Meg's Pad Problem HELP!!

Beemerboy

Beemerboy

Just One More Coat
I got a DeWalt orbital a week or two ago. I had a loaner for two weeks to see if I liked it. I purchased a Meg's finishing pad to give it a try. I used this pad 15 different times, because it was a loaner and reused the pad washing between every process. I would use warm water with dawn and need the surface with my hands then dry between terry towels to get most the water out then put it on the orbital and spin on high.

Anywho here is the problem the pads are splitting around the edges, and I wondered if this was from to much pressure or common for pads after 15 to 20 use's.

I could really use some help here as I love the orbital but need some advice as to what if any that I am doing wrong. Maybe some can suggest different pads that are stronger...I don't know just to hew at this one.
Thanks
 
Here is a secong pad that has about 6 times on the orbital you can see it starting top split already.
 
It "looks" as though the pad is hitting something and getting "ripped", which would not be a defective pad.
They are both coming apart in the same place, so hitting a corner, rough edge, etc would be my first place to investigate.
Next time you detail, be VERY aware of where that area of the pad is at all times. It only takes a fraction of a second to mess a pad up...
You can see in the photo "ripping" not rotting...
Just my .02
 
Wow...neer seen that from a Megs pad. I've got a lot of Meg's pads and they've all been used and washed dozens of time and they all still look almost as good as new (except for the lettering on the velcro fading away).

Like Wayne said, seems like you may be exerting too much pressure in certain spots..especially for a finishing pad which normally one would not use much pressure at all.

Possible also the backing plate you have could be digging into the edges. What kind of backing plate?

Natty
 
Well, I've never seen that condition on a pad used on an orbital pad, but I've seen it on rotary pads. Heavy pressure on the pad will cause the edges to flex up over the edges of the plate. As soon as the foam breaks down in one small spot, it will expand rather quickly.
 
If your velcro backing plate is extending past the loop backing on the pad then that is the problem no doubt. I have seen this before.

The backing plate should never be bigger than the backing. Isn't that a 6 inch backing on those pads?
 
WOW!!! what great advice FUZZ I'll check the pad ot backing ratio. That and the fact that I might be putiing to much pressure on the orbital might be the problem. Anywho I'll check it out and report back..........Again Thanks!
 
More likely than not the Megs pads are designed for use with the Megs backing plate which is 5 inches. Now here is the monkey wrench in the works.....I've got a Porter Cable 6" plate on my PC and use it with the Megs pads all the time and have never had that problem. What's more I've also got a second plate for the rotary, a 6" plate, and have even used the 6.5" megs pads on the rotary (not the finishing pad though) and still haven't had one fail like that.

I don't know exactly what to make of it. THe plate seems the likely culprit but I think it could be a combo of the palte and too much pressure or tilting the PC at angle with pressure causing the edges of the backing plate to dig in.

Natty
 
WOW!!!
That would be a "LOTTT" of pressure.
It is best to let the maching and pad do the work, IMO, only slight pressure is needed...
I have never seen anything like that causd by pressure or backing plate..., it looks like it was "snagged" on a sharp object or something.
Well..., I just learned something new:)
 
Well I figured it out with all your help. The pads are 6 1/4 inches total the velcro pad is 5 3/4 inches and the backing plate is 6 inches. That makes sence that the edge of the velcro backing plate is eatting into the foam. After looking at the backing plate I can see little bits of the foam pad in the velcro.

Now what to do either larger pads or a smaller backing plate. I'm guessing the later of the two. What are your guys thoughts?
 
Beemerboy said:
Well I figured it out with all your help. The pads are 6 1/4 inches total the velcro pad is 5 3/4 inches and the backing plate is 6 inches. That makes sence that the edge of the velcro backing plate is eatting into the foam. After looking at the backing plate I can see little bits of the foam pad in the velcro.

Now what to do either larger pads or a smaller backing plate. I'm guessing the later of the two. What are your guys thoughts?
Click to expand...

Easiest thing I guess would be getting a 5" backing plate. I still am surprised that happened. Like I said, the backing plate on my PC is the 6" porter cable plate and not one of my pads have failed.

Natty
 
Beemerboy said:
Now what to do either larger pads or a smaller backing plate. I'm guessing the later of the two. What are your guys thoughts?
Click to expand...
The 5" Meguiar's backing plate has worked good for me since last October and based on my experience, I would recommend it to anyone. My Meguiar's pads still look new, but I am only taking care of 5 vehicles. The polishing pads been used several times with Meguiar's #9 and AIO but, they haven't had any real abuse.
 
Amazing!! I noticed this exact issue last night while I was playing with my new PC. Same pad ..same issue. I thought I was doing something wrong, but I only used light pressure..didn't hit anything. Looked closely at the pad to backing plate...the edge of the back plate velcro is over the edge of the velcro on the pad. Appears to be cutting into the soft foam. Will have to look into some other kind of pad to fit the 6" backing plate.
 
Unclearly

I now its the back plate cutting into the pads. I'm not being the rough with the pads bumming into stuff. Anyway I have a 7 inch finishing pad that the velcro is the same size as the backing loop will see how that works.
 
Meguire's Reply

I wrote Megs about this pad-tearing issue because I also use the Megs 6.5 polishing pads with my 6" PC backing plate. Here's what they said:

"I would definitely recommend switching to the smaller backing plate to avoid any problem with the velcro ripping the foam. I have not run into this problem and this is the first I have had a customer inform me of this problem. I will pass it on so that others at Meguiar's are aware of this potential problem".
 
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