replacing sanding pad; ets 150/5

dlyons41

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Joined
Jan 10, 2013
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14
I am having a problem loosing the screw that holds the sanding pad in place.  Is it a standard thread or reverse thread?  I have tried to loosen the screw but it is held fast.  Is there something that needs to be done to release the screw that I need to know that escapes normal backing out of a fastener? 
 
It's a well known "concern" that you might be putting too much force into loosing the screw, but it is tough, and you will need to give it some "oomph" to get it moving. Don't worry. We've all been there and we've all been mildly frightened by the amount of force required!

It's not a reverse thread but will require more force than you think it should.
 
Thanks for the information.  I will keep on pushing!  I didn't want to damage my favorite sander.
 
So, the next question is, how tight must you get the screw when reinstalling if it's that tight to begin with?
 
[size=12pt]

Having just replaced one on an ETS/3 I can only concur with Gary. In fact I had to 'gently tap' the Allen Key with a hammer.  [eek]

As to how tight the screw should be, I have tightened it tight but have remembered that next time I do this, I do not want fear in my heart and mouth!  [blink]
 
I switch pads fairly often. When reinstalling I make the screw snug because it tightens with use. Still takes some force to break it free initially.

Seth
 
You guys got me worried now. I had another tool that was a problem on. I eventually had to junk it because I couldn't get the screw out. I wouldn't, of course, throw this out, merely send it to service, but I feel compelled to try to loosen the screw within the recon 1 year warranty just in case I can't get it out.
 
It's a combination of thread lock and rotation... Please don't be scared to give it some torque. The fasteners have proper heads. You just need to use a tool that fits and use it in line with the axis of the fastener.

If you have an impact driver and the correct driver bit, it will come out without any real difficulty. If not, you can always torque up an "L" shaped driver and tap on it for that 3rd order effect known as impact.

Tom
 
I tried all of the above suggestions before resorting to my impact driver.  Unfortunately I still have a screw that is held fast and the bit stripped the screw (the allen is now round).  Any suggestions?
 
Sorry about that.  Allen head screws make me nervous for that reason, but usually it's the ones under the hood with 100k miles of rust added that cause the trouble.  I usually use a set of craftsman easy out sockets to grab round(ed) fasteners and loosen them.  I wasn't able to get the #9 socket to fit over the head of the bolt.  The #10 might fit, however you would need to chew out some of the foam pad to make room for the socket to drop through the pad to reach the bolt.  I didn't want the mutilate my pad, so I stopped there.

The other option is to hammer a larger allen head into the bolt head and try again.  I would call festool and see if they have a better suggestion before breaking out the hammer.

Edit: here is the bolt out socket set I'm talking about.
http://www.sears.com/craftsman-10-pc-damaged-bolt-nut-remover-set-low/p-00952166000P?prdNo=3&blockNo=3&blockType=G3
 
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