[bigviclbi]

Do they make a rubber pad or something similiar to put on my plate compactor to keep from scuffing pavers? I know they say to put down fabric but I have never seen anyone do this, usually I put a good amount of sand on top and that helps but thought their must be something they make unfortanetly I can't seem to find anything.

[Stonehenge]

Yes - some compactor companies will sell a urethane pad. It's tougher than rubber, and as Paul will tell you and I will attest to, a rubber pad can return too much vibration to the machine and start to shake it loose. I used a rubber pad on one machine for a few years, and it seemed like the bolts/nuts would get loose pretty quickly.

You can expect to pay up to $400 for a pad, but they last for a long time (if you look at the eBazaar forum here, you'll see a compactor I was selling that included a urethane pad). I've heard of others using carpet scraps. Never tried it, but it is a cheaper alternative. The only hard part would be getting a piece of carpet to stay on the bottom of the plate for more than a few minutes.


This discussion has been included in the site beginner's brick paving page.

[Rex Mann]

You can use a piece of geogrid. Throw it down and compact right over the top of it. The plate never comes in contact with the pavers. Or spend the money and get a pad.

Peace,

Rex

ArizonaPavers.Com

[Bill Schwab]

You can also use an old polypropelyne mud flap from an 18 wheeler. They cost about $20.00 each and last all season.

There is also a Sweedish company who makes a pad you set the compactor in with 22 small rollers where it rolls over the surface. Tall cash for that tool, I thought around $600.00 or so, and it really only works well on YUK, clay pavers.

[bigviclbi]

how would you attatch the mudflap, sounds like a good idea!

[Bill Schwab]

We have 4 driveshaft U-bolts from a 19773-88 Chevy truck and a 1/2" piece of pipe at the nose of the compactor. You slice notches thru the flap, side it under the pipe, and tighten the U-bolts. Spray some WD-40 on the nuts regularaly so when you service the flap, they can be reused.

[bigviclbi]

bill how bout a picture of that sometime?

[Bill Schwab]

Sure. The one thing I can't seem to get is importing pictures here. I'll work on it until I get it, and once one goes, the others will be easy. I have trouble with the resizing thing.

I'll fire one off as soon as I get past that.