Flex Foam on PCXP?

Talvanos

Talvanos

New member
Joined
Jul 15, 2012
Messages
52
Reaction score
0
Hey folks,

I am a new owner of a PCXP, and so far the only thing I have used it for is headlight restoration. I had initally bought a 6" bp and 6-1/2" pads, but soon changed my mind to get the 5" bp and 5-1/2" pads after reading some posts on here about how much better the 5-1/2" pads work on the DAs. I am currently waiting for AG to recieve my RMA(which by the way Penny was extremly helpful with even though it was I who had changed my mind and not any fault of AGs) so I can get some of the correct size stuff.

One of the things I am considering are Flex Foam bp that are made for rotories. I understand and already have an adapter screw. I am wondering if anyone has used these bps on a DA and your thoughts on them. I am thinking I would like the soafter foam of the Flex Foam bp over the hard eurethane of a conventional bp. I am looking at using 7/8" thick pads instead of the 1-1/2" thick pads. While we are at it what are thoughts on the 5-1/2"x7/8" pads over the 5-1/2"x1-1/2" pads?

So, the nuts and bolts I am looking for are:

1. Is anyone using the Flex Foam Rotory backingplates on a DA/PCXP over the standard polyurethane backingplates? What are your thoughts on it?

2. Is anyone using the 5-1/2"x 7/8" pads over the 5-1/2"x1-1/2" pads? What are your thoughts on those?

Thank you in advance for your help.
 
I haven't heard of anyone using those plates on a DA. Never have any problems with the harder ones.

The 7/8" pads will work best on the PC. Since it is limited to power, the less it has to spin, the faster it will spin the pads. This will equal more correction power.
 
rider9195 said:
The 7/8" pads will work best on the PC. Since it is limited to power, the less it has to spin, the faster it will spin the pads. This will equal more correction power.
Click to expand...

That is what I was thinking also. Thank you for your input.
 
What are you trying to accomplish by using the flex foam??
 
A firm yet safe or safer backing plate, particularly for 3" Pads and head light restoration near the inner/grill & lower/bumper side of the headlights.
 
I use the regular 3 inch backing plate. I really don't have any problems. I know what your saying though...better safe than sorry. I don't know...but it seems on the larger sizes you may lose some pressure on the pads. I would also be a little concerned about extending the plate out further from the machine...
 
Ummm... what's the point of getting the thinner pads if you're only going to get back all that thickness and mass with the backing plate you use? Also, DAs generally cut better the more support you have for the foam pad - in fact, the best backing plate for cutting would be one that supports the whole back of the pad (of course you would have problems with the edge of the plate possibly hitting the paint, which is why they aren't sold this way). And of course, support is not just the width of the plate, but the rigidity as well - I would think that a foam backing plate would have less support than a thinner, more rigid polyurethane one.

I guess to sum up what I'm saying, is that it probably will work, but you also probably won't get the cut that you would with a regular backing plate.
 
I just moved over to the 5.5 pads after using 6.5 pads for a while. Big difference--in a really good way. Your hands will get less vibration sting as well because of the less rotational mass of the smaller pads.
 
DaveT435 said:
I know what your saying though...better safe than sorry. I don't know...but it seems on the larger sizes you may lose some pressure on the pads. I would also be a little concerned about extending the plate out further from the machine...
Click to expand...

Those are both very valid points to consider. I just noticed on the last vehicle I did that sometime during the process the backing plate cut the tap that I had put around the head light on the vehicle. Luckely it only hit the tape and did nothing to the finish. I also use 3" sanding discs from 500-3000 grit, and I wasnt happy with the "foam" interface pad I had been using as I felt it didnt have enough cushion and compressed to easy. No, it is not a Megiuar's interface pad.

umi000 said:
Ummm... what's the point of getting the thinner pads if you're only going to get back all that thickness and mass with the backing plate you use? Also, DAs generally cut better the more support you have for the foam pad - in fact, the best backing plate for cutting would be one that supports the whole back of the pad (of course you would have problems with the edge of the plate possibly hitting the paint, which is why they aren't sold this way). And of course, support is not just the width of the plate, but the rigidity as well - I would think that a foam backing plate would have less support than a thinner, more rigid polyurethane one.

