Sanding Discs

hazmat · Post by **hazmat** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 11:37 am

Question on sanding discs for the folks that use them extensively...

I found a couple of backing pads that work well for me, but I'm not convinced they're the best(read: most useful) for my processes. It's mostly a no-brainer when it comes to putting wood to spinning sand paper, but the discs themselves seem to have characteristics that are more helpful/harmful, depending on what you're trying to achieve.

What are some of the pads/sanding materials you folks are using and where did you get them(or did you have them fabricated)?? I'm always open to trying new tools/methonds/materials and am curious. If anything is part of your trade secrets, obviously, I don't expect to know. Thanks in advance to all!!!

achduliebe · Post by **achduliebe** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 11:45 am

The disk I use for the majority of the shaping is a 40 or 60 grit disk, can't remember. Anyways, it is the adhesive disk and is on a 6 inch basic hard plastic disk sanding arbor that I bought from Lowes. I also use a padded sanding disk that I bought from Lowes also. It has about a 1/2 inch of foam between the adhesive sanding disk and the back plate. I think I have either 320 or 400 grit paper on that disk.

hazmat · Post by **hazmat** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 11:47 am

Bryan.. I got the discs I'm using at Lowe's.. they're gator-grit backing pads, but I didn't see any foam-backed. Do you remember what these are called, by any chance? Thanks!

ArtGuy · Post by **ArtGuy** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 12:06 pm

I use a 5 inch 3M neoprene backing pad with a velcro surface. I generally rough the block with a 40 grit wheel at 2900 rpm and then go to 150 and 220 for cleanup at 1800rpm. After that it is finish sanding by hand.

Ideally I would like to have a motor with a more rigid plastic or metal disk with a 40 grit wheel used solely for roughing out the shape. Then use the neoprene pad for cleanup before finish sanding. I think that a ridgid wheel would make detail work during roughing out go quicker and would take off more material.

hazmat · Post by **hazmat** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 12:10 pm

John.. where'd you get your 3m pad? I've been on a search for these and haven't been able to locate but 1 pad so far... and it's only like 3 inches.. needs something a little bit larger.

Depending on how rigid you want, the smaller diameter gator-grit pad that I got does pretty well. It doesn't give *too* much when you bear down on it. Only problem I had was that the mandrel wouldn't hold the disc, no matter how hard I cranked the bolt into it. So I got out the epoxy and fixed that up.. now it's rock solid.

ArtGuy · Post by **ArtGuy** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 12:37 pm

A hardware store near me called Menards has scads of them

achduliebe · Post by **achduliebe** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 1:01 pm

The padded disk I have, I got from Lowes right where they sell the other sanding disks. It was, however, the last one and the box was kind of messed up. I haven't seen any since then, but I am sure you can find them at another hardware store or maybe even and auto store. I beleive they are used for auto body work.

I agree with John about the fact that the low grit disk with a rigid backing is better for detail work while roughing. I do not use my padded disk for any rough shaping.

bscofield · Post by **bscofield** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 2:27 pm

I use velcro backed discs of various grits... I had to order them online because I could never find them at Lowes (unless it was for hand sanders and then they have ventilation holes). I'll try and remember where I bought them from...

achduliebe · Post by **achduliebe** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 2:41 pm

Ben, I take it that the velcro ones work pretty good for you?

hazmat · Post by **hazmat** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 3:03 pm

Ben.. that's been my biggest problem.. finding these things locally. You'd think stores like Lowe's or Home Depot would have a gazillion options considering the size of the places, but they don't. All I could find at Lowe's was the gator-grit backing pads. They work just fine, I'm just curious, I guess, about how different pads made from different materials, at different thicknesses, etc, will work in the shaping process. I can envision uses for pads that give some when you bear down, for pads that are rock-solid when you bear down and onward and upward.. just without using any, I'm a bit at a loss.