Sanding disc problem

[Lawrence Tarnoff]

I'm not getting good life out of the 2-inch chuckable hook and loop sanding discs I use for lathe work. The hook and loop material quickly loses its grab and the 1/2 inch thick pad starts coming apart almost at first use. Admittedly this is with a sample of two discs. These are the Woodcraft discs and at about $12 apiece a bit too costly for one per project. I'm using this on a right-angle drill at variable speeds with the lathe at about 300 rpm. Any thoughts?

Larry

[Fred Belknap]

When sanding speed and pressure create heat which will destroy the disk and the interface. I use 2 & 3 inch disk that I get from Vince Wooden Wonders and don't have a problem with them coming apart. Try sanding at a lower speed like 100 rpm or less and don't run the drill wide open.

[Dick Mahany]

Sounds like it could be from heat or generally poor mfg quality. Heat can cause both of the things you describe. I have had great luck with the discs from Vince's wood and wonders. I also use an interface pad between the disc and the paper. The interface pads are far less expensive to replace than the drill chuck pad.

[Grant Wilkinson]

I have a few of Vince's, but starting making my own so that I can have one for each grit. The only time they have failed is when I get stubborn, push to hard, and heat them up.

[Michael Gibson]

Are you running the drill wide open? I also use an interface pad and Vinces Papers. Michael

[Lawrence Tarnoff]

Thanks. I just ordered one of Vince's pads. I suspect operator error as I am prone to let the drill run too fast.

Larry

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Vince is awesome! if you have questions, he's there. Maybe try less pressure also.

[Reed Gray]

The amount of pressure needed is probably less than the weight of the drill. Slow rpm lets the abrasives cut, where at high speeds, it is like spinning your tires, lots of smoke, and no traction. Just the opposite of turning, where more pressure, as long as your tool is sharp, makes your cuts deeper. Higher rpm on the lathe makes cutting tools cut faster as well. I have several interface pads. You want a firm pad for grits up to 180 or 220 max. They will level out all the little bumps we leave. Then switch to the softer pads for the higher grits. With higher grits, you are just removing the scratches from the previous grits.

robo hippy