I guess to sum up what I'm saying, is that it probably will work, but you also probably won't get the cut that you would with a regular backing plate.
Click to expand...

The point would have been a softer backing plate to not do damage to the vehicle, the thinner pad would compensate some for the softer backing plate. Well, that was the idea anyways.

Besides headlight I am also looking to use a 3" plate for A pillars and such small areas. I am not as concerned about taping the vehicle in these areas because frankly it is just less likely to happen there. I just dont want to have to swap out backing plates all the time. If I can just leave one backing plate in all the time I would be much happier.

I guess in retro spect I should have been a little more detailed in my original post. Sorry for all the hassle.
 
Talvanos said:
The point would have been a softer backing plate to not do damage to the vehicle, the thinner pad would compensate some for the softer backing plate. Well, that was the idea anyways.

Besides headlight I am also looking to use a 3" plate for A pillars and such small areas. I am not as concerned about taping the vehicle in these areas because frankly it is just less likely to happen there. I just dont want to have to swap out backing plates all the time. If I can just leave one backing plate in all the time I would be much happier.

I guess in retro spect I should have been a little more detailed in my original post. Sorry for all the hassle.
Click to expand...

I understand why you wanted to use it - it was more a rhetorical question :) I guess it's about whether you'd be ok with losing cut in exchange for the safety cushion - if it's for headlights and smaller areas, with smaller pads, then losing cut due would probably not be a real issue. I myself wouldn't use the larger plate (with the larger 5.5" pads), but that's my personal preference, and my own priorities.
 
Yes , it really doesn't make much sense to use that bp with the larger pads like 5.5", in fact I am not sure why I threw that bit in there. I just need to find a better approach on the headlights. It seems that since I did one of our family vehicles head lights everybody and their brother is coming out of the wood works asking me how much I charge and if I would do theirs. I am just trying to get a systematic process with equipment down. I have found some heavier duty masking tape that releases easy with no residue, so that will help some.
 
Really if you think it's going to be an ongoing problem (the backing plate hitting) I would put a 2-3 layers of tape on the areas you think you might hit. You can open the hood to take that out of the equation. Also if that was the first time you've done headlights you will get better at it with practice and will be able to tell what is going to be a possible problem area and what isn't...be a little more careful or double-triple tape to be on the safe side...
 
Very good points. This was the second time I had done headlights. The bp only hit once, I am OCD about stuff and am a perfectionist at everything I do. I am probably going overboard with worrying about it. It is just hard not to think about it.
 
You'll get better performance out of any PC or PC style DA Polisher if you just use a backing plate affixed to the spindle.

I wouldn't recommend trying to use adapters between the spindle and backing plates.

You don't want to start trying to jerry rig multiple components when keeping it simple works just fine.


:)
 
umi000 said:
Ummm... what's the point of getting the thinner pads if you're only going to get back all that thickness and mass with the backing plate you use? Also, DAs generally cut better the more support you have for the foam pad - in fact, the best backing plate for cutting would be one that supports the whole back of the pad (of course you would have problems with the edge of the plate possibly hitting the paint, which is why they aren't sold this way). And of course, support is not just the width of the plate, but the rigidity as well - I would think that a foam backing plate would have less support than a thinner, more rigid polyurethane one.

I guess to sum up what I'm saying, is that it probably will work, but you also probably won't get the cut that you would with a regular backing plate.
Click to expand...
BuffDaddy.com sells custom BPs that do go right to the edge of a 5.55" pad. It is a great BP for Edging/. I have the hard and the soft ones. Worth every penny IMO. Thanks Kevin Brown!
 
Old Tiger said:
BuffDaddy.com sells custom BPs that do go right to the edge of a 5.55" pad. It is a great BP for Edging/. I have the hard and the soft ones. Worth every penny IMO. Thanks Kevin Brown!
Click to expand...

Thanks for your input along with everyone else. I've learned a lot in this thread. I've come a long over the last couple of weeks and feel fortunate to have everyone to bounce things off of. A few of the product abbreviations are a little tough to keep up with but I believe I've tracked most of them down. Thanks again everyone for sharing your ideas. :hungry:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top