Violent sanding pad separation

[woodnerd]

So, I went to sand down a drywall patch with my ETS150/5. The foam portion separated from the plastic backing. The pad bounced off the ceiling and into my face, whacking me pretty good in the eye. Luckily, I kept my composure and didn't fall off the ladder

I haven't used the sander in probably a year and it looks like the foam has, well, disintegrated. The only way I can describe it is sorta soft, like cheese.

The pad is maybe 4 years old with a grand total of maybe an hour's use. My shop is well insulated and climate controlled, so I don't see how the breakdown could be related to heat or cold. Is there some known lifespan for these pads where they just rot after a while?

UPDATE: I just checked my RO90's pad, which is a couple years older and has seen 10x the use. It's stored right alongside my ETS150, but that pad looks/works fine.

View attachment 1View attachment 2

 

[Peter_C]

Do you have anything burning nearby where you store you sanders? Like a hot water heater, woodstove, or a gas fired heater? That could cause premature failure.

Otherwise the foam fails over time. I recently had the polishing pad fail on my RO150 sending it flying. Not happy about it as it was hardly used and I would have expected longer life, but failure of foam is not unexpected either.

 

[woodnerd]

No, nothing burning. I live in Florida and the shop is super-well insulated, so there's no need for heat. April-November just a dehumidifier when the A/C's not running.

"They just do that" is a bit disturbing. I have other sander pads from the 1970s that're still in fine shape.

Are there any 3rd-party pads that are better made?

 

[AlexThePalex]

"They just do that" is a bit disturbing. I have other sander pads from the 1970s that're still in fine shape.

Exactly my sentiment. Yay for built-in obsolescence.

 

[RJNeal]

I like woodnerd had a pad failure on my 150/5. I really don’t use this sander. Bought used here off the Fog. Use perhaps two time in the last five years. Then this spring I was using it ti scuff off / level the paint on my wall before retextuing.
The pad separated.
Oh wells.
Rick.

 

[ElectricFeet]

Could oil have penetrated one side making that part degrade and cause instability?

 

[Brice Burrell]

Could oil have penetrated one side making that part degrade and cause instability?

I've had more than one unused pad separated immediately on the first use.