Advise for flex noob

[Dr Oldz]

Yes. You want the pad slightly bigger than the backing plate as a safety zone. For example if your buffing around a mirror, you want to have that extra bit of foam there just incase you hit the mirror. The foam pad won’t damage the mirror but the backing plate will.

General rule of thumb is a foam pad about a half inch bigger that the backing plate.
J
For the PC and GG machines 5.5 inch 7/8 inch thick pads are most effective for those machines hence why the 5 inch backing plate. Follow me?

 

[Shadowworldz]

Yes. You want the pad slightly bigger than the backing plate as a safety zone. For example if your buffing around a mirror, you want to have that extra bit of foam there just incase you hit the mirror. The foam pad won’t damage the mirror but the backing plate will.

General rule of thumb is a foam pad about a half inch bigger that the backing plate.

For the PC and GG machines 5.5 inch 7/8 inch thick plates are most effective for those machines hence why the 5 inch backing plate. Follow me?

thats what I thought, yeah. thanks.

 

[Shadowworldz]

thanks for your thoughts. I doesnt come with a backing plate though..
Also keep in mind I don't need lots of 'cutting' power as it would be used to maintain a new paint.

~~SD~~

Ok, I am almost about to order...lol

So my choice will be the PC 7424xp..and like the 3M 05776 Hookit 6" backing plate... or should I really go for a smaller backing plate (5")?? I would just go with the larger 6" [pads...!?! Just dont get why I should use a 5" b.p. on a 6" DA polisher???
Was looking at the lake country pads (gotta shoot for some brand for now..lol)... so my project will be to clean, seal and wax NEW PAINT. (would u do some polish before too?) So the RED or BLACK seems to be suitable...they are soft... they have SO MANY different ones it's really confusing... also anyway like those microfiber pads from LK or just stick with foam??

thanks for your time buddies. I am getting there.... LOL

~~SD~~

 

[SWETM]

With the smaller backing plate you get an easier polisher experience. It will stall less and when needed to get a greater cut. With a smaller backing plate the free spinning DA gets higher opm. You get a more powerfull and easier to maintain the pad rotation that way.

The 5" backing plate you use the 5.5" pads and 6" backing plate 6.5" pads. And to complicate things some pads say 5" or 6" pads but have a safety to the backing plate too. Unfortuneally it's not a standard measurement. It would been easier to just has the size of the velcro to go after.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Still don't understand why I should use a 5" plate with a 6" DA??

You want the 5" backing plate so you can turn and churn 5.5" pads.

Smaller pads fit the body panels better than 6.5" pads. Keep in mind, you're not supposed to buff on edges or raised body lines, thus smaller pads FIT the different shapes of panels on modern cars better than larger pads.

Smaller, thinner pads rotate better than larger thicker pads (in most cases), so you'll get better correction and polishing action from smaller pads.

Also - just to note - the NAME --> Griot's Garage 6" Random Orbital Polisher - the 6 means it comes with a 6" backing plate. They could have just as easily included a 5" backing plate and then called it the Griot's Garage 5" Random Orbital Polisher.

I have sent more than one e-mail to Griot's recommending they change this tool to come with 5" pads and then also change the box graphics and all marketing materials to reflect this change to no avail. Keep in mind, just last weekend I was teaching a class AT Griot's Garage and we used the Griot's Garage 6" Random Orbital Polishers and we put 5" backing plates on all of them except when machine sanding.


Also, here's an article I wrote about this tool, it is FULL of TONS of INFORMATION and a video that will make learning how to use this tool easy.


Here's what you need to get into machine polishing - Recommendations for a beginner by Mike Phillips



Hope that helps....


Also for what it's worth, I've used all the tools everyone is talking about in this thread and probably more, and when I need to knock a car out fast, (and that's most of the time), I always grab the BEAST. I always say in my classes,

"The little things are the big things"


And I find 8mm gear-driven orbital to do more correction faster than 5mm gear drive orbitals. I find 5mm gear-driven to be smoother, but not faster. Again, I've used them all and I'm all about speed with top notch quality.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

(hope I dont get all the hate I got when I posted about a question about a windows cleaner 1 year back...lol..or not so-lol)

~~SW~~

That should never happen on this forum. When I first came here in 2009 we had a couple of "special people" on this forum that we eventually shoved out the door because they were flat out condescending and rude to forum members, both new members and existing members. Since those days, my personal goal has been to make this a fun, friendly and just as important, helpful forum.

