Trouble with Rupes 4 inch pads

[rlmccarty2000]

I have never had any problems with Rupes pads of any size until today. After compounding a few small areas with the green Rupes 4 inch pad on my 75e I noticed the pad was deteriorating from the middle, so I stopped and replaced it with a new pad and just chalked it up to bad luck. I finished the area with the new pad and washed it. I noticed the new pad was delaminated from the Velcro. I don`t use the blue or green very often and have not seen any posts noting this problem. I don`t abuse my pads (they cost too much). I was running between 4 and 5 using Rupes green compound. The surface was cool and all of my other Rupes 6 and 7 inch pads washed up fine. Is this a normal problem with the Rupes green 4 inch? What other pads should I try instead of the Rupes 4 inchers? Any suggestions?

[mjlinane]

I would PM Todd@RUPES. Probably best to help you assess what is going on.

[RaysWay]

Ya this is the first I`ve heard of a 4 inch RUPES pad fail. I even tried a Google search and couldn`t find any info. Just for reference, do you have a washer mod on your 75E? PMing you now...

[wendell jarvis]

A lot of factors to take into consideration. ....maybe too much compound or polish on pad, running it at to high of speed, maybe applying to much pressure on the machine

[rlmccarty2000]

Pm`ed you back. No washer mod on any of my Rupes 15, 21, or mini. I figure the manufacturer knows best.

[rlmccarty2000]

Wendell, I thought about that too, that is why I just tossed the first one. But the second one was not used much at all, so I can`t see why that one delaminated. I`ve never had any problems from any other Rupes pads and I`m not rough on the pads and change them often. I only use the 4 inchers on spot correction. I have heard of some people doing their whole car with the 4 inch pad. I`m not into that kind of pain. Lol

[Todd@RUPES]

This is also the first I have heard of such a problem. PM me your address and I will ship you out a box of 4-inch pads. If you don`t mind, please send the damaged pads to our US facility in Colorado. We would like have one of the engineers examine this problem.

[Mbkite]

I will add my green pads don`t last they shred tiny bits at a time leave foam chunks on car.

[Dylan@RUPES]

Definitely not typical of our foams, so please get in touch with us if you need us to replace them.

One pattern that has shown itself in the isolated incidents this does get reported is the compound use. The foams structures of our pads specifically are sensitive to some solvents, so compounds/polishes high in solvent content or that utilize more aggressive solvents can cause the foam to deteriorate in some cases. Not a phenomena we observed as much as we tried with our stuff as they`re all water based, but when we realized there was a pattern we ordered in some `known offenders` and were able to recreate the delamination and crumbling issue in as little as 1 or 2 buffing cycles with the green foam.

[XxBoostinxX]

Definitely not typical of our foams, so please get in touch with us if you need us to replace them.

One pattern that has shown itself in the isolated incidents this does get reported is the compound use. The foams structures of our pads specifically are sensitive to some solvents, so compounds/polishes high in solvent content or that utilize more aggressive solvents can cause the foam to deteriorate in some cases. Not a phenomena we observed as much as we tried with our stuff as they`re all water based, but when we realized there was a pattern we ordered in some `known offenders` and were able to recreate the delamination and crumbling issue in as little as 1 or 2 buffing cycles with the green foam.
Could you elaborate on which "known offenders" those were? I am just curious to know so I don`t tear up any of my pads.

[RaysWay]

Could you elaborate on which "known offenders" those were? I am just curious to know so I don`t tear up any of my pads.

If you use anything other than RUPES brand polishes, you`re taking a risk.

Thanks for chiming in and clearing that up Todd & Dylan. That makes sense.

[rlmccarty2000]

Thanks, I`ve only got one of the green ones left. I threw the first one away because it delaminated/destructed and there was no need to try to wash it. I do have one green 4 inch and one blue 4 inch that I will mail to you. I just bought a few new green pads here yesterday. I always use Rupes green pads with the corresponding green topped polish, but why couldn`t you use any pad with any polish? I have never heard any other pad manufacturer say not to use a certain polish with their pads. Any info would be appreciated.

[XxBoostinxX]

Thanks, I`ve only got one of the green ones left. I threw the first one away because it delaminated/destructed and there was no need to try to wash it. I do have one green 4 inch and one blue 4 inch that I will mail to you. I just bought a few new green pads here yesterday. I always use Rupes green pads with the corresponding green topped polish, but why couldn`t you use any pad with any polish? I have never heard any other pad manufacturer say not to use a certain polish with their pads. Any info would be appreciated.
I had two blue coarse pads that did the same thing. They shredded and delaminated using the corresponding blue polish. Part of the reason for my trouble was the backing plate of my 75e warped and tore the pad up. Francesco was kind enough to send me a new backing plate to mine. I hope you aren`t running into a similar problem.

[Wing Commander]

I just purchased a Rupes mini75 polisher and five types of Rupes pads and two types of microfiber pads. I also purchased all five types of polish to match the pads. Is there any cautions I should know about compared to using Menzerna polishes? I will mostly use this for only where the big machines do not fit.

[Todd@RUPES]

Thanks, I`ve only got one of the green ones left. I threw the first one away because it delaminated/destructed and there was no need to try to wash it. I do have one green 4 inch and one blue 4 inch that I will mail to you. I just bought a few new green pads here yesterday. I always use Rupes green pads with the corresponding green topped polish, but why couldn`t you use any pad with any polish? I have never heard any other pad manufacturer say not to use a certain polish with their pads. Any info would be appreciated.

There are only a handful of (actual)polish-grade foam manufacturers in the world, and most of that foam is sourced from one of several places in Europe. When you are a foam pad manufacturer, you are actually a foam pad converter. You purchase the foam in what amounts to a loaf, cut it, stamp it with your backing material, and off you go.

Prior to the BigFoot revolution, the foam you would purchase would be soft and designed for a rotary polisher. This is, of course, because rotaries made up 99% of the market. Rotary foam has to be soft; it must quickly contour to body panels while spinning at an edge speed greater than 30mph.

On an orbital polisher, the soft foam absorbs much of the movement of the DA - similar to a bowl of Jello jiggling on itself. The wasted engr. leads to heat build up inside the foam. Since most of the foam comes from the same source (this is why foam pad manufacturers tend to have identical colors/foams across their line up), the traditional way to solve this issue to remove surface area from the foam (reduce height and/or reduce diameter).

RUPES specified a number of unique (and proprietary) foam formulas that are resistant to lateral movement. This allows for an efficient transfer of energy to the paint, without the need for a small pad or pressure to compress the foam. The resin used inside the foam is unique and does not play well with certain aggressive solvents. However, it is carefully matched to the color-coordinated compounds, which is why Mike Phillip`s calls the blue/blue (Zephir blue compound / coarse blue foam) magical. When primed according to specification, the water-based blue compound will slightly soften the first millimeter or two of the pad, which allows for effective cutting without leaving too much haze (in some cases finishing out perfect, even on black). It`s part of the way each foam was engineered for the compound.

With certain compounds, which use an aggressive solvent in their carrier, the resin in the foam can break down quicker, dramatically shortening pad life.