Rotary: Using a Smaller Backing Plate

This might be a crazy theory, but I think it might actually work.

Using a small backing plate on a large pad would be easier for a beginner to use. It is more difficult to center, but it would yield better results. Just a theory but I am guessing that all the weight of the rotary would be focused on the area where the backing plate is, and then the rest of the pad glides along the finish. The place where the backing plate pushes down on the pad would work in and break down the polish, and the area where it isnt forcing the pad down would help being the paint to a high gloss. I think that it can also help the finish run cooler, because more air is allowed to get in underneath the pad.


Am I crazy or am I onto something? This all come from teaching my friend how to use the rotary and they have been getting pretty good results with a small backing plate and a large pad.

I think he is using the 4" backing plate on a 6" pad. If you push down you can get the paint hot, yet if you dont push down it seems to work in the polish just enough. Not enough to scour the paint, but enough to break down the polish and then lightly polish the finish.



Comments?

 

only problem with that is...if the polish on the edges of the pad isnt being worked into the paint as much as the center..then after your center of your pad polish finishes down and you could run over the polished spot with the larger abrasives still left on the outer edges of the pad..thus causing holograms...but dont get me wrong i have never tried it..but that is just my theory

 

Hmmmm, that is a good point Scott. The weird thing is how good the paint looks! It looks like a pro did it, and he only did it once!

 

then it may work lol....what kind of pads?

 

I gave him some of the Sonus ones. I am going to try it out soon... on his car hahaha, my car doesn't need to be polished just yet.

 

Somewhat unconventional but the above would be a concern, as would pressure on the centre of the pad and less on the outside edge could cause the pad to fracture- interesting

 

There would definitely be less contact with the pad on the paint, so it would be easier to control. But I also agree with what Scott said, and dont like the idea of doing that.

 

I mostly use backing plates that fit the loop backing on the pad or smaller, so im thinking if you dont use a backing plate that covers the entire pad you canot have even presure distribution across the pad.

 

3m backing pad, 6' pads. It's all you need. In fact, the Megs pads velcro fits perfectly on the smaller, 3m pads. I would never use a larger backing plate, or in fact, any other than the 3M.

 

For large panels it would work. Working against any edge, the pad will not have the pressure to remove any defects close to it.

 

I have been using the megs solo backing plate with the 8" 3M blue pads. Yes you have to ensure that you have even pressure on the surface. So in a sense I still only have 6" of workable polishing area per pass. It does allow a larger pad to be very flexable, at least a finishing pad.

 

I would just atart out using 6.5" pads and 4" pads in the tighter areas or curves. I am using 6.5 or 4" pads 90% of the time anyway. Most of the cars I do have a lot of small panels so it is rare I get to use 8" pads. It is much easier keeping a 6.5 or 4"pad flat of a curvy area than a 8" pad. It is also easier to control.