W64 Self-Centering Rotary 5" Backing Plate

[sontakke]

I just purchased this backing plate and couple of 6.5 pads to go with it (W64, W7006, W8006). Can somebody explain to me the "self-centering" claim? The pad will fit way off-center if I do not center it myself. Another question that I have is can these pads be washed?

Here is the description:-
"Meguiar's Self-Centering Rotary Backing Plate allows quick and easy pad changes with its Velcro backing system. The patented self-centering system guarantees pad balance, and this plate is designed for use with 6.5-inch pads and to fit all rotary buffers with a .625-inch diameter shaft. "

Can somebody look up the patent?

- Vikas

[sontakke]

Re: W64 Self-Centering Rotary 5" Backing Plate

I found the patent number 6,081,959. However, the pictures shown in that patent don't match the backing plate/pad. There is no "valley" on the mating surface of the actual 6.5 pad. Here are couple of photos. Hook and loop has cut out for the raised center nub of the backing plate.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: W64 Self-Centering Rotary 5" Backing Plate

Well, it isn't "self centering" in the sense that you don't have to do any work at all, like just getting the pad and backing plate close to each other and somehow they do the rest. Rather, the pad has that hole in the center of the velcro backing and the backing plate has the nub in its center. All you have to do is fold the pad slightly like a taco and line those two small areas up and you've got a centered pad. Otherwise, without this, you're left to just eyeball the outer edges as you bring pad to plate. We've seen people attach, remove and reattach a pad several times trying to get them lined up properly that way.

Now, or new W68 backing plate is a bit different. It's outer diameter is the same as the diameter of the recess on the back of the new Soft Buff 2.0 pads do it just drops right in and you're pad is centered. Same goes for the W68DA backing plate for D/A use with the Soft Buff 2.0 pads.

Tim Lingor has an excellent write up on our backing plates, an excerpt from which addresses your issue directly:

When it comes to mounting pads to backing plates, many people do not realize how critical it is properly align the pad to the plate. On the DA, it is not that critical due to its oscillating action. However, on the rotary polisher, a misaligned pad can throw the polisher badly out of balance. And, just like before, for the new rotary user, a unbalance rotary will make using it extremely difficult. Meguiar’s helps the rotary user by providing centering nibs on the plates. These nibs correspond with the centering hole on the Velcro on the pad.







The centering nibs make it super easy to line up the pad perfectly, ensuring a properly cenetered pad and a balanced rotary polisher!

Here is a W-9000 8” Finishing Pad. Please note the centering hole as well as the nib on the backing plate.




To install the pad, just line the nib to the hole, and attach to the Velcro. With the 8” pads, I tend to fold the pad slightly like a taco which facilitates the mounting a little easier!








If you plan on using the plates with other brands of pads, like 3M Waffle pads for example, you can also remove the nibs from either plate. They just unscrew, allowing the plate to have a flat mounting surface.

[sontakke]

Re: W64 Self-Centering Rotary 5" Backing Plate

Thank you, that was very helpful.

- Vikas