PC 7424, "Use 5 inch Pad Only"??? - Page 2

a.k.a. Patrick · 12-29-07, 02:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by toyotaguy

I actually prefer to use a 6" plate with 6.5" pads and a 5" plate with 5.5" pads and a 3.5" plate with 4" pads...

call me crazy, but I have more control and it doesnt bog the PC down as much as a small plate with a bigger pad...(5" plate with 6.5" pad), not to mention faster results

Totally agree. As for using 7.5" pads with a PC, I wouldnt even considerate it. 6.5" is max in my world.

Wren · 12-29-07, 06:58

I stepped up to the 6" backing plate after using a 5" (with 6.5 pads) because I found that the pads would concave down in the center and flare up on the outside, after awhile when working with pressure on the edge it was able to pull itself off the velcro.

Haven't had any problems with the 6" backing plate so far, plus now I feel like the pad is supported better, no more "bowing up"

:beers

fergnation · 12-31-07, 09:06

If you want to do any correcting, you need to go with a smaller pad. 5" backing plate and 6" or 6.5" pads are good for minor swirls. but if you want to remove scratches or heavy oxidation and swirls then a 4" pad and 3.5" backing plate is a must. With the UDM and PC it seems like the larger pads leave a lot more marring. When using medium to heavy polishes with the larger pads, the abrasives in the polish cut fine but when they break down there is not enough heat and power to smooth the rest of the finish out. Thus leaving the marring we all dislike so much. So if you are going to be doing a lot of correcting, smaller pads and backing plate are a must. IMO!

Happy New Year Everyone!!!!

toyotaguy · 12-31-07, 10:31

oxidation doesnt get cut out...it gets chemically removed via a cutting pad and megs #66 cleaner polish/wax...then the whole car gets the normal polish job

lexusgs · 01-17-08, 03:55

I am a little confused with the backing plate and sizes of pads. I am totally new to machine polishing. If I get say a velcro flexible backing plate for my PC 7424 that means I can quickly change pads for different cutting/polishing variations by just pulling the pad off the velcro backing plate and add a different one? Do most pads like lake county, sonus, mequirs have velcro backs so they can be stuck on a standard velcro backing plate and easily taken off and switched or do I have to match backing plate types with pad types or they won't work? Do hook/loop backing plates have the velcro for attachment or do they use something different? Also I do want to do some correcting but some are saying it is better to go with smaller backing plates and pads for this. I was planning on getting a 5" flexible backing plate and using similiar sized pads Is there a big difference between different makes of these flexible backing plates? I have a black Lexus GS430 and would like to get rid of swirl marks, oxidation, water spots, small scratches, any recommondations on pads/polishes to accomplish this.

KnuckleBuckett · 01-17-08, 04:47

You kidding? Hook and Loop is Velcro.

Check out the Edge quick disconnect and pads. You should be ok starting with an orange pad. Worked well on my LS430.

Civicman86 · 01-17-08, 06:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by lexusgs

Also I do want to do some correcting but some are saying it is better to go with smaller backing plates and pads for this. I was planning on getting a 5" flexible backing plate and using similiar sized pads Is there a big difference between different makes of these flexible backing plates? I have a black Lexus GS430 and would like to get rid of swirl marks, oxidation, water spots, small scratches, any recommondations on pads/polishes to accomplish this.

The smaller the pad the more heat will be generated and the better correcting you can do.

fergnation · 01-17-08, 08:23

I never touch my 6.5" pads. 6" is as large as I go especially with my UDM. A 5" backing plate with a 6.5" pad has too much room around the edge and you end up using only 5" of the pad anyways. The extra 1.5" that has no backing is worthless (PC & UDM). It is very hard to get to any edges of the car because the sid eof the pad raises up. Also, if you want to do any correcting without marring, a 4" or 5.5 or 6" pad is needed.

Now I am sure that there will be plenty to argue with this, but for a beginner the smaller pads will show the most work. A beginner needs to see pads and products work to learn from. A 6.5 inch pad and 5" backing plate is very very difficult to break down the polish and show the beginner the three steps that polishes break down to. So if you are new to this game, a 3.5" and a 5" backing plate is essential as is 4", 5.5" and 6" pads. They will give you the biggest bang and speed up the learning curve. IMO (which probably isn't worth a damn)

JuneBug · 01-18-08, 04:38

I started with the 5" backing plate and LC 6.5" pads. They did very well - I thought, till I tried the 5.5" low profile LC pads. To me, it gave my PC a big boost in power. I was able to do some real corrections with the orange pad in a decent amount of time, I want to add that I was using Menzerna so your results may vary with other polishes. Now, for quick scratch removal or just an overall polish with FFII I grab the 5.5" pads - orange or white depending on the need. I still use my 6.5" blue and gray pads for sealants and glazes - that's where you want a big old soft pad on your paint.

lexusgs · 01-18-08, 02:57

Man, all these pads and products to choose and try to see the best deal I can get is getting a little overwelming for the PC. Mequiars, Mezerna, seem to be the most popular for polishes and LC pads seem to be the most popular but some have rocommended Griots polishes as they are more formulated for orbitals and break down without the heat associated with rotaries, someone was also recommending Blitz one grand, and well as pinnacle and Poorboys, man it is going to take alot of research. I think I will go with a 5" and 3.5in backing plate and then some 4"correcting pads and 5.5" for general work.

I know this may sound like a dumb question but for the polishes that work much better on rotaries because of the heat rotaries produce which causes the polish to break down and properly work compared to orbitals that don't produce enough heat for the polishes to properly break down which leads to marring/hazing/hardening, could heating the polish or pad up by say placing the polish bottle in a bucket of hot water or placing the pad on something warm/hot get a similiar reaction of the polish being heated by the rotary and allow those polishes to work much better and break down better on a orbital if they were preheated by some method right before applying to the pad or having the pad warmed before applying the polish.

BlackElantraGT · 01-18-08, 04:54

To the OP:

Since you said you already purchased Meg's 6.5" inch pad, you have to take some things into consideration. Meguiar's pads do not have a full-back velcro like many LC pads. Because of this, even if you wanted to use a 6" dia. bp with 6.5" pads, you cannot do this with Meg's pads as your bp will be larger than the velcro.

Along with LC pads in various sizes, I also have 6.5" Meg pads and even with Meg's own 5" backing plate, what ends up happening is the backing plate cuts into the foam pad when you apply pressure. Part of the problem of the Meg's backing plate also is that it's not flexible (it's a hard plastic) and it has a sharp edge compared to the lake country backing plates, which are flexible and has a rounded edge.

I don't have any experience with 5.5" pads, but from the feedback on here and from experience with 6.5" pads on a 5" bp, 5.5" pads sounds like the way to go on a PC. FWIW, I much prefer my LC pads and backing plate vs. Meg's.