DA Polishers

[Bhoppy1216]

I finally have to ask for some clarification about these things, as it can be very confusing. Can I get a 6 inch porter cable and put different sized backing plates on it? What is the smallest pad you would put on a 6 inch backing plate? 5.5?

Do you have to buy an expensive 3 inch DA or could I get the HF one and put a 3 inch plate on it? OR for tight spots do you guys just use drill adapters?

When did you move to rotary, and has anyone run a business without having to wet sand anything? Moving to wet sanding and rotary is scary for me as there are not classes taught in Houston like how Chemical Guys or Auto Geek holds. I also cant afford to drop almost 2K for classes lol.

Sorry to ask so many questions, but I have always been curious and my car has some tight fit places that a 5.5 just wont fit flat so I needed to know about the smaller plates.

 

[Eldorado2k]

I finally have to ask for some clarification about these things, as it can be very confusing. Can I get a 6 inch porter cable and put different sized backing plates on it? What is the smallest pad you would put on a 6 inch backing plate? 5.5?

Do you have to buy an expensive 3 inch DA or could I get the HF one and put a 3 inch plate on it? OR for tight spots do you guys just use drill adapters?

When did you move to rotary, and has anyone run a business without having to wet sand anything? Moving to wet sanding and rotary is scary for me as there are not classes taught in Houston like how Chemical Guys or Auto Geek holds. I also cant afford to drop almost 2K for classes lol.

Sorry to ask so many questions, but I have always been curious and my car has some tight fit places that a 5.5 just wont fit flat so I needed to know about the smaller plates.

The smallest pad you can put on a 6" backing plate is a 6" pad. You'll use a 5" backing plate for 5/5.5" pads.

Yes you can put a 3" backing plate of a HF DA. You can also put a 5" backing plate on it as well and have more torque and less stalling than a Porter Cable.

I don't use drill adapters, but you could try them out and see if you like them.

I didn't move to rotary, I moved to 21mm long stroke DA.

I've been trained on how to wet sand, but haven't wet sanded anything.. You could survive without wet sanding, so long as you steer clear of accepting jobs that will require wet sanding..

Words of wisdom: Don't wet sand any areas that you can't buff. In other words, if it's too tight to fit a buffer into, you probably don't want to wet sand there.

 

[jdgamble]

I have a Griot's 6" DA which came with the 6" backing plate. I bought 5" and 3" backing plates as well. All work well. Seems like the best of all worlds.

 

[Bhoppy1216]

The smallest pad you can put on a 6" backing plate is a 6" pad. You'll use a 5" backing plate for 5/5.5" pads.

Yes you can put a 3" backing plate of a HF DA. You can also put a 5" backing plate on it as well and have more torque and less stalling than a Porter Cable.

I don't use drill adapters, but you could try them out and see if you like them.

Would you suggest a 3 inch pad for the 3 inch backing plate, or 3.5? I need a tiny pad for those tough to get spots like the trim and such. Looking to do this as right as I can the first time.
I didn't move to rotary, I moved to 21mm long stroke DA.

I've been trained on how to wet sand, but haven't wet sanded anything.. You could survive without wet sanding, so long as you steer clear of accepting jobs that will require wet sanding..

Words of wisdom: Don't wet sand any areas that you can't buff. In other words, if it's too tight to fit a buffer into, you probably don't want to wet sand there.

Would you suggest a 3 inch pad for the 3 inch backing plate, or 3.5? I need a tiny pad for those tough to get spots like the trim and such. Looking to do this as right as I can the first time.

 

[Eldorado2k]

Would you suggest a 3 inch pad for the 3 inch backing plate, or 3.5? I need a tiny pad for those tough to get spots like the trim and such. Looking to do this as right as I can the first time.

My 1st set of small pads were 3" Lake Country Flat Pads. They're ok but they're a bit on the chunky side.. The ones I use now are the Lake Country Thinpros and IIRC they're 3.5" which I wasn't too happy about when I 1st heard about them being a bit bigger... But once I started using them I don't really notice them being much bigger at all. And the fact that they're thin is way better than the chunky old pads.

Start off with a 6pk. of the 3.5" LC Thinpros. They fit the need for those spots like pillars, bumpers, around license plates, etc. [2 gray, 2 orange, 2 white] I believe the 6pk. is only $29.

As far as the 3" backing plate, get the Griots Garage 3" HD Backing plate. I started with the LC 3" backing plate and upgraded to the Griots. The Griots 1 is better.

