Rupes backing plate velcro failure?!?

[Dr_Pain]

This is my Rupes 5" backing plate which developed a bad case of "velcro-itis". Has this ever happened to any of you guys?

Was in the process of polishing using a Meg MF cutting disc and all of a sudden felt a wobble. I've had a few MF velcro failure but this was different. On inspection I noticed that the backing plate velcro was the problem, not the velcro off the MF disc.

This 5" backing plate has seen some intense sessions and never failed so what gives?

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/IMG_8447.jpeg

Feed back please

[Rsurfer]

Intense usage equals wear, equals replacement. Some will just grab the pad and start ripping it off. With the Rupes system, you must hold the backing plate at the edge of the velcro as well as the pad and slowly peel at an angle.
Edit: It also appears that the edge has been bumped a few times.

[Dr_Pain]

Intense usage equals wear, equals replacement. Some will just grab the pad and start ripping it off. With the Rupes system, you must hold the backing plate at the edge of the velcro as well as the pad and slowly peel at an angle.
Edit: It also appears that the edge has been bumped a few times.

I agree with everything you are saying and just need to point out that I do not just simply rip the pad off since taking a pad off the Rupes velcro is like trying to peel 2 teenagers off of one another. It did not fail while removing the pad, it failed during use.

Yes I have made the "faux pas" of hitting the pad/backing plate a couple of times, as I was getting used to the throw, but that has little to no bearing on the velcro adhesion/failure does it? I've had way more polishing with the 6" and it has yet to fail (so my bumping or pad removal technique can't account for 100% of the issue seen)

[Wes Bremec]

I notice when in use my mf cutting disks on the Bigfoot that the heat produced is pretty radical. The heat potentially loosened up the bonding agent between the backing plate and the Velcro.

[Dr_Pain]

I notice when in use my mf cutting disks on the Bigfoot that the heat produced is pretty radical. The heat potentially loosened up the bonding agent between the backing plate and the Velcro.

Sounds very plausible Wes! I wonder if this is salvageable or just spend another $40 to get a replacement?!?!

[Nick McKees37]

I notice when in use my mf cutting disks on the Bigfoot that the heat produced is pretty radical. The heat potentially loosened up the bonding agent between the backing plate and the Velcro.

That could play a role, but it's also possible that the backing plate is simply warn out. Backing plates don't last forever.


Sounds very plausible Wes! I wonder if this is salvageable or just spend another $40 to get a replacement?!?!

I would play it safe and get a new one.

[Dr_Pain]

That could play a role, but it's also possible that the backing plate is simply warn out. Backing plates don't last forever.



I would play it safe and get a new one.

Thanks for the reply Nick! It was just weird how it failed

[cardaddy]

Whew!
While I agree that backing plates don't last forever, the Rupes "system" tends to/seems to lend itself to an inordinate amount of (self induced) problems. :dunno: I've not had a backing plate failure just yet, but I did have a brand new microfiber cutting pad come apart recently using it for only the second section on a hood. (It was stupidly hard paint FWIW, but still.... never had the Meguiar's pads do that.) Building in the crazy grippy Velcro, then gluing that to foam (on both a backing plate as well as.... say the microfiber pads) that naturally gets warm (to say the least) seems like an invitation to trouble. :rolleyes: