Question after first time using Griots polisher.

[LF911PCR]

I put a Meguiars w67DA backing plate (with its compression washer) on it.

[Kevin Cullen]

I have done this with M105. The pad got hot and melted internally at that spot. I never got the indentation to come out and ended up cutting up the pad into 3 inch pads to save some of it. It is very strange that it did it on the first pass though.
I have a few pads of the same kind and swap them put to cool during the correction stage of the detail.

[Mike Phillips]

A lot of heat is generated at the backing plate and via the liquid in the product and thus the pad the heat is transferred to the foam.

LC Hydro-Tech pads are close-celled so they hold liquids in and thus hold heat in...

I see this happen to some of our pads after our Thursday Night car projects and I clean them and put them back into the cabinet to use again.

The only time I stop using a pad is if the Velcro de-laminates from the foam. When I was detailing full time I would glue the Velcro back on if the foam was still good to get more use out of the pad. For this I would typically use two-part epoxy or goop glue.

[LF911PCR]

I cleaned the pad (used Blackfire Adv Pad Cleaner...this stuff really works!) and inspected... other than that depression, the pad looks fine... albeit through inexperienced eyes.

[Kevin Cullen]

Mike. So the pad is still fine to use even with the depression? Does one have to worry about unused product congrigating to the depression? I guess with using a DA polisher it does not matter that the pad is flat because of the orbital action.

[LF911PCR]

embolism
I installed the pressure washer that came with the Mequiars W67DA backing plate...should I use the Griots instead???

[embolism]

no, as long as a washer is present that's all you have to worry about.

The Meg's plate has shorter loops which is supposed to help prevent heat buildup when using the meg's mf discs... so that much heat buildup after one pass is not normal...

[LF911PCR]

I appreciate all the comments very much...thank you.

I used two pads on this trunk lid....
The first pad was the picture I posted...that pad was used for two section passes.
The 2nd pad, was also an LC 5.5" orange flat pad ...not a Hydro, however, it is half as thick as the first pad. That pad is in PERFECT condition...no depression after the last 2 section passes.
Both pads were labled LC 5.5" flat pads, The first pad DID NOT come from Autogeek (the 2nd one did) but from another online shop out of NY. I didn't even realize they pads where different until I opened the 2nd pad's bag, right before using it.
I'm not blaming the pads....I'm sure it was due to my lack of experience. I purposely used a 20 year old trunk lid for my first time for this very reason - inexperience.
Thanks again.

[civdiv99]

Pure noob here that only does family vehicles, but would like to weigh in.

To the OP - I have the concave on one of my pads. I would have had on 2 pads, but I learned that if you keep going and don't pay attention to the heat, in my case (Griot's orange pads) the pad went from the concave and loaded with product stage to self-destructing from the center outwards. Pieces if foam slinging about, etc. I was using 105 both times (1 destructed, and 1 merely concaved).

I now rotate pads religiously. After a bit of use I drop the used pad into a pail w/mild soap and cool water and go to a clean pad. At some point I'll hand wash the pad(s) I dropped into the bucket and rinse and dry them to rejoin the rotation. Of course, note my first sentence in this post - doing various family vehicles = relaxed pace and no sense of urgency, so the inefficiencies of this process do work fine for my situation. There's other articles here discussing pad washing on the fly, but like I said, the "take a break, listen to music, and have a drink method" works fine for me. More importantly, my pad rotation/cool down routine did stop the conditions fron reoccurring. No doubt you'll find a process that incorporates similar measures as has been suggested by others.

One thing I did notice is that I could def feel the heat build-up much more readily upon removing the pad from the GG6. Where it felt "pretty warm" on the surface as installed, it felt "hot" on the Velcro side after removal.

Final note: I did ask Griot's what gives, and sent them pics when the 1st pad was destroyed. The reply was suggesting never go above speed 4, and don't put any more pressure than the machine's weight itself is. So, what, 3 lbs or whatever? Well, sure, that'd probably let the pad live a lot longer, but I doubt I'd be happy with the progress. I generally disregarded that advice and follow the methodologies from this forum regarding speeds, pressures, etc. The pad rotation I use took care of the problems for me.

Whew, long winded. Sorry 'bout that.

Civdiv99

[Mike Phillips]

Mike. So the pad is still fine to use even with the depression?

I think there's pads sold like this where this is the feature? The concave shape or depression. Regardless, when you press down it all evens out anyways.

For me, if the pad is clean I'm using it till the foam becomes tatty and then I relegate that pad to projects like buffing out boat trailers or anything that doesn't have large flat panels and isn't also a show car.

Does one have to worry about unused product congregating to the depression?

Same thing could happen to any concave shaped pad or any pad with a design to the face,

• CCS
• Cobra
• Solo
• 3M Convoluted Waffle pads
• Hexagonal
• Name some more non-flat pads designs

Use good technique no matter what the process and clean your pad often in-between sections.

If you're working on something that's important to you, this could be your own car or a customer car, then for the last machine polishing process use a better condition pad just to be on the safe side. But for the grunt work it wouldn't matter to me.

I guess with using a DA polisher it does not matter that the pad is flat because of the orbital action.

I'd say it doesn't matter because by the time the pad becomes broken in, that's after a few section passes is you're starting out with a clean, dry pad, then by the time the pad is broken in the foam is going to compress until you have more or less even pressure over the entire face of the pad due to downward pressure, not orbital action.