Hook and loop pad

[Harold]

I've put three replacement pads on my 333 Type four so far. They don't seem to hold up well. Is there somthing I can do to clean it etc, so the sandpaper doesn't fly off?

[Mark]

Hi Harold,

Hook & Loop sanding pads offer many benefits to the woodworker. They offer the ability to change sanding grits quickly. The user may remove and then reattach a sandpaper disc allowing for maximum use and reducing the cost of sandpaper.

The Hook & Loop sandpaper system consists of a sanding pad with fine plastic hooks, which is attached to the sander, and sandpaper discs, which have a looped fabric backing. The loops on the fabric backing are held by the hooks on the sanding pad.

Hook & Loop sanding pads will last through several hundred sandpaper discs with proper use. The most common cause of a Hook & Loop pad to wear out prematurely is excessive pressure being applied to the sanding pad. Only enough pressure should be applied to the sander to keep it on the workpiece and to guide the sander in the desired sanding pattern. Excessive pressure creates heat build up in the sanding pad which will quickly damage or even melt the tiny plastic hooks. Once the hooks are damaged they will no longer hold the fabric backing on the sandpaper effectively and the pad will need to be replaced. When excessive pressure is applied it slows or even stops the random action of the sander causing a large increase in swirl marks left on the workpiece.

Best results and fastest sanding will be achieved by using light sanding pressure and a proper selection of sandpaper grits. Start with the coarsest grit needed to quickly remove any rough wood surfaces or uneven glue joints. Once the surface has been smoothed and leveled you can move through the sanding grits to the desired finish. Never skip more than one sanding grit at a time. Skipping grits requires additional time and effort to remove the scratches left by the previous grit. The finest grit needed depends on the type of finish the project will receive. If a film finish, such as polyurethane or lacquer is to be used then 180 or 220 grit will be sufficient. Film finishes can have problems adhering to surfaces sanded finer than 220 grit. If the project is to receive an oil finish then a 400 or even 600 grit finish may be desired.