Rotary Pad questions

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imported_Padron

New member
Hi,



I just got a Hitachi Rotary ( Thanks to SpoiledMan for link!! ), anyway I order a 6" Urethane BP to use my existing PC pads ( Megs & LC ) Will they work fine? Do I need larger 7.5"+ pads?



Is the 7" Backplate it comes with junk? ( too rigid )



It has been quite a while since I have done any rotary work ( years ) and I used wool. However, I am definitely not a pro... I like the idea of finishing with the rotary as suggested by ( Dave KG )



What pads / backing plates will be must haves for me?



Wool vs Foam, Flat vs VC style, what do you guys like?



I have done searches and read extensively, just was looking for some more advice and though this would be useful...





Thanks in advance! :hifive:
 
If you have never used a high speed before I recommend the larger pads to start with because they won't heat up as fast. Then once you get comfy with those move to a smaller pad if you wish.
 
Larger pads are harder to control and have a higher speed at the edge compared to a smaller pad. All things being equal the larger pad will heat the paint quicker.



FWIW the pads I use the most are the 7.5" LC VC white polishing pads with a flexible backing plate. I think it just comes down to what works best for you so try out a few different combos.
 
MichaelM said:
Larger pads are harder to control and have a higher speed at the edge compared to a smaller pad. All things being equal the larger pad will heat the paint quicker.
Click to expand...



Wouldn't a smaller pad have a higher speed at the edge? Therefore, heat up faster as Danase suggests?
 
Yes, stay away from the larger pads...they suck :)



The best finishing pad I've tried is the green Propel 2 (and I've tried about 15 different final finishing pads). Also, for what it's worth, I've had the best luck finishing with PO106FF (or the blackfire equivalent); this is what makes this forum so beneficial for others - I've probably "wasted" hundreds of hours "experimenting" to find the best pad and polishes for finishing with a rotary so as to not leave halograms on black paint...but you won't have to go through that now.
 
Padron said:
Wouldn't a smaller pad have a higher speed at the edge? Therefore, heat up faster as Danase suggests?
Click to expand...



The larger the diameter, the faster the speed at the edge.



The biggest problem with large pads is their design.
 
MichaelM said:
Larger pads are harder to control and have a higher speed at the edge compared to a smaller pad. All things being equal the larger pad will heat the paint quicker.



FWIW the pads I use the most are the 7.5" LC VC white polishing pads with a flexible backing plate. I think it just comes down to what works best for you so try out a few different combos.
Click to expand...



I think you have it backward. The larger pads should have a slower edge speed. And the large pad should not heat the paint quicker because it is larger and has more surface area therefore it dispurses more heat than the smaller pad.
 
RAG said:
The larger the diameter, the faster the speed at the edge.



The biggest problem with large pads is their design.
Click to expand...

How are you guys figuring that the larger pads are faster at the edge? Maybe I was wrong?
 
Danase said:
How are you guys figuring that the larger pads are faster at the edge? Maybe I was wrong?
Click to expand...

Nevermind, I get it now. I was the backwards one. I still think the larger pads won't heat up as much though. ;)
 
The larger the pad, the faster the linear speed at the edge of the pad - remember they are rotaring at the same RPM (small and large pads), but a point on the edge of the large pad will have to travel further in a given time than on a smaller pad - hence moving faster linearly, and at the same angluar speed.



Meanwhile, for the rotary, I highly rate Meguiars Wx006 pads - they are 6" pads but require a 5" backing plate owing to the size of the velcro backing, but they are simply excellent pads IMHO and seem very at home on the rotary. The cutting pad is ideal for use with compounds (Power Gloss, #84 etc), the polishing pad is a superb allrounder for use with anything from Megs #80 to Intensive Polish I find. And the finishing pad is what I use for rotary finishing, either with PO106FF/PO85RD or Meguiars #80 or #3 and it works a treat with hologram free, crystal sharp finishes.
 
Looking at something like the planets orbit around the sun may help. If Venus and Pluto were to complete one orbit around the sun in the same time then Pluto would have to be traveling much faster because the greater distance it has to travel.
 
