4 inch pads

S

sharky nrk

New member
I am still quite the newbie and all and as of such I am back with more questions.



The front bumper of my Subie is in considerably worse shape than the rest of the car (not a big suprise given the events the car is used in) and is generally awkward to use a full size pad on because of the shape and contours.



Now I am interested in a 4inch pad and backing plate setup to use on the bumper and for spot correction. Can I use the 4in pad with the same products as the full sized pad but just at a slower speed? What is the real danger of over thinning paint using an orange 4in pad and mid level abrasive polish? Any hints or tips about specifically using 4in pads that are different than normal sized pads?



Also for spot correction, do you just do the whole process on the spot (ie wash, clay, wash, polishing steps (1,2,3 or whatever), sealant/wax) or are there specifics to doing spot work? I realize it is unecessary and unsafe to polish paint all the time/or very frequently but when stupid neighbor kids hit your car with a rock and put a eye sore on your freshly polished car you get the urge to fix it
 
sharky nrk said:
...I am interested in a 4inch pad and backing plate setup to use on the bumper and for spot correction. Can I use the 4in pad with the same products as the full sized pad but just at a slower speed?
Click to expand...



I generally don't even bother lowering the speed, though my 4" orange pads seem happier at 5 than they do at 6.



What is the real danger of over thinning paint using an orange 4in pad and mid level abrasive polish?
Click to expand...



As long as you use common sense you oughta be OK. You're only removing as much paint as necessary to eliminate the marring, right? So it should be the same thing as any other polishing. If some marring is *really* severe, consider the wisdom of taking off that much clear.





Any hints or tips about specifically using 4in pads that are different than normal sized pads?
Click to expand...



Don't get carried away with your ability to apply pressure without bogging down the machine. Check your progress more often so you don't overdo anything.





Also for spot correction, do you just do the whole process on the spot (ie wash, clay, wash, polishing steps (1,2,3 or whatever), sealant/wax) or are there specifics to doing spot work? I realize it is unecessary and unsafe to polish paint all the time/or very frequently but when stupid neighbor kids hit your car with a rock and put a eye sore on your freshly polished car you get the urge to fix it
Click to expand...



I always do any correction only after a regular wash/dry and I don't always find claying necessary. If the spot repair really stands out then I'll often end up working a larger area (or even deciding that the whole vehicle needs done) so things look uniform. I generally re-LSP the whole panel, even if I only worked on a small part of it, for the same reason.
 
great thanks



I am only using it to remove the marring and actually have probably not been working it hard enough I just can't really use the larger pads on certain areas worth a flip but know that the 4 inchers can create quite a bit more heat since the pressure is applied to a much smaller cross section
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top