass, I re-apply about 5 spots of compound on the pad to start the next pass with. I usually do the first pass on an area at about 1000 rpm and up it to 1200 for the second application pass and a third if it's needed.