- Thread starter
- #21
Thank you for your recommendations. I will do some more research and go from there.
One question, what is the advantage of the 5" backing plate over the 6" that came with the DA?
Need help getting my trucks black paint into better shape
- Thread starter BrBa
- Start date
Thank you for your recommendations. I will do some more research and go from there.
One question, what is the advantage of the 5" backing plate over the 6" that came with the DA?
You get to take longer polishing the car with the 5" pads. Imo there really is no advantage I'd stick with the 6" for now.
We are also talking about the GG6. If you believe there is no advantage to a 5” pad, you might want to reevaluate your correction techniques.
Desertnate
Well-known member
- Aug 5, 2013
- 6,239
- 294
Agree. The size difference is negligible, but there is a marked difference in correction ability. I've also found when I moved from "normal" thickness pads to thin pads, the correction speed improved even more.
I've corrected a whopping total of 6 cars with my Porter Cable (similiar to the griots, a little less power) I'm not getting in the 5" vs 6" debate. I went with a 5". Yeah, it takes a little longer, but your machine will be more effective pushing the smaller pad. Mine stalls easily with too much pressure now. It would probably be much worse with a larger pad.
I started with CCS pads because they came in the kit I bought. I switched to thin pro pads because they work better with All In Ones like HD speed and McKees 360 which I use. I kept it simple. Orange cutting pads, white polishing pads and a couple black pads for sealant application. Buy as many of the orange and white as you can afford. There is a huge difference in the capabilities of a clean pad vs a dirty pad. It's faster to clean 5 or 6 pads that have been sitting in a bucket of conditioner than cleaning as you go, and you'll get better results. You have a ton of surface area to work on a truck (I drive an F-150 crew cab, I know). It's a lot of work but worth it in the end.
I've been very satisfied with McKees 360 and the orange pads once a year on my truck. In the fall I use McKees Hi-def sealant. My wife's black explorer needs a little more attention to get it where I want it so I'll probably 2 step it this spring. Both are daily drivers, the truck sits outside 24/7, and I have two young kids. All in one is my weapon of choice because of my time constraints, and neither is a garage queen. Once you have a clean canvas it's easy to maintain.
As far as compound goes, I've used Meg's ultimate, McKees Fast Compound, and Blackfire SRC (not the new stuff). For starting out, I think Meg's ultimate is a great product. It's forgiving, and if you are like me and use more than you really need, it's available at local stores in a pinch. The others cost quite a bit more, but it's true that a little goes a very long way.
I started with CCS pads because they came in the kit I bought. I switched to thin pro pads because they work better with All In Ones like HD speed and McKees 360 which I use. I kept it simple. Orange cutting pads, white polishing pads and a couple black pads for sealant application. Buy as many of the orange and white as you can afford. There is a huge difference in the capabilities of a clean pad vs a dirty pad. It's faster to clean 5 or 6 pads that have been sitting in a bucket of conditioner than cleaning as you go, and you'll get better results. You have a ton of surface area to work on a truck (I drive an F-150 crew cab, I know). It's a lot of work but worth it in the end.
I've been very satisfied with McKees 360 and the orange pads once a year on my truck. In the fall I use McKees Hi-def sealant. My wife's black explorer needs a little more attention to get it where I want it so I'll probably 2 step it this spring. Both are daily drivers, the truck sits outside 24/7, and I have two young kids. All in one is my weapon of choice because of my time constraints, and neither is a garage queen. Once you have a clean canvas it's easy to maintain.
As far as compound goes, I've used Meg's ultimate, McKees Fast Compound, and Blackfire SRC (not the new stuff). For starting out, I think Meg's ultimate is a great product. It's forgiving, and if you are like me and use more than you really need, it's available at local stores in a pinch. The others cost quite a bit more, but it's true that a little goes a very long way.
I wouldn’t say it “takes longer”. You’re still covering the same real estate on the panel, regardless which pad size you use. The difference between the 6” and 5” is correction power. You will correct, for example; a 2x2 area quicker with the 5” than the 6”, even though you’re covering less area with the pad. Less passes and more correction to achieve your end result. Make sense?