Rotex Vlies on RAS

[Rusty_Shackleford]

Now that Vlies is no longer available for the RAS and as I don't have a RO I am wondering how the Rotex Vlies attaches, is it also stickfix?  Could I buy Rotex pads of Vlies and cut them down to 115 from 125 or 150?

I was hoping to use this for stripping some flaking paint from a smooth metal exterior door without going through the factory finish below the paint.  Similar to a 3m pad but without the manual labour.

Thanks

 

[AlexThePalex]

Can be done of course, cutting them down to size.

But the risk of going through the factory paint is still there. Do you perhaps have any other sanders to your disposal?

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

I have an RTSC and DTSC as well as an old Makita RO 5".  I am looking to take off the poor finish and want to avoid future flaking.  I will be automotive priming and spraying the door so if it goes down to bare metal that isn't the end of the world as long as it doesn't totally destroy the finish making for hard painting. Any thoughts on grit that will work well if I use the RTSC and/or DTSC

 

[AlexThePalex]

All those 3 sanders you have will easily remove all the flakes. Start with scraping away all the flakes and then sand with one of your sanders, which one suits you best. 

Since you'll be spraying it anyway with primer it doesn't matter if you go down to bare metal. What does matter is that you sand it very well or else you'll see a difference in high and low spots where the paint has flaked off. Start with grit 120, then 180/220 and finish with 320 to make it completely smooth.

 

[weekendwarrior]

When was Vlies for the RAS discontinued?  That's my RAS go-to!

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

Thanks Alex, did a test portion with RTS will be sanding it out with that to 320, hand sanding to a higher grit after. 

Steve it could be a Canada only thing but there is nothing on the Festool site anymore for Canada. 

 

[Cheese]

When was Vlies for the RAS discontinued?  That's my RAS go-to!

Approximately September of 2019. I had to do a lot of searching around to find it available in 100 & 180 grit. Be careful of the hook & loop material as it has a tendency to peel off of the back of the Vlies. Also note that supplies of Saphir are also drying up.

The RAS is a great tool but I don't buy the Festool corporate mantra that they will support any tool for 10 years after its retirement. Maybe 10 years for parts but that matters nichts if the consumables aren't available. That's already become an issue when Festool discontinued the bench stand for the HL 850 3-4 years ago...some parts are now now longer available.

 

[AlexThePalex]

I do not understand the appeal of vlies. It is a weak sanding material compared to normal sandpaper, why would you use it? I sand an awfull lot, but I have never found a use for vlies, though I tried.

 

[aloysius]

How about trying a Poly Strip Disc instead?  Should be available from any half decent hardware store, although you'll also need a M14 fixing nut to secure it to the arbor.

These are pretty aggressive on paint, but not so much on the substrate.

You MIGHT have some difficulty finding them in 115 mm diameter, 'though.  Most of those I've seen are 100 mm (to fit M10) & 125 mm, which possibly won't fit within your dust extraction skirt.  Take your sander along to check.

They sell for peanuts, & last pretty well considering.

It's sort of similar-but-different (more rigid) to the 3M (Scotchbrite) pad you mentioned.

 

[weekendwarrior]

Steve it could be a Canada only thing but there is nothing on the Festool site anymore for Canada. 

Vlies is only offered in 125mm and 150mm on the USA site, too:
https://www.festoolusa.com/knowledge/abrasives

I do not understand the appeal of vlies. It is a weak sanding material compared to normal sandpaper, why would you use it? I sand an awfull lot, but I have never found a use for vlies, though I tried.

I typically use it for cleaning up rusty/chipping metal parts on vehicles, railings, or hardware.
Perhaps I could use something else, but I haven't considered it since the RAS with Vlies has been available and I get decent longevity out of the pads.

Now that I'm considering my usage, I'd prefer Vlies for my RO90, but I see that's not available either.

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

How about trying a Poly Strip Disc instead?  Should be available from any half decent hardware store, although you'll also need a M14 fixing nut to secure it to the arbor.

These are pretty aggressive on paint, but not so much on the substrate.

You MIGHT have some difficulty finding them in 115 mm diameter, 'though.  Most of those I've seen are 100 mm (to fit M10) & 125 mm, which possibly won't fit within your dust extraction skirt.  Take your sander along to check.

They sell for peanuts, & last pretty well considering.

It's sort of similar-but-different (more rigid) to the 3M (Scotchbrite) pad you mentioned.

That would have been good, and I would use that in the future now that I see those come in 115.  I did use a drill mounted one for the details of the door quite successfully but never even thought about an angle grinder/ras mounted one.  They do strip through everything though.  Ultimately I ended up sanding down to bare metal on the whole project as I didn't want the headache of high build or epoxy primer mixing.  This would have made that a bit faster of a process.