There are plenty of other forums as well as other social media platforms where you get treated like a second class person but this will not be one of them.


Thanks for coming back and asking a great question.


:dblthumb2:

 

[dlc95]

Yeah, seems like the Porter is the one I will go with 'cause for the price it seems like the best deal. Still confused about the backing plate/pads. Do I need to get a 5" or 6" backing plate? The pads need to be one size up? Like 6" pads for 5" backing plate?? Can I run the Porter with an extension cable?
thanks my friends.

~~SD~~

I know others have chimed in with great information, but I don't want to look like I've ignored ya!

The plates and pad are designed to work together, regarding size.

That means that with the products offered her at AG are compatible across the board to an extent.

The "5 inch" plates, and "5 inch" pads are already sized out to work together. The plate actually measure out just under 5", and the pads just over.

 

[dlc95]

Ok, I am almost about to order...lol

So my choice will be the PC 7424xp..and like the 3M 05776 Hookit 6" backing plate... or should I really go for a smaller backing plate (5")?? I would just go with the larger 6" [pads...!?! Just dont get why I should use a 5" b.p. on a 6" DA polisher???
Was looking at the lake country pads (gotta shoot for some brand for now..lol)... so my project will be to clean, seal and wax NEW PAINT. (would u do some polish before too?) So the RED or BLACK seems to be suitable...they are soft... they have SO MANY different ones it's really confusing... also anyway like those microfiber pads from LK or just stick with foam??

thanks for your time buddies. I am getting there.... LOL

~~SD~~

When possible, I like to match the pads and plates from the same manufacturer.

If you want to go with Lake Country pads, get the Lake Country plate.

Get the 5" plate and 5.5" pads.

The Lake Country Hydrotech were recommended. These foams are some of my favorite foams. They have an excellent cut to finish ratio. They get excellent rotation, and with diminishing abrasives, they help ensure maximum abrasive cycling. I tend to avoid recommending them to newcomers because their unique closed cell foam construction lends them quicker deterioration under normal usage. With more experience, extra care can be taken to reduce wear, and get many uses out of them.

I would instead recommend the Lake Country SDO line. Like the Hydrotech, they're a simple three pad line up. The foams are more rigid like the Hydrotech, but instead of being a closed cell, they're open, and from what I've found generally more durable.

 

[JFire72]

I was going to start a new thread, and this one is almost what exactly what I would have started, minus the machine part anyway. So I hope it's ok if I piggy back off you here.

I have not used Lake County pads before, and I just placed an order for 3 of them. My thinking here was this:

I have light marks on the paint, and reading through the website description of them, I went with an orange pad. I did that for the light marks and have a heavy correcting polish in case the correcting polish and next pad up didn't work on them.

My next pad is green, and was to correct the light marks, or to go over what I did with the orange pad. I was going to use the correcting polish on this pad.

My last pad is white, and was for the finishing polish. I am starting to think I should have gotten a black pad for this one.

My final step after these 3 was to apply my sealant, and I do that by hand using Wolfgang.

I did this whole process on my Durango this past weekend, and when I was finished, I decided to try out different pads. I am doing my Charger next week at some point, so I have a couple of days to order more pads if necessary.

Any thoughts?

Edit:

I just got the car I'm about to do about 2 months ago, and its brand new, never been touched. I've washed it a few times, but it hasn't been polished or protected yet, hence the minor markings. My idea of light/minor is one that you have to look at up close and in several different angles to find and see it. They aren't ones that you can point out and say to someone, ya I have a mark there.

Hope this makes sense, and you can see the reasoning behind my choices.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[Markymapo1]

I just got into detailing 3 months ago and went with flex 3401. Used it in Mike Phillips class along with griot n rupes. I went with the Flex and am enjoying it, easy to use.

 

[JFire72]

I was going to start a new thread, and this one is almost what exactly what I would have started, minus the machine part anyway. So I hope it's ok if I piggy back off you here.

