Mirka from Finland, makes, IMHO, the best sandpaper on the planet. (I fabricate solid surface countertops as a source of income. My sanding requirements are somewhat different than most, but this stuff works great om wood too!!) The stuff is called Abranet and the abrasive particles are adhered to a screen. It doesn't load, and the suction of a good sander keeps it nice and clean. And the stuff lasts and lasts. The Ridgid has a basic 6" 6-hole velcro pad and Abranet works fine with that, but Mirka has a pad with way more holes (about 20) which adapts to a standars six-hole machine. I did the mod to my Ridgid. ( A pic is posted on ABPW) and the result is, in one word, pretty damned good. Now, the Mirka pad that I bought ( 906 GV) has a stud (5/16-24) and that's fine for a PC, but the Ridgid (Metabo) takes a bolt. So I drilled the sunnavabitch out and made'r work that way. I had to use a 35mm flat bottom hinge boring bit to make room for the spindle, but with some dicking, I have the result I'm after. Metabo now offers a pad like that which will fit your Ridgid so you can use Abranet. It's a 14 hole deal. (item
102-111_plate-_orbit_disc-_orbital-_belt-_sanders.pdf) which you can find here:So a guy takes his wife to a fancy restaurant and orders a thick porterhouse steak...rare. The waiter asks: "What about the mad cow?" The guy replies: "She'll have the salmon."
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