Cool Idea: What I do with my old worthless pads instead of tossing them

[whitejavaS500]

So, as I was organizing my stuff the other day, I came across about 3 worn to worthless orange LC 6.5 Pads. I knew that ther had to be SOMTHING I could do with them, and I finally came up of the idea of making a hand polishing pad out of it. Here are the steps I followed:



1.) Make sure the pad isn't up to you standards to use on your PC or rotary. I find I know this with the orange pads when they gunk up really quick or just dont cut right.



2.)Wash the pad. And i mean WASH it! I use XMT Pad Cleaner or Dawn DirecFoam and scrub with an old tooth brush and my hands. Next, rinse it out really well and let it dry (I give it spin on the polisher at a low speed).



3.) Put 2 lines down the pad as if you were cutting the middle out like this [hah just pretend its a pad] ( | | )



4.) Take a knife with ridges (I used a one that I usually use to cut bagels) and cut along the lines.



5.) Remove the round edges of the pad that are still on the cut out section so as to make it into a rectangle.



6.) Use the knife to carefully slit a thin layer off the pad so you expose a fresh section.



And there you have it. A homade and polishing pad (good for tight spots around mirrors, emblems, ect.), or the other thing I use it for is when i polish clear plastic with Meg's PlastX.



Good luck!

 

[imported_Bence]

Ben, as you already observed, there are numerous good layers hiding below the worn-out one. I use to secure my rotary in a stable position and using high RPMs and a long, very sharp blade simply cut the worn surface off. I can reuse a normal, 5 cm thick pad approx. three more times. Finally tha pad's profile will be too low to be safe and this is the time to toss it out.

 

[RyanDe680]

Ben, as you already observed, there are numerous good layers hiding below the worn-out one. I use to secure my rotary in a stable position and using high RPMs and a long, very sharp blade simply cut the worn surface off. I can reuse a normal, 5 cm thick pad approx. three more times. Finally tha pad's profile will be too low to be safe and this is the time to toss it out.

Can you explain how you go about doing that?

 

[AuAltima3.5]

Ben, as you already observed, there are numerous good layers hiding below the worn-out one. I use to secure my rotary in a stable position and using high RPMs and a long, very sharp blade simply cut the worn surface off. I can reuse a normal, 5 cm thick pad approx. three more times. Finally tha pad's profile will be too low to be safe and this is the time to toss it out.

This needs a disclaimer; I could see alot of people getting hurt doing this . . . kinda joking, kinda not.

 

[admac]

the middle section of your old pad seems like it would make a nice tire dressing applicator (if they're concave ones).

 

[3Dog]

I have a 2 inch punch I will use on the best parts of the pad...use them on a 1.5 inch backing plate.

 

[imported_Bence]

AuAltima, is this a special American BS? Here in Hungary we all know that if a brainless guy does something similar, and screws up, it is his trouble. Why disturb the natural selection?* Just constructive common sense, please! Disclaimer... MY GOD!



RyanDe680, here is an approach to do this. Realization, construction method is up to you. For me, it works fine.





*Natural selection (simplified): "Individual organisms with favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce than those with unfavorable traits."

 

[ZoranC]

I use to secure my rotary in a stable position and using high RPMs and a long, very sharp blade simply cut the worn surface off.

Can you spell "kickback" and what that blade can do?

 

[NSXTASY]

Slowdown Bence, American BS? Natural Selection? You oversimplified what darwin concluded, and failed to take into account the safety of the autopian community. ::shakeshead::

 

[ZoranC]

Anybody that has been working with blade on rotating object or with rotating blade on an object knows that kickback doesn't choose it's victims based on who it is working with and that kicback is vicious, kinetic energy of object due to it, especially thin/sharp object, kills or severly maims/injures people.



By the way, Bence, I am from Europe (even though I live in the States). Still I took offense to your comment. ... and the way you are doing it seems to indicate you are the one putting himself in the path of "natural selection process".

 

[imported_Bence]

I respectfully disagree. It is a very simple process - and until you don't try it, don't make funny, immature comments. And if you throw back the ball that my thoughts are immature, please just think about it more than twice. As I said earlier, constructive common sense.



