Help me find an "ideal" PC backing plate

Prometheus

Prometheus

Perfectionist in Rehab
Ok, so I'm looking for a new backing plate for my PC. I have one of the 5" (it might be 4.5, I never actually measured it) from Patrick at Exceldetail that I got probably 3 years ago now. It's just a regular old urethane backing plate, looks just like this one that David sells in his autopia store:

autopia_2003_8970616




Now, here's the problem, twice now I've had the plate essentially shred a 6 inch pad. I put very little pressure on the PC at all when I'm polishing, but the edge of the backing plate is apparently cutting into the velcro of the pad and then proceeds to progressively make a larger and larger hole. The most recent time this happened (yesterday) it apparently was slipping so bad on the pad that it actually started to melt the hooks on the backing plate itself.



So, what I'm envisioning is basically a traditional rotary backing plate but shrunk down and with the right size thread. Traditional rotary plates like this one (image from autogeek's site) have a bevel between the velcro and the edge of the pad. This (at least in my head) would solve my problem because the backing plate would be unable to cut into the pad.



flexbackplate.jpeg




So, my question for everybody is do you know if a PC backing plate like this exists? Even if I could find a 5 or 5.5 inch rotary backing plate like this I have one of the rotary/pc thread converters like autogeek sells, so I could probably get by with that if I had to. I'd basically be open to any suggestions you've got. Thanks everyone!
 
get the 6" backing plate from exceldetail..I have been using it for over two years now...



i used the old megs 5" bp's and had two of them break on me, one where I almost put a whole through the hood with the threaded part of the bp...needless to say i will NEVER use anohter megs plate again unless something drastically changed for them.



also, I use LC pads as the velcro goes all the way to the end of the pad, unlike the megs pad. This has completely eliminated any pad cutting caused by the backing plate
 
I will NEVER use a rotary to PC adapter again!!!!!



while working on a car, the adapter came unscrewed and had I not realized it, I would have had the PC denting up the car. I had that sucker on pretty tight as well, so its not like I screwed it on and said oh its good enough...the only way I would ever use it again is if I used locktight, and even then I will NEVER use it again...



cost of an adapter - 3-4 bucks

cost of a new backing plate that fits - <20 bucks

cost of product failure - 1000's



its an easy call for me!!!
 
Denzil said:
Hmm, maybe you could look into the UK 3M backing plate with a rotary-to-PC adapter.
Click to expand...



I had considered it but was hoping I wouldn't have to spend $60 on a solution.



I had also looked at Autogeek's 4.75 inch rotary plate (I've already got a rotary-pc adaptor), but I'm just afraid with the 6" pads I've got that it is going to generate a lot of heat and maybe start biting into the velcro on the pad again, and then I'm right back where I started. The pads are a few years old, but the only car they've ever been used on is mine and I only use them once, maybe twice a year, so they've each seen maybe 8 uses, not exactly ready-to-be-replaced in my book......
 
i've been using the LC 5" and 6" backing plate (the two bigger ones pictured below) for years without any issues...

autogeek_2006_45438343
 
DA backplates with 5/16 threads are pretty much limited, the market has a an endless supply of rotary backplates.



You can get an 5/8 to 5/16 adapter and use a rotary backplate for both a PC and rotary:



LC Part No.: 46-230 Adapter - 5/8" x 11 to DA
 
damn i though you said rotary BP. i just tried a new small, about 4 inch on my hitachi. man it worked awesome. the pc has been replaced by the flex and now more and more the rotary
 
Ideal is a BP attatched to a rotary.



But seriously, get either an LC 5" or 3.75". Sound like your bp is worn. I bought both of my PC BPs from danase a couple years ago and they are trouble free.
 
Someone definitely needs to develop a backing plate for PC with beveled edges like the rotary bp in the photo in first post... it's not rocket science and there will definitely be a huge demand for them since pretty much all backing plates on the market will cut Meg's 8006 pads or others with smaller backing velcro.
 
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