What RO90 pad for polishing gelcoat?

[GarF]

The gunwales of my laser dinghy need gelcoat repairs over the winter. I'll make a custom block to hand sand the profile after the initial build up. Once it's wet sanded to P1000 I'm hoping I can use my RO90 to finish the job with farecla G3. My 150mm ROS is far too big for this job - the profile is only about 30mm wide. Can anyone recommend what pad or foam I need for the compounding?
Cheers
G

 

[leakyroof]

Festool sells 80mm pads for polishing usage with the RO90, AND, they are discontinuing some of them, if not all of them. Check your local dealer for current info.
But, others sell similar sized pads worldwide, so all is not lost.... [wink] [wink]
Buy the 80mm pad you want, in the style you want. So, fine foam or honeycomb foam for light polishing or waxing.
Medium foam, usually it's Orange among many of the pad makers, for heavier polishing or compounding.
There's also sheep/wool pads available in small diameters with a Velcro backing, you can check with Auto Body Supply shops or houses since small or spot polishers are REALLY popular with Auto Body people right now, and stock of the small 2" or 3" velcro pads is usually pretty good.

 

[Chainring]

Green pad from Festool. For the foam or wool pad, suggestions on this board might help, but I'd probably expand your search to something like the forums at autogeekonline.net.

 

[Cheese]

Green pad from Festool. For the foam or wool pad, suggestions on this board might help, but I'd probably expand your search to something like the forums at autogeekonline.net.

Unfortunately, Festool doesn't offer a green pad...yellow, orange, blue, white and black.

Along with that line-up, Festool has discontinued all of the waffle pads in every size except for the black items. Then again, black pads were only offered in waffle style.

So, if genuine Festool pads are your thing, then now's the time for you to grab the bit. What's in inventory is what's available as Festool is allowing the existing inventory to die without replacing it.

As mentioned, Autogeek.net is another viable supplier of pads along with 3M, Swissvax and Lake Country.
https://www.autogeek.net/bupo.htmlhttps://www.autogeek.net/3mautapprod.htmlhttps://swissvax.us/collections/accessories?page=2https://www.autogeek.net/lakecountry.html

 

[Spandex]

Unfortunately, Festool doesn't offer a green pad...yellow, orange, blue, white and black.

I think they were probably referring to the backing pad (495625), which is green.

 

[Cheese]

I think they were probably referring to the backing pad (495625), which is green.

Gotcha...however that brings up the question of will Festool also be discontinuing the hard green backing pads for their Rotex sanders?

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I think they were probably referring to the backing pad (495625), which is green.

Gotcha...however that brings up the question of will Festool also be discontinuing the hard green backing pads for their Rotex sanders?

Yes, quite a conundrum. If the stop producing the actual buffing pads, why would they continue to make the mounting backer either? But, then again, lots of companies make sanders while not making the abrasives that they require?

 

[GarF]

Thanks, I'll find out what stock is available here in UK. I'll have to do some more research to figure out which grades of foam pad I'll need to get from the 1000g silicon carbide to the final finish

 

[Spandex]

I find N&B (www.powertool-supplies.do.uk) to be one of the cheaper online dealers and they appear to have stock of the foam pads:
https://www.powertool-supplies.co.uk/polishing/polishing-pads/polishing-pads-80-mm/

They also seem to have the backing pad:
https://www.powertool-supplies.co.uk/festool-fastfix-polishing-pad-pt-stf-d90-fx-ro90.html

 

[Chainring]

I think they were probably referring to the backing pad (495625), which is green.

Yep, exactly that one. I have it and the one for the RO 150. From what I understand, those are the official pads for polishing duties.

 

[PreferrablyWood]

I haven't visited for a while but own both the RO90 with the green backing pad and now because of this also bought the greenbacking pad for the RO 150 the pads I was missing white and blue for the 150 and the yellow backing pad.

I think it's great that at tool like the RO 90. is so versatile and just recently used the buffing pads with the compounds Orange and Blue to bring a brass kick on an old door up til a nice Rudy shine.

For the price of the polishing gear I think for occasional use it's great.

Too bad they are discountinuing the RO 90 polishing accessories. For the R0 150 it's compatible size the dedicated polisher must mean the polishing accessories will remain available.

 

[squall_line]

Too bad they are discountinuing the RO 90 polishing accessories. For the R0 150 it's compatible size the dedicated polisher must mean the polishing accessories will remain available.