 

[Bhoppy1216]

My 1st set of small pads were 3" Lake Country Flat Pads. They're ok but they're a bit on the chunky side.. The ones I use now are the Lake Country Thinpros and IIRC they're 3.5" which I wasn't too happy about when I 1st heard about them being a bit bigger... But once I started using them I don't really notice them being much bigger at all. And the fact that they're thin is way better than the chunky old pads.

Start off with a 6pk. of the 3.5" LC Thinpros. They fit the need for those spots like pillars, bumpers, around license plates, etc. [2 gray, 2 orange, 2 white] I believe the 6pk. is only $29.

As far as the 3" backing plate, get the Griots Garage 3" HD Backing plate. I started with the LC 3" backing plate and upgraded to the Griots. The Griots 1 is better.

Awesome thank you! What is IIRC? Also would you suggest the thinpros for 5.5 inch pads as well, or another recommendation there? Since this is my first time compounding my car should I start with the orange and move to the grey if needed? I know your not supposed to put very much pressure so figured I would ask.

 

[Eldorado2k]

Awesome thank you! What is IIRC? Also would you suggest the thinpros for 5.5 inch pads as well, or another recommendation there? Since this is my first time compounding my car should I start with the orange and move to the grey if needed? I know your not supposed to put very much pressure so figured I would ask.

If I remember correctly.

For 5" pads I'd recommend the Meguiars Thin Foam Discs over the LC Thinpros. Reason being is I think LC overthought it with the whole gray is a cutting pad, but so is the orange pad... They also did the same with the red & black pads. I guess they figured people would spend more to buy them all. I wouldn't do it.

IMO the Meguiars pads [especially the burgundy cutting pad] are better and the Thinpros were mearly a blatant attempt to copy them, but they didn't make them better.

5.5" Meguiars Thin Foam Pads 6pk. $55
Only get 1 Black Finishing Pad cuz that's all you'll need as far as that pad.

 

[Bhoppy1216]

If I remember correctly.

For 5" pads I'd recommend the Meguiars Thin Foam Discs over the LC Thinpros. Reason being is I think LC overthought it with the whole gray is a cutting pad, but so is the orange pad... They also did the same with the red & black pads. I guess they figured people would spend more to buy them all. I wouldn't do it.

IMO the Meguiars pads [especially the burgundy cutting pad] are better and the Thinpros were mearly a blatant attempt to copy them, but they didn't make them better.

5.5" Meguiars Thin Foam Pads 6pk. $55
Only get 1 Black Finishing Pad cuz that's all you'll need as far as that pad.

Lets say my wife wil kill me if I spend that much right away, can I get away with one pad each for my very small Scion Xa at first and order more later?

 

[Eldorado2k]

Lets say my wife wil kill me if I spend that much right away, can I get away with one pad each for my very small Scion Xa at first and order more later?

I'll send you a PM.

 

[Eldorado2k]

But 1st of all, how old/what year is your Scion XB? Is the paint trashed or just in normal ok condition?

 

[Bhoppy1216]

But 1st of all, how old/what year is your Scion XB? Is the paint trashed or just in normal ok condition?

It is an Xa, so much smaller area to work on. It is 12 years old and it is pretty thrashed. I am just using it pretty much as a starter point. I have many many many rock chips in my paint from driving all over to the Navy. It was my first car, I plan to treat the next one better lol

 

[Eldorado2k]

It is an Xa, so much smaller area to work on. It is 12 years old and it is pretty thrashed. I am just using it pretty much as a starter point. I have many many many rock chips in my paint from driving all over to the Navy. It was my first car, I plan to treat the next one better lol

Cool. This is what I was able to accomplish on my fathers 12yr. old truck that was thrashed way back when I 1st got a polisher. Using the same advice I'm giving you right now.

Can you see the 50/50 difference?

Side note: Use a folded cotton terry towel to clean your pad on the fly. Do a search on this forum on the topic if you haven't already checked it out.

 

[Bhoppy1216]

Cool. This is what I was able to accomplish on my fathers 12yr. old truck that was thrashed way back when I 1st got a polisher. Using the same advice I'm giving you right now.

Can you see the 50/50 difference?

Side note: Use a folded cotton terry towel to clean your pad on the fly. Do a search on this forum on the topic if you haven't already checked it out.

Yeah I saw that cool trick, which workds for me since I dont have air. That is awesome, mine is grey and very dull and faded with minor scratches so I am super excited to do a 50/50