3 inch pad question

**DETAILROOKIE** · 05-22-2017, 09:49 PM

I was working on a black jeep wrangler and I noticed that when I changed my PC to a 3 inch backing plate, it didn't take out half of the defects it did as a 5.5 inch. I changed it so I could get into the narrow fenders of the wrangler. I used an orange pad for both sides. Should I go with a more aggressive pad next time or should I go to a stronger polish, or even a compound? I finally got everything out sllllllooooooowly and carefully, but I would like to speed up the process to keep my costs low.

Thanks for your advice!

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**Setec Astronomy** · 05-22-2017, 10:24 PM

You changed to both a 3" pad and 3" backing plate...or you used the 5.5" pad with a 3" backing plate? Because you should definitely get better correction on a DA with a 3" pad vs. a 5.5. Would not hold true for a rotary, depending.

**DETAILROOKIE** · 05-22-2017, 10:28 PM

Originally Posted by Setec Astronomy

You changed to both a 3" pad and 3" backing plate...or you used the 5.5" pad with a 3" backing plate? Because you should definitely get better correction on a DA with a 3" pad vs. a 5.5. Would not hold true for a rotary, depending.

Sorry I should have specified, I changed both pad and backing plate. I used an LC 3inch orange pad.

Not sure if the jeep had hard clear coat on the fenders and soft on the rest of it.

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**AZpolisher15** · 05-22-2017, 11:56 PM

Too much product on the 3" pad? Just a guess.

**derass** · 05-23-2017, 02:20 AM

Originally Posted by DETAILROOKIE

...I noticed that when I changed my PC to a 3 inch backing plate, it didn't take out half of the defects it did as a 5.5 inch... I used an orange pad for both sides. Should I go with a more aggressive pad next time or should I go to a stronger polish, or even a compound? I finally got everything out sllllllooooooowly and carefully, but I would like to speed up the process to keep my costs low.

I take it you were only using a polish with the orange pad? Perhaps the pad size did have something to do with the rate of defect removal. But if you want to speed things up, moving up to a compound would be my next step.

**DETAILROOKIE** · 05-23-2017, 06:55 AM

Originally Posted by derass

I take it you were only using a polish with the orange pad? Perhaps the pad size did have something to do with the rate of defect removal. But if you want to speed things up, moving up to a compound would be my next step.

Sounds like I plan to me. I was using HD SPEED.

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**DETAILROOKIE** · 05-23-2017, 06:56 AM

Originally Posted by Harpolith

Too much product on the 3" pad? Just a guess.

That could be it, I wasn't sure how much HD SPEED to put so I went from 3 dots, on a 5.5 inch pad, to 2.

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**Joe@NextLevelDetail** · 05-23-2017, 07:46 AM

Hello!

Always be careful when using a 3 inch Plate on a porter cable style machine, The machine becomes more like a rotary now due to the smaller plate it is now traveling at a much higher OPM than with a 5 inch plate.

Also if you are trying to remove the most defects as possible, HD speed is not the product. If you want to remove the most damage as possible you always use a compound.

This is going to speed up the process. All-In-One polishes were designed for paint enhancement not paint perfection.

when you get the chance read this article I recently wrote. You will learn tons. And I wish when I started detailing I would of read something like this sooner.

https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...fficiency.html

**DETAILROOKIE** · 05-23-2017, 08:03 AM

Originally Posted by Joe@NextLevelDetail

Hello!

Always be careful when using a 3 inch Plate on a porter cable style machine, The machine becomes more like a rotary now due to the smaller plate it is now traveling at a much higher OPM than with a 5 inch plate.

Also if you are trying to remove the most defects as possible, HD speed is not the product. If you want to remove the most damage as possible you always use a compound.

This is going to speed up the process. All-In-One polishes were designed for paint enhancement not paint perfection.

when you get the chance read this article I recently wrote. You will learn tons. And I wish when I started detailing I would of read something like this sooner.

https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...fficiency.html

Thank you for your input! I was completing a 1 step on a jeep wrangler and noticed HD Speed was removing a majority of the defects with a 5.5 inch pad, but when I moved to the 3 inch plate, not so much. But, like you said in your article, I have to put away the swirl finder light because my OCD takes over and I want perfection even if the client isn't pay for it nor will they notice it.

Thanks again!

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**Setec Astronomy** · 05-23-2017, 08:11 AM

Originally Posted by DETAILROOKIE

Thank you for your input! I was completing a 1 step on a jeep wrangler and noticed HD Speed was removing a majority of the defects with a 5.5 inch pad, but when I moved to the 3 inch plate, not so much. But, like you said in your article, I have to put away the swirl finder light because my OCD takes over and I want perfection even if the client isn't pay for it nor will they notice it.

Well, ok. But as Joe and I both noted, you SHOULD have been getting better defect removal with a 3" pad setup on a PC, then with a 5.5" pad. Something that you might want to explore as to why that didn't happen in this case because there is going to be some time when you want to do spot defect removal with a small pad.