Random Orbital Sander with PSA Paper

[nospambob]

My opinion of those that use PSA. Even?

[Buck Turgidson]

I want to buy a ROS, and am torn between the velcro or PSA model. Being a cheap sob, is it possible to buy a PSA sander, and then use one of these glue sticks here in my desk drawer to attach paper that I cut myself from a sheet?

Sorry if this is a silly question. Just want to explore all angles.

[Buck Turgidson]

Thanks. Can I get spray adhesive at my "local home center"?

[xrongor]

spray adhesive will work better than a glue stick. buy stuff that will release and not the permanant set.

imho that velcro stuff is for suckers.

randy

[bridger]

I doubt it'll work. the grab of the glue is critical. too little and the dick won't stay on, too much and you'll be pulling chunks out of the pad. not to mention that hardware store sheets are the wrong grade of paper.

really, find a good supplier of industrial psa disks. they outlast normal sandpaper by a very large margin. buy bulk. one box will probably last a hobbyist woodworker years.

[Buck Turgidson]

Would you also say that PSA is preferable over H&L?

[Scott Lurndal]

That's what _she_ said.

scott

[Leon]

Assuming you are going to buy a ROS with a round pad.

Something to consider, how many 5" or 6" disks can you cut out of a single sheet of sand paper.

"One",

I believe is the correct answer. I pay 25 cents per PSA sheet bought in quantities of 50. This is Non Loading Silicon Carbide sand paper. Can you buy adhesive and sand paper and make your own for less the 25 cents each? The same quality 9 x 11" paper in Kingspor brand will cost you 48 cents per sheet in quantities of 50. 120 grit.

[Leon]

1. Only if you use the same grit one after the other.
2. Only if you want to save money.

H & L is great for the hobbyist that changes grits before the sand paper is worn out. He can reapply the paper and reuse it. For the slightly more serious user, one that may use 2 or more of the same grit before changing to a finer grit, PSA is the way to go. It normally is 1/2 the price of H&L.

[todd]

Well, like a number of us woodworkers, I don't do this stuff for a living and I might get the sander out every month or so. For me, H&L is just easier to deal with than PSA. If I thought I was gonna do a whole bunch, I'd probably look at PSA because just looking at the Rockler site, PSA and H&L packages are the same price, but there are twice as many PSA sheets in a box.

On a related topic...I have a Dewalt DW421 H&L ROS. If I ever did want to go with PSA, is there a replacement pad or perhaps an adapter of some kind?

todd

[Leon]

Snip

Easier to deal with? Just stick it on and pull it off. If you leave PSA on the sander it can be a little fussy to take off. To combat that, warm the pad up by simply sanding a piece of wood and the sheet will come of easily.

If I thought I was gonna do a whole bunch,

So, the PSA is not twice the price as you get twice as many sheets for the same price... Right?

IIRC many of the sand paper manufacturers offer pads for both type papers and DeWalt would probably offer the PSA pad also.

[todd]

You're making my point. It's the leaving the stuff on the sander that I'm referring to. I don't have to sand a piece of wood to get it off. Is it a big deal? No. Is it slightly easier to deal with? A little. Am I going to start a religious war over it? No.

I'm not sure I even know what you're saying, so I'll try to explain this again. The boxes of PSA and H&L are the same price. There are twice as many PSA sheets in a box. That means (here's where 4 semesters of college calculus come in handy) the PSA sheets are half the price as H&L. Now I'm making your point.

[Leon]

Just yankin your chain Todd. :~)

[Lew Hodgett]

I am a very serious abrasives user.

Building a fiberglass boat means lots of sanding and a lot of abrasives are needed to get the job done.

Have been forced to use PSA discs for certain applications since there is nothing else available.

(Try buying 8" discs to fit a foam pad in anything but PSA. 3M, Green Stik-It in boxes of 25 is basically what is available.)

IMHO, PSA is a complete waste of time and a total PITA if you can get H&L.

Dust is not a problem with H&L, something you can not say about PSA.

H&L pads do not have to be cleaned frequently. Can't say the same about PSA.

I buy 6", H&L discs for less than $30/100, delivered to my door.

If that is too big a cost nut for you, maybe you should think about another hobby.

HTH

[todd]

I didn't see it as that. You have valid points. I hadn't considered the potential problem PSA if the pad is dusty, as Lew pointed out. By the way, do you think the OP, Buck Turgidson related to Turd Ferguson?

Todd

[Hoyt Weathers]

In effect, that is what Leon said - dumb ass.

[xrongor]

let me get this straight. you only posted because of some primal need to get even? if so, sure. i guess we're even.... ?

but psa is still much cheaper than velcro stuff.

randy

[Micro*]

THREE 5"

I think the answer is, how much do you use the sander and how often do you change grits, and last but not least what grits do you use. Try buying 600 grit H&L at the local borg. I bought a PC H&L sander to sand the peeling paint off my ML's garage, thinking that when I was done I could use it for WWing, wrong, halfway through the job the hooks wouldn't hold the discs on any more so I sanded off the remaining hooks and cut my own discs(3 three to the sheet) and sprayed them with 3m 77, works great. Removal is a breeze with a heat gun.

-- "Shut up and keep diggen" Jerry

[Leon]

I meant I was yankin you chain on the cost issue that you has mentioned. Both being the same price but twice as many in the box on the PSA's.

BUT,, The PSA's to not restick well at all... I have not tried more than once or twice. Seems that with dust or no dust, they adhesive works once and that is it. Years ago when I wholesaled 3M products I had my choice of anything I wanted from 3M at no cost to me. Even cheaper the "rolls" of disks that come in quantities of 100 and 250 disks. Those however don't have as long of a shelf life as do the papers with individual protective backings. I am sure dust may cause problems but dust or no dust, the adhesive does not want to work 2 times. I have never had a stick problem in the last 15 years unless I tried to reapply the PSA paper a second time.

[Leon]

;~) Thank you Micro.. for pointing out my gross mistake of how many 5 inchers you can get out of a 9x11 sheet. And you can get 2, 6 inchers out of that sheet also.

I stand corrected.