Oh yes, a blade is a sharp tool... yes... It is a childhood imprint (or it must be generally), so I think people with functioning brain cells somehow must be able to identify this tool, the process in its wholesome entirety, and the dynamic behavior of a rotating piece of foam. If a link still missing, well, the peeling of the foam may not be successful indeed.



NSXTASY, the American law system allows some seriously weird things. I can only imagine only in the States for example a boy sueing his own mother because of the acquired injuries he suffered from a half-done gnocchi causing serious kickback to his inappropriately used fork - causing temporary redness on the skin and shock trauma with unnecessary stress hormone level increase. C'mon, just don't make yourself even more exemplary... I'd like to think that the "safety of the Autopian community" is far healthier that this nice 1st post.



Zoran, I don't know your origin, but I think a Croatian/Serbian/Slovene/Macedonian mother would also switch on the Bud Spencer mode if her own boy would think of such unheard thing - or forum reply.



So, let's settle things. Disclaimer: a sharp blade or similar tool will and can cut. (That's the exact quality/property you use it for in this case.) Watch out for kickback, and don't forget to hold the blade. Don't touch a rotary if you mistrust the hidden energies and the sudden and/or unexpected forces of a rotating foam pad. BTW, the whole process can be done with a bread slicer (the food processor one), but the cut surface may not be that even.



And finally allow me (the right) to disrespect stupid people - because it is my humble, simple opinion. No finger pointing, just in general.

 

[ZoranC]

Bence, I agree with you that I shouldn't make a reasoned post in reply to what you just said, but not because you are correct but because it would be a waste of my time on reply to something that is reeking of arrogance and insults for a second time in a row in just one thread. Have a nice day.

 

[imported_GregCavi]

I use old pads for tire dressing.



Greg

 

[wannafbody]

I think a safer way would be to put a pad between 2 blocks of wood secured with C-clips and then manually slice a thin layer off the pad

 

[imported_Bence]

If you want to slice it down, the movement of the blade will cause ripples on the surface. When you have a constant velocity circular blade, no prob. However, the rotation is simple, effective and you have to cut only to the middle of the pad. Think of a modified potter's throwing wheel where your knife is the string. VERY easy, even without any leveling nannies. You just have to watch out for the exact plane (vertically easier) - otherwise you'll work in a pencil sharpener fashion...

 

[AuAltima3.5]

Don't want to derail this thread here, but when I said disclaimer, I was just thinking like a "hey this is where you should be careful"



I didn't ever think to reuse pads though; it's an awesome idea.

 

[imported_Bence]

Yep, you can extend the life of a pad significantly. Certain pads deteriorate quicker (maybe they are a bit old), fray easily and throwing nice little "crumbs" around. They will age quicker even when recut, but still, you'll win a lot more working time.

 

[Paulie Walnuts]

So, as I was organizing my stuff the other day, I came across about 3 worn to worthless orange LC 6.5 Pads. I knew that ther had to be SOMTHING I could do with them, and I finally came up of the idea of making a hand polishing pad out of it. Here are the steps I followed:



1.) Make sure the pad isn't up to you standards to use on your PC or rotary. I find I know this with the orange pads when they gunk up really quick or just dont cut right.



2.)Wash the pad. And i mean WASH it! I use XMT Pad Cleaner or Dawn DirecFoam and scrub with an old tooth brush and my hands. Next, rinse it out really well and let it dry (I give it spin on the polisher at a low speed).



3.) Put 2 lines down the pad as if you were cutting the middle out like this [hah just pretend its a pad] ( | | )



4.) Take a knife with ridges (I used a one that I usually use to cut bagels) and cut along the lines.



5.) Remove the round edges of the pad that are still on the cut out section so as to make it into a rectangle.



6.) Use the knife to carefully slit a thin layer off the pad so you expose a fresh section.



And there you have it. A homade and polishing pad (good for tight spots around mirrors, emblems, ect.), or the other thing I use it for is when i polish clear plastic with Meg's PlastX.



Good luck!

Post up a picture!