Hard Sanding Pad?

[Jeff Hein]

I just installed a hard sanding pad on my ETS 150 sander (and it seems to work really well). I sand mainly flat surfaces, so is there any reason I would ever want to go back to a medium or soft pad?

What applications would make you choose a hard/medium/soft pad?

Seems to me like you would want hard for flat surfaces, and soft for anything with a profile.

-Jeff

 

[woodguy7]

That sounds about right to me Jeff.
Welcome to the FOG

Woodguy.

 

[Bob Marino]

 
Jeff,

The soft pads are standard issue on all the sanders and handle most sanding uses well.  Festool's Longlife pads are soft pads too, but have slighter shorter hooks, making the hook and loops more resistant to heat buildup.
The supersoft pads have more cushioning, particularly helpful in the mid to higher grits as well as  helpful when sanding pieces with mild contours. Hard pads, (with less cusioning and less "give") are best with the lower grits as well as when you don't want any rounding of the corners.

 Bob

 

[AlexThePalex]

I mostly use the hard pad when sanding wood, but I had to do some drywall the other day and the hard pad wasn't suited for that, it dug right into the drywall. The soft pad performed well on that. Like Bob said, the soft pad is the pad for all purposes, I only prefer to use the hard pad for wood because it makes the sanding more aggressive. But when I have to sand with higher grits I often switch over to the soft pad again.

 

[Maeda]

I've been using the hard pad to sand down the skip trowel texture on my walls for days.  I found that it takes a beating much better then the soft pad.

 

[GPowers]

I got introduced to the hard pad in the Cabinet class. With the help of Steve I now understand why there are hard pads and interface pads. Just wish the Rotex and the ETS 150 used the same pads.

 

[grbmds]

I got introduced to the hard pad in the Cabinet class. With the help of Steve I now understand why there are hard pads and interface pads. Just wish the Rotex and the ETS 150 used the sale pads.

I was searching for an answer on the reasons to use a hard pad versus the pad that comes with the sander. I have an ETS150/3 and have both the "medium" pad that was installed on the sander and a hard pad.

For sanding flat surfaces, wider or narrow, which works better to ensure the surface stays flat. Logic tells me it would be the hard pad, but I just want to be sure. I have used the pad that was installed on the sander on flat surfaces and the surface appears to remain very flat.

 

[peter halle]

The hard pad doesn't "flow" over the edge like a softer pad would.  That helps to keep the edges really crisp.  It also helps to keep the field of the work flatter by not conforming to minor irregularities.

Peter

 

[grbmds]

That was what I was thinking but just wanted to make sure. Thanks, Peter. The medium pad did well also on some solid birch I am using for drawer fronts, but it was completely flat to begin with from the jointer and planer.

 

[deepcreek]

I want to revive this thread because I am having trouble sanding the 2-inch wide edge grain & end grain of some relatively small (6x6) blocks. 

The faces are staying flat but for whatever reason the edges are getting rolled.

I was using my RO150/3 (correction) ETS 150/3 to progress from 80, 100, 120, 150, 180 to 220 with the soft pad that came on it.

Should I be using a hard pad to keep the edges and end grain flat?  I don't have one but as we all know Festool is a never ending investment. 

I have an RO90 as well but was just using the same sander (150/3) to do it all.

I'm going to flatten the edges on my jointer and start over.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Joe

 

[Brice Burrell]

Joe, I think you'll want to give the hard pad a try.  I tend to use it all the time now.

 

[deepcreek]

At first I thought I might be tipping the sander but the rounded edges were so even on both sides that it didn't make sense.

 

[ear3]

Even when keeping the RO150 flat, the vibration from the machine can easily roll the edges on such a thin piece.  I think people have more success on narrow pieces with the ETS, which is a much more stable sander.  I got the RTS400 for thin boards and edge work to avoid these issues -- like you said, never ending investment.

 

[bkharman]

I use the 150 all the time on door edges and other "thin" faces...  I wouldn't have it any other way.

It is the smoothest shell in my arsenal. I love her.

The hard pad is where it is at.

 

[deepcreek]

I was using my RO150/3 to progress from 80, 100, 120, 150, 180 to 220 with the soft pad that came on it.

Oops!  I meant to say I was using an ETS 150/3.

I have a Rotex 150 but that's way too much vibration for this small of piece.  I tried the RO-90 and couldn't hold the work steady.

 

[deepcreek]

I got the RTS400 for thin boards and edge work to avoid these issues -- like you said, never ending investment.

Did someone say I need more tools? [thumbs up]

I only have five Festool sanders yet now find myself contemplating the RTS-400.

 

[tbellemare]

Just wish the Rotex and the ETS 150 used the same pads.

The old Rotex uses the same pads (screwed on) as the ETS 150. The current version of the Rotex has the FastFix pads.

Tom