A process for joining together a first polishing pad with a second polishing pad to form a larger pad for a machine that performs chemical-mechanical polishing of silicon wafers. The process includes laying a first polishing pad on a surface and laying a second pad on the surface so that a portion of the second pad overlies a portion of the first pad, creating an overlap region. The first and second pads in the overlap region are cut through to form a first cut edge on the first pad and a second cut edge on the second pad, the first and second cut edges having shapes which are complementary. The first and second cut edges are brought into engagement, and the first pad is joined to the second pad at the first and second cut edges. Cutting is done in a first direction that is generally opposite to a second direction that a polishing fluid is expected to move on an surface of the pad during operation of the polishing machine, thereby sloping the first and second cut edges away from the second direction to inhibit passage of polishing fluid between the first and second cut edges.