Did I screw up or get a defective pad??

**pricha00** · 10-07-2007, 09:36 PM

I just started using my new 4 inch CCS pads to polish some of my vehicle. I was using the orange pad with XMT 3 and a white pad with XMT 1. I did the front fender first with no issues. Being the lazy bugger that I am, I then tried the 4 inch pads on the hood. The Rav4 is not exactly a large vehicle but the hood is one of the areas that actually can use the 6.5 inch pads but I was too lazy to change the backing plate so away we go with the 4 inch. No problem on first half of the hood but the second half different story. I thought the pad looked a little funny during the polishing but I didn't stop until the polish was broken down. I then found that the center of the pad was extra warm and it seemed like the foam and disappeared from the center of the pad. There was no spongeness at all when I pressed the center area. The spongeness did return after I removed the pad and let it sit for like 10 minutes to cool down. I was applying no pressure to this pad, just the weight of the UDM. Did I screw up? I noticed a little blue goo left on the center of the backing plate velcro as well. Is that the glue from the pad? Should I just chuck the pad or clean it and see what happens? I did order two of each 4 inch so I have a extra one anyways. I finished the area off with the white 4 inch and applied the XMT glaze with the 6.5. Looks great in my opinion. Black is a pain but boy does it look nice when swirl free!!!!!!

Pat.

**Deep Gloss Auto Salon** · 10-07-2007, 09:38 PM

Pics would help tell you exactly what was going on

**budman3** · 10-07-2007, 09:44 PM

I'm glad you brought this up. I was working on my Tacoma this weekend and had some bird poop etching that I was trying to remove. With 106ff and one of those free 5.5" orange light cut pads, I got the paint un-normally (for me) hot. I usually use 7.5" pads and it still get the job done but the paint barely gets warm. However, yesterday, I got the paint hot**, using the UDM on speed 6. So I'm thinking that when we are using the UDM we have to be even more alert to what we are doing to make sure we don't burn out pads or backing plates up.

** No where near as hot as a rotary can get it, but I imagine with a 4" pad with pressure, sitting in one spot, on a curve, can damage the paint, especially with a cutting pad .... **

**pricha00** · 10-07-2007, 09:51 PM

I already threw the pads in the washing machine but I guess I could take a pic of the backing plate with the blue goo in the center if you want. Also as a footnote the front of my Rav has the plastic 3M shield on it so my half hood areas really aren't that large.

Pat.

**budman3** · 10-07-2007, 09:55 PM

I guess I forgot to say this in my last post but no, I don't think that you screwed up at all. I personally haven't used anything smaller that 5.5" pads so I can't help you on that but the Cyclo has 2 4" pads on it and I don't see people having issues with pads with that ... so I'm not quite sure what to think about this situation. Maybe taking a little bit of extra time to let the pad cool down before moving to the next panel? How long were you working the polish in on the fender and other side of the hood?

**pricha00** · 10-07-2007, 10:16 PM

Center of pad is sunken in!!!!!

No foam left in middle???????

Blue goo on back and also sunken in from this side!!!!!

Compared to similarly used white pad!!!!!!

**pricha00** · 10-07-2007, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by budman3

I guess I forgot to say this in my last post but no, I don't think that you screwed up at all. I personally haven't used anything smaller that 5.5" pads so I can't help you on that but the Cyclo has 2 4" pads on it and I don't see people having issues with pads with that ... so I'm not quite sure what to think about this situation. Maybe taking a little bit of extra time to let the pad cool down before moving to the next panel? How long were you working the polish in on the fender and other side of the hood?

Budman I would say probably between 2-3 minutes for each area with a minute in between. Pad felt normal after the first two areas. I think that I did work the third area perhaps a minute longer but no pressure at all so I am surprised that this happened.

Pat.

**klumzypinoy** · 10-08-2007, 04:33 AM

That's odd, well I don't know what happened but hopefully someone can help!

**Tex Star Detail** · 10-08-2007, 08:02 AM

You know, I noticed that on one of my orange 5.5 inch, LC pads the other day. One of the centers is sunken in pretty good. Not sure what caused it, but it is still usable.

**Deep Gloss Auto Salon** · 10-08-2007, 08:46 AM

I've seen the sunken in item when I use a single pad for a lot of work in a single sitting - don't know about the blue stuff on the backside.. is the area that is sunken in the same size as the "footprint" of you bp? I have noticed on my 5.5 lc ccs that the area that is stuck to the bp will "squish" down and anythuing that overhangs the bp isn't quite a compressed.

A solid wash and air dry gets it to "fluff" back up