Orbital sander keeps leaving swirl marks. Changed discs, cleaned the pad, backed off the pressure. Still the same shit. What am I missing?
M
Brand. My dewalt does this. My makita doesn’t. My Bosch doesn’t. My old porter cable doesn’t. Heck I even have a Hercules that doesn’t do that. My expensive dewalt does it So do many other dewalts I’ve tried. Does not matter which speed I use it on either. Unfortunately I can never see the swirls until I put down finish. Hope this helps
ManOfSteel · 46-50, M
The big thing to check is the pad itself because a glazed, worn, or contaminated backing pad can make every disc track the same way, so try a fresh pad and make sure you are sanding on a clean, flat surface with a light touch and keeping the sander moving, and don’t get discouraged because you’re clearly troubleshooting it the right way and you’ll get it sorted.
Floki · M
@ManOfSteel I cleaned the pad but didn’t think about it being worn or glazed. It’s had a fair bit of use so that could be the problem. I’ve already tried different discs and backed right off on the pressure and it still leaves the same pattern. I’ll swap the pad out next and see if that sorts it.
swirlie · 31-35, F
Your sanding paper is way too coarse. If you use fine or extra fine sandpaper, it will self-remove the swirl marks as they are being formed. They form in the first place because the coarse grain of the sandpaper you're using is actually cutting into the surface, not just sanding it smooth.
GoFish · 41-45, F
are you letting it be level or are you tilting it?
I was kidding by the way. Sorry for the poor joke.