Critique sanding technique

Montag

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May 27, 2020
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Hi guys I am sanding a black walnut/epoxy table top and using my ETS EC125 for the first time and wanted to get feedback as I am getting some swirl/pigtails that are mostly on the epoxy. Current setup is 80 grit abranet disc, Festool MINI set at lowest suction level, and variable speed set between 5/6. This is my first time using the sander and was using a Bosch prior. I go very slow (read about an inch per second so doing that) and back and forth. I apply just enough pressure to let the sander do the work. I tried to upload a video but it wouldn't let me (I don't know if thats allowed). Any comments and feedback welcome. Thanks!
 
Coarse grits will leave swirl marks. You need to keep working it & keep changing to finer grit disks as you go until you get the look you want.
 
Yeah I tack cloth and use denatured alcohol on top of vacuuming between grits. So I’m expected to have them in the 80-120 range then they really start to taper off into 150/180 then for the epoxy once I finish?

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Birdhunter said:
Is the paper picking up granules of the epoxy?
Using the abranet I think it’s as good as it gets in regards to dust being trapped in the pad. That combined with the vac really make it a clean pad one I’m done
 
As someone has said, there will be slight swirly marks at the lower grits, but these should disappear as you go higher in the grits.
Sanding epoxy can be tough, especially at the higher grits.  I never really ran into an issue below 220, but once I started to go above that, I would sometimes end up with an inconsistent finish, due I think to the development of amines as a byproduct of the curing process. 

 
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