Pad sander for wood furniture finishing

Pad sander or palm sander is one of the sanding machine that are widely used in wood finishing industry. Palm sander actually relatively similar to the orbital sander, but he works in a different way. This machine is doing the sanding process by vibrate his pad while the sandpaper is attached to the pad.  Palm sander is available in various sizes that can be chosen according with the wide of the surface. Palm sander is also much too used to do the sanding the metal object  in the metal working. Therefore, this tool has types that use an electric motor. This type is also mostly found in the woodworking, although the air motor should be chosen for the woodworking job.
This machine is erode less  then the orbital sander, therefore this tool can also be used for sanding the sealer or top coat. The sanding to the sealer or top coat must be done carefully when the clear coating is quite thick to avoid the sand through. This tool can also be used to perform sanding in unfinished with the proper use of sandpaper, though less aggressive then the orbital sander. This machine when used properly will greatly assist in the process of sanding the wood finishing process. But of course this tool should be used correctly to be able to work optimally. 

 pad sander to sand the sealer

These are some tips  when using the palm sanding machine.

•  Use a sanding machine to sand the small volume job

This machine however is a hand sanding machine that is designed for small-scale work. For sanding job  on a wide  surface especially with large volumes, then we  should use big sanding machines such as: stroke sander or wide belt sander. The sanding result by the hand sander is  highly depend on the consistency of the operator job. The uses of this machine on the width and big area is highly risk of the uneven surfaces because of the inconsistencies of the operator.

•  Use sandpaper type and grade according with the sanding job.

The proper selection of sandpaper is very important to get maximum results. Use the coarse sandpaper to sand the rough wood surface, and then gradually use the finer sandpaper.  For sanding the sealer or top coat we need to use sandpaper stearated sand paper.

•  Apply the sanding machine with the correct movement

Move the machine smooth and regularly, avoid the too strong pressure. too strong pressure  is make the vibration is hard and high risk to damage the the pad or the motor.  Replace the sandpaper  soon if he's dull, or filled with dirt. The blunted sandpaper can no longer work to do sanding but polish the surface, which is make uneven surface. The dirt  attached  on the sandpaper  will cause scratches or spiral marks on the surface.

• Use this tool for sanding the flat surfaces

This tool is actually designed for sanding on a flat surface. The uses to sanding the shape or uneven surfaces will make the surface to be eroded and changed forms. Uneven surfaces will also high risk of the damaged pad of the machine.

•  Attach the sandpaper on the pad sander evenly

These machines are usually equipped with a clamp to hold the sandpaper to so it is fasten attached to the pad. Some types of sandpaper are already equipped with a special glue at the back side so that it can be directly stick to the pad. The sandpaper that does not have glue on the back side should be attached to  the pad by clamped. Avoid using double-sided tape to attach the sandpaper because it will produce an uneven surface. The uneven sandpaper surface is high risk to damage the pad since the uneven surface.

•  Wear protective equipment when do the sanding.

The sanding process always create lot of dust that can interfere the breathing . The dust is can pollute the skin. Therefore wear a mask and work clothes and  gloves when doing the sanding process. Some types of machine are equipped with bag for dust collector to capture the sanding dust.  Make sure that the dust bag is work well to minimize the dust generated.