VIDEO: 3M Random Orbital Sanding Basics: Selecting the Proper Back-up Pad for Your Random Orbital Sander

Hi, I'm Dan with 3M. In this video, I'm going to talk about selecting the proper back-up pad for your random orbital sander. 3M offers a wide range of back-up pads in our portfolio. So, to begin to simplify it we first need to determine whether or not we are using a five-inch random orbital sander or a six-inch random orbital sander. After that, we can determine whether or not we want to use a hook-and-loop attachment system or a pressure-sensitive adhesive attachment system. Once those factors have been determined, we can further simplify the portfolio and break this down into three back-up pads. The low-profile pad, the low-profile finishing pad and our standard pad. Of the three primary back-up pads offered in our portfolio, I often recommend our low-profile pad first. This is a very good general-purpose pad and it is the pad that comes standard on our random orbital sander, so I typically begin with this pad. If I am seeking a higher gloss finish, I will oftentimes recommend the low-profile finishing pad. The biggest difference between these two is the fact that the low-profile finishing pad has softer density foam and will tend to leave a softer finish. It won't create as deep of scratch. Lastly is our standard pad. This pad is a thicker pad, but it has a 45-degree taper which allows it to be a little more forgiving on the edges. So if you are using this in an application where there are contours, body lines and automotive as an example, this pad will give you a little bit more forgiveness on the outside edges. And that's how I determine which back-up pads I use for my application. If you have additional questions on this topic, please reach out to your local 3M sales representative. Thank you for watching.