Anyone melted a backing plate?

Labster

Labster

New member
Just finished up a job on an Audi the other day and went to pull off my Hydrotech pad and half the freaking backing plate was melted to the pad. Brand new pad! Anyway. Need some suggestions on new 6" plate for my da. Anyone had this happen before?
 
Yes same here, I've had one crumble/disintegrate. It was a yellow LC plate. I attribute it to storing it in a hot garage. It lasted a few years. Now I religiously store my plates in my laundry room, in the contact ACed environment.
 
The 6" BP I ordered from CG's is very thick and durable, however I don't output probably near as much volume as many other people on this forum do, but I can say that it is about 2x thicker than the 5" Megs BP (non-ventilated) and probably 1.25x the thickness of the BP that came with my GG 6" DA. Its a softer feeling material on the BP from CG's although I believe they're all urethane.
 
using one everyday, 10-12 hours a day = a faster than normal warped backing plate. I've melted two now. Plus, the added stress from the power and "jiggle" from the DA (oscillations) will cause it to wear out compared to a rotary plate (no back and forth, just straight spinning
 
I have had the backing plate lose its ability to grip the pads, pretty much have to count on replacing them at least once a year. Cheap insurance.
 
What's everyone's preferance? I've done a couple hundred cars with this one over the last 4-5 years. Time to replace.
 
I haven't heard Rupes polishers mentioned to much on here but we have several FR-Orbital Rupes polishers and they're shockers for melting the plates. Great tools but they get seriously hot when you work them hard.
 
My PC 7336 6" backing plate blew apart on me Sunday. The rubber around the top of the plate just started disentegrating; I pulled it away from the car just in time, before the pad and hard portion of the plate dropped off the polisher.



Yikes!



Mike
 
Wow, this still hasn't happened to me. How many cars can one expect for a backing plate to last? I've gone two seasons now with no issues?
 
pics for reference



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I can't tell from the photos, but that looks like product leaking through the pad to the plate. I've had that happen with nearly-destroyed 4" pads. Obviously, if you say it's melted, it's melted. That's just sort of what it looks like to me.
 
I had that happen to me too. Used a plate on a PC for over a year with no problems. First use on a Griots 6" and the pad and backing plate were melted in the center. Lake Country says that the GG machine creates too much heat for their pads (and I am assuming backing plates). Time to find a new pad supplier...I just ordered some of the new HD pads and backing plate.
 
animes2k said:
I can't tell from the photos, but that looks like product leaking through the pad to the plate. I've had that happen with nearly-destroyed 4" pads. Obviously, if you say it's melted, it's melted. That's just sort of what it looks like to me.
Click to expand...



Sorry, pics were from my phone. no product on the pad or product leaking thru the back of the pad. The pads were literally brand new, 2nd panel I used them on.
 
I had a buff and shine 5" bp sheer off while working on a panel, luckily i pulled back in time so the metal didnt gouge the panel
 
GG 6" gets very hot, especially speed 6 and 5-6" pads, I mean almost can't touch the nose hot. The backing plate at speed 6 gets very hot also, I remove the pad and let it cool down about every other panel...or when I smell burning plastic (which is often in the heat we're having lately).



BTW I've had polish soak through pads and get onto the backing plate which doesn't help it at all I'm sure.
 
Melted 2 5 inchers in the last couple months. Both with the Griot's DA. I have yet to do the same with my PCXP. :noidea:



I'll try to post some :photo: later.
 
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