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Random Orbital Sander -- Backing Pad
I bought a Bosch sander for my project. It comes with a soft backing pad, which, according to the instructions, is for "all purpose general sanding and polishing". The instructions also mention an extra soft pad for "polishing or sanding large or curved surfaces", and a hard pad for "heavy sanding on flat surfaces, especially with coarser abrasives."
Is it advised to switch out pads, as these instructions indicate? Or do people here tend to stick with a single pad?
2 replies:
RE: Random Orbital Sander -- Backing Pad
fwiw i have three pads that i use with my dewalt ROS. a relatively stiff one, an intermediate and a soft one.
the stiff one i use for surfaces that are relatively flat, the soft one for curves of rounded hulls of strip-built kayaks. the intermediate one for 'in-between'.
i happen to find these useful. but i did not expand beyond the stiff one until i started working on very curvy boats.
i bought my pads on amazon...they were relatively inexpensive so i see no harm in giving them a try. technique and keeping things moving is still important regardless of the pad type....but with the softer pad you can move a bit slower on curved surfaces before you would damage them compared to a stiff pad.
hope that helps.
h
RE: Random Orbital Sander -- Backing Pad
» Submitted by Birch2 - Mon, 8/19/19 » 12:30 PM
My ROS does not have the option to change the backing pad. I used it a lot in building my dory and my Shearwater kayak and don't think I ever saw a need for a softer pad. That said, I have found myself moving more toward hand sanding. I enjoy the silence, the greater control, the reduced dust, and the quietly meditative experience of wet sanding.