crew219

I'm wondering if anyone has had experience with 5" pads on a rotary. The reason why I'm interested in a small primary pad is because my Audi A3 has many tight curves and angles which do not necessitate a larger pad. The front bumper and half of the hood and fenders are done in clearbra, which do not get the same polish treatment as the rest of the paint. Also, the roof is 70% glass. The only true flat polishing surface is a fraction of the side doors.

I would especially like to utilize a 5" pad because of the lower portion of the door underneath the rubstrip (also found on the rear bumper). This section is about 5.5" in height and a 6.5" flat pad would not be able to polish that area. I am currently using 4" pads to polish this area and other tight areas on the car.

<img src="http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d9/dmakca/Detailing/Danase/LowerPanel1.jpg">
<img src="http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d9/dmakca/Detailing/Danase/LowerPanel2.jpg">

In order to compensate for the small size, I assume that speeds on the rotary would need to be slightly raised in order to produce similar amounts of heat. The 5.25" CCS pad would allow me to polish significantly more on the vehicle before switching to 4" pads for trimwork. Are there any downsides to my idea for using the smaller pad on this vehicle?

One downside I can think of is the increased chance of hologramming since more passes are required to polish, but so far I've had great luck with the Menzerna line. I will be using the 4.75" LC backing plate so there is the possibility that I could also purchase a few 6.5" pads if needed.

On another note, does anyone know what brand pad Paul Dalton is using in this picture?

<img src="http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n296/vxrmarc/new%20vxr%20astra%20photos/IMG_0360.jpg">

TIA,

Dave