RAG said:
Yes, stay away from the larger pads...they suck :)



The best finishing pad I've tried is the green Propel 2 (and I've tried about 15 different final finishing pads). Also, for what it's worth, I've had the best luck finishing with PO106FF (or the blackfire equivalent); this is what makes this forum so beneficial for others - I've probably "wasted" hundreds of hours "experimenting" to find the best pad and polishes for finishing with a rotary so as to not leave halograms on black paint...but you won't have to go through that now.
Click to expand...



Thanks Rag!! I will get some Green Propel 2's and was thinking about the PO106FF as well, what about cutting? What pads to use with HTEC or HTHC? I also have the OHC, OC will it work well with a Green Propel 2 pad?
 
Danase said:
And the large pad should not heat the paint quicker because it is larger and has more surface area therefore it dispurses more heat than the smaller pad.
Click to expand...





Perhaps it isn't accurate to say that more surface area results in greater heat but the more contact you have on the paint with the pad the larger the area of heat build-up on the paint will be.



If you move the buffer at the same speed with the two different size pads the larger pad will be in contact with any given point on the paint longer, resulting in more heat build-up.
 
Danase said:
Nevermind, I get it now. I was the backwards one. I still think the larger pads won't heat up as much though. ;)
Click to expand...





Cool, Thanks.





Still not sure on pad sizes, I think the Propel 2 is 7-7.5" and flat, is that what I should look for?
 
i personally like the multi surface pads from lake country, 7.5" and also the 6.5" contoured pads from properautocare.com... i use the 6.5 with pc and rotary btw... always great results

i'm sticking with those but will probably experiment a little every now and then
 
Padron said:
Thanks Rag!! I will get some Green Propel 2's and was thinking about the PO106FF as well, what about cutting? What pads to use with HTEC or HTHC? I also have the OHC, OC will it work well with a Green Propel 2 pad?
Click to expand...



For compounding, I like to use a firm polishing pad (unless the surface is really really bad) as opposed to a cutting pad. For this purpose, I really like the white Lake country variable contatact pads best, even though I am usually a proponent of the completely flat pads. Second favorite for this purpose are the MEguiars pads David mentioned (I just found them (megs) to be slightly harder to control and have a little less cut, but they both last a long long time).
 
Dave KG said:
The larger the pad, the faster the linear speed at the edge of the pad - remember they are rotaring at the same RPM (small and large pads), but a point on the edge of the large pad will have to travel further in a given time than on a smaller pad - hence moving faster linearly, and at the same angluar speed.



Meanwhile, for the rotary, I highly rate Meguiars Wx006 pads - they are 6" pads but require a 5" backing plate owing to the size of the velcro backing, but they are simply excellent pads IMHO and seem very at home on the rotary. The cutting pad is ideal for use with compounds (Power Gloss, #84 etc), the polishing pad is a superb allrounder for use with anything from Megs #80 to Intensive Polish I find. And the finishing pad is what I use for rotary finishing, either with PO106FF/PO85RD or Meguiars #80 or #3 and it works a treat with hologram free, crystal sharp finishes.
Click to expand...



Thanks Dave,



Great explantion, I think I need more coffee..



I do have alot of Meg's pads already as we previously discused, I will have to get a 5" BP though.



Also want to get some green Propels to try..



What about wool? does it cut alot better without the heat of say a 7006 or Yellow 6.5" LC?



THanks
 
Padron said:
Cool, Thanks.





Still not sure on pad sizes, I think the Propel 2 is 7-7.5" and flat, is that what I should look for?
Click to expand...

They are actually range in size from 6.5" to 6.75" - perfect.
 
Okay...last post from me.



Cutting pads rarely generate heat due to their porous nature, for that matter, most of the pads I use really don't generate heat...you'll see that those green P2 generate almost no heat - seriously.



But "yes", wool generates even less heat and I generally prefer them to rough cutting foam pads.
 
RAG said:
They are actually range in size from 6.5" to 6.75" - perfect.
Click to expand...



Sweet, Thanks.



Maybe, it would be useful to list your favorite combinations of what pads / polish-compounds to use for a given task, as there are so many choices and it's a little confusing this early in the morning.



Also, it's very helpful to know what all you Pro's are using..



Thanks to everyone for all the input and advice. :getdown
 
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