I have not used Lake County pads before, and I just placed an order for 3 of them. My thinking here was this:

I have light marks on the paint, and reading through the website description of them, I went with an orange pad. I did that for the light marks and have a heavy correcting polish in case the correcting polish and next pad up didn't work on them.

My next pad is green, and was to correct the light marks, or to go over what I did with the orange pad. I was going to use the correcting polish on this pad.

My last pad is white, and was for the finishing polish. I am starting to think I should have gotten a black pad for this one.

My final step after these 3 was to apply my sealant, and I do that by hand using Wolfgang.

I did this whole process on my Durango this past weekend, and when I was finished, I decided to try out different pads. I am doing my Charger next week at some point, so I have a couple of days to order more pads if necessary.

Any thoughts?

Edit:

I just got the car I'm about to do about 2 months ago, and its brand new, never been touched. I've washed it a few times, but it hasn't been polished or protected yet, hence the minor markings. My idea of light/minor is one that you have to look at up close and in several different angles to find and see it. They aren't ones that you can point out and say to someone, ya I have a mark there.

Hope this makes sense, and you can see the reasoning behind my choices.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Ignore most of this, I just went ahead and got one of everything, it's not like they are very expensive. So I'm good to go for anything that I do now.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[Paul A.]

Just to add to what may be confusing to you.

The PC may be listed as a 6" random orbital buffer. That dimension, 6", i believe refers to the counterweight that comes standard with the machine. It is the weight equipped to randomly spin 6" pads. Don't let this dissuade you from equipping the machine with a 5' BP and 5.5" pads. They work perfectly fine on the "6 inch" Porter Cable 7424.

I ONLY use 5.5" Lake Country Thin Pro pads on my 6" older PC and get amazing results. I even occassionally use 3-4" pads for finer work on my machine and they also work. Yes, the machine wants to offset the "throw" like a 6" mass but it isn't a problem.

If its still available, I believe you can order the 5" counterweight to more accurately match the size pads you're using but I never got one and the 6" weight works fine.

 

[Dr Oldz]

What ever pad you choose, you are going to need more than 1 of. I would say at least 6 if not more.

 

[Shadowworldz]

That should never happen on this forum. When I first came here in 2009 we had a couple of "special people" on this forum that we eventually shoved out the door because they were flat out condescending and rude to forum members, both new members and existing members. Since those days, my personal goal has been to make this a fun, friendly and just as important, helpful forum.

There are plenty of other forums as well as other social media platforms where you get treated like a second class person but this will not be one of them.


Thanks for coming back and asking a great question.


:dblthumb2:

Well haters gonna hate - it's really true. This is a great forum with lots of active members and you acutally get an reply if you post something... LOL Appreciate the hospitality, Mike, I will stick around.

 

[Shadowworldz]

You want the 5" backing plate so you can turn and churn 5.5" pads.

Smaller pads fit the body panels better than 6.5" pads. Keep in mind, you're not supposed to buff on edges or raised body lines, thus smaller pads FIT the different shapes of panels on modern cars better than larger pads.

Smaller, thinner pads rotate better than larger thicker pads (in most cases), so you'll get better correction and polishing action from smaller pads.

Also - just to note - the NAME --> Griot's Garage 6" Random Orbital Polisher - the 6 means it comes with a 6" backing plate. They could have just as easily included a 5" backing plate and then called it the Griot's Garage 5" Random Orbital Polisher.

I have sent more than one e-mail to Griot's recommending they change this tool to come with 5" pads and then also change the box graphics and all marketing materials to reflect this change to no avail. Keep in mind, just last weekend I was teaching a class AT Griot's Garage and we used the Griot's Garage 6" Random Orbital Polishers and we put 5" backing plates on all of them except when machine sanding.


Also, here's an article I wrote about this tool, it is FULL of TONS of INFORMATION and a video that will make learning how to use this tool easy.


Here's what you need to get into machine polishing - Recommendations for a beginner by Mike Phillips



Hope that helps....