The last I heard, even the RAP 150 stuff was on the chopping block along with the RO 90 and the compounds, at least in North America.

Which made it all the more annoying when FUSA did a Festool Live 2 weeks ago showing off the RO 90 pads and polishing compounds.  Don't get me wrong, it was a great episode, but a little tone deaf when the products are going away.

 

[Cheese]

Which made it all the more annoying when FUSA did a Festool Live 2 weeks ago showing off the RO 90 pads and polishing compounds.  Don't get me wrong, it was a great episode, but a little tone deaf when the products are going away.

Ya, I didn't even want to go there. I mean WTF, you're now actively promoting a product that you've already discontinued? Let's hope the Festool Marketing group has good luck with that management of customer expectation issue.  [doh]

I just don't get it and I've been very outspoken about my feelings of the Festool Marketing group for the last 5+ years. News flash...my opinion hasn't changed. There is just a very serious disconnect between Festool corporate marketing and Festool corporate distribution.

Oh well, the obvious will inevitably happen and Festool will suddenly take notice, wringe their hands in despair and shriek, what do we do now...our market share is declining and Mafell's is increasing.

Well, maybe you should have just done your homework...you've had lots of opportunities to do so and many folk on the FOG have offered their help but your response was deafening...total silence. 

 

[leakyroof]

Which made it all the more annoying when FUSA did a Festool Live 2 weeks ago showing off the RO 90 pads and polishing compounds.  Don't get me wrong, it was a great episode, but a little tone deaf when the products are going away.

Ya, I didn't even want to go there. I mean WTF, you're now actively promoting a product that you've already discontinued? Let's hope the Festool Marketing group has good luck with that management of customer expectation issue.  [doh]

I just don't get it and I've been very outspoken about my feelings of the Festool Marketing group for the last 5+ years. News flash...my opinion hasn't changed. There is just a very serious disconnect between Festool corporate marketing and Festool corporate distribution.

Oh well, the obvious will inevitably happen and Festool will suddenly take notice, wringe their hands in despair and shriek, what do we do now...our market share is declining and Mafell's is increasing.

Well, maybe you should have just done your homework...you've had lots of opportunities to do so and many folk on the FOG have offered their help but your response was deafening...total silence.

  I'm baffled too..... [huh] [huh] [huh]  We get interesting and helpful products for a few years, then poof, they're gone.
Why invest in what looks to be a game changer for you if it's not going to be around in the long run. Or, we're TOO SMALL of a group to justify maintaining that product and there needs to be more of us buying it..... [smile]
I dunno..... [sad]

 

[FestitaMakool]

I don’t see the pads for ie RO 90 (80mm) discontinued here in Europe.
Still, there has been an explosion in offers both in machines and accessories later years. So the competition is stiff. If it is what I’ve heard, that Festool is moving not so fast moving items out the door, this could easily be one of them. Finding accessories for even 80mm is relatively easy nowadays, not so much a few years back. Compounds, jeez.. I did a search lately and even locally here there seems to be more suppliers for polishing stuff than there are Festool dealers.
I kind of gave up, and the pricing of some of the compounds, especially ceramic is hilarious. Car detailing is hot! I did find very impressive performance in Meguiars boat and RV series. I’m more than happy. About $80 for a 1 litre bottle, it wasn’t cheap, but way cheaper than many alternatives.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I generally use either 3M Perfect-it products for paint s and other finishes and Novus products for plastics. The Festool compounds are not sold locally. I could likely get them online, but the stuff I have used for years works just fine. Then there is the thought that they probably are not actually making the stuff anyway. It's just licensed/branded from some company that specializes in that, like the Wiha or Wera screw divers. So you pay a mark-up for special packaging and brand matching.

 

[Cheese]

I generally use either 3M Perfect-it products for paint s and other finishes and Novus products for plastics.

Then there is the thought that they probably are not actually making the stuff anyway. It's just licensed/branded from some company that specializes in that.

I used the 3M products before they went to water based polishes...they were a real mess. The stuff would come off the pad and land everywhere and after the car was polished, every opening, trunk, doors, hood would have to be opened and wiped down thoroughly. I don't have any experience with the water based 3M products.
I'm also a fan of the Novus plastic products.

I think I read that the Festool polishes are manufactured by Menzerna in Germany.

 

[Rob Z]

I haven't read through the entire thread to see if it was already mentioned, but would Platin work in this application?