Also for what it's worth, I've used all the tools everyone is talking about in this thread and probably more, and when I need to knock a car out fast, (and that's most of the time), I always grab the BEAST. I always say in my classes,

"The little things are the big things"


And I find 8mm gear-driven orbital to do more correction faster than 5mm gear drive orbitals. I find 5mm gear-driven to be smoother, but not faster. Again, I've used them all and I'm all about speed with top notch quality.

like another user wrote...then counterweight.. does not need to be changed for sure if you use replace the "6 BP with a "5 BP... correct? I am not sure I want to mess with those parts of the equipment... I am not really a "TOOL GUY" gotta say...a drill is the closest I have come to electric tools for the shop and stuff..

Acutally washed, cleaned and sealed my car the other day by hand......cause I am still not 100% ready I guess but the PC or GRIOTS seem so far the best choice too start... with all your recommendations of course.

appreciate for sure!

PS: those spots on my hood I mentioned to my dealer they need to polish out..seems like they removed those I showed them...but still some strange spots on the hood in other places..might upload a pic cause I have no clue what it is (still)...old bird dropping, tar, tree sap... not sure. Unable to clean it off by hand.

 

[Paul A.]

That's correct, no real need to change out the counterweight from the factory installed 6" to a 5" (although it is super easy...2 screws).

 

[Shadowworldz]

What ever pad you choose, you are going to need more than 1 of. I would say at least 6 if not more.

yeah I am sure your right. like MF towels... they surely trap those nasty wood particles well... can't even get them out after a wash. Time for new ones again.

Oh and update on my DA journey... I think I am getting the FLEX if I have any $$ left around X-mas time. My car has so many edges... The PC and such my stall alot...I was reconing. plus it's not made in China...

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

like another user wrote...then counterweight.. does not need to be changed for sure if you use replace the "6 BP with a "5 BP... correct?

So many "experts" in the car detailing world. No one reads anymore....

I wrote this 8 years ago - it's just as accurate today as when I wrote it

The Free Floating Spindle Bearing Assembly - The Story Behind The Story...


What it shows you is the PC started its life out as a WOOD SANDER

The Porter Cable Dual Action Sander with Wood Dust Collecting Attachment for Sanding Wood

I used a PC to SAND DOWN the top of this desk that use to be Malcolm Meguiar's

NOTE THE SANDING DISC ON TEH BACKING PLATE

Okay now follow me....


Everyone copied the PC when they brought out their version of this tool. When they copied the PC they copied the counterweight component apparently not knowing what the hell it was for.

Now think about it... the PC was designed to rotate and oscillate a THIN SANDING DISC - NOT A THICK FOAM PAD.

When it comes to "polishing paint" with a tool designed to rotate and oscillate a thin sanding disc --> YOU DON'T NEED TO CHANGE THE COUTERWEIGHT.


Share the above in the social media world for all the experts...


:laughing:

 

[TTQ B4U]

No one reads anymore....

4 minute videos max trump reading anymore. Now if we get everyone who calls themselves a YouTuber to keep their videos 4 minutes and not 42 minutes that would be great

Sent from my Galaxy Note 8 using Tapatalk

 

[Toolhead]

yeah I am sure your right. like MF towels... they surely trap those nasty wood particles well... can't even get them out after a wash. Time for new ones again.

Oh and update on my DA journey... I think I am getting the FLEX if I have any $$ left around X-mas time. My car has so many edges... The PC and such my stall alot...I was reconing. plus it's not made in China...

i was in your situation last year. hand detailed for decades with mothers 3 step and then tripped onto modern day detailing tools and products.

short story...went with flex 3401hydro kit at AG

the cheapest way to buy a tool is buying the right tool the first time...

many options in the market...i went with the flex 3401 bc its tried and true tool and the flex with the wolfgang series of polishes and sealants delivered.

id recommend not overlooking decon process which provides half the correction results...claying or nanoskin with iron x....the polishing and protectants provide youbwith the other half of correction. (thanks mike p for all the guidance here...followed mike p's process fully and it over delivered )

lets talk real world results: my gals 2012 white camry which had dull paint looked better than dealership new when we bought it when i was done. her coworkers were asking me for what i used on her car.

process :iron x , nanoskin,wg uber compound , wg fg, wg, wg deep gloss paint sealant then topped with ps21

btw the wg glass cleaner is phenomenal....no streaks and the glass is so clean it makes the glass disappear

imo the 3401 kit is not expensive...its a great value kit by AG