Sanding Backing Pad

A quality disc sander back-up pad should have:

1. A specially designed, environmentally friendly, molded polyurethane foam, that dampens vibration to prevent your tool from bouncing, yet is flexible and tough enough to withstand the rigorous operation of dual-action random orbit sanders. A permanent bond between the polyurethane and other components of the pad eliminates separation problems.

2. A rugged thermoset fiberglass epoxy backing, that withstands the abuse of heat, flexing and impact, to keep the pad running flat and true for a long time. Aluminum backings bend from impact and lose their flatness, while heat and flexing cause molded plastic backings to warp, distorting the face of the pad. A pad that is not flat causes vibration--which fatigues the user and compromises your finish.

3. Full 1/2" diameter vacuum holes that match the industry standard in sanding discs and allow maximum performance of your tool's vacuum system.

4. A durable welded and plated stud assembly. Welding assures a permanent alignment between the pad and the tool. Plating assures easy pad removal by preventing corrosion.

5. A stud assembly that is rigidly attached to the backing with four rivets. Stud assemblies that are molded in place can loosen and strip causing poor performance and difficulties when removing the pad from the tool. A large, flat, raised steel washer with a four rivet attachment forms an ideal distributor of stress. This assures perfect alignment with all tools, and allows the pad to remain in service for a long time.

6. An embossed vinyl facing or hook facing that is intimately molded with the polyurethane to create a permanent durable and flat surface. Embossed vinyl facings offer maximum adhesion with PSA style paper while operating the tool, yet allow quick and easy replacement. Quality hook facings also offer secure adhesion yet quick and easy removal.

7. Strict tolerance on weight, balance, roundness, and flatness. A pad that is not the correct weight, out of round, out of balance, or not flat causes vibrations which fatigue the user and prevent creating a professional finish. Strict tolerances assure you that each pad performs consistently for a long time.

Abrasive Resource carries back-up pads in stock for same day shipping in both the embossed vinyl facing for PSA or the hook facing for hook-n-loop discs. Check out our website at: www.abrasiveresource.com

The History of Abrasives

Think of a product. Any product. Somewhere in the making of that product an abrasive application takes place. The use of abrasives goes back almost since the beginning of recorded history. Prehistoric men, for example, sharpened their tools and weapons by rubbing them together.

Stone used in building the Pyramids of Egypt were smoothed with a naturally "bonded" abrasive--sandstone! Around 2100 B.C. a creative Egyptian engineer mounted a circular wheel on a crude sort of lathe and ground bronze tools and ornaments, launching the art of cylindrical grinding. During the Middle Ages, armor and swords were ground and polished. The first recorded manufacture of coated abrasives goes back to the 13th century when the Chinese used natural gums to bind crushed seashells to parchment.

At the turn of the century, coated abrasives took a giant step forward with the development of the new electric furnace grains, silicon carbide and aluminum oxide. Over the years, sanding became even more popular as a number of new products emerged on the scene and on the production line. Sanding had an impact on all these products--wood and metal as well as glass. Henry Ford, for example, did more for the metal grinding industry than anyone in history.

Ford realized that an ounce of extra weight in any part acted and reacted upon every part. His demand for light parts of great strength created the first big tonnage of alloy steels, whose sensitivity to heat treatment not only fulfilled his requirement of strength without weight but called for grinding to finish instead of cutting with metal tools.

Through the Industrial Revolution, the post-World War II economic boom and a surging economy in the 1990's, abrasives have always been a part of the production process, and they will continue to do so in this millennium.

Information for this article was taken from Chapter 1 "The History of Abrasives" in the Abrasives Product Training Manual published by the Industrial Distribution Association awhile back. The IDA has now merged with the Industrial Supply Association. To learn more about this resource for distributors, visit www.isapartners.org. For more information on abrasives and sandpaper, please check out our website at:
www.abrasiveresource.com

Metal Finishing

There is an excellent article in the archives at the website for the e-magazine "The Fabricator". It's called "Choosing the right coated abrasive for plate finishing applications". I'll tease you with a little bit here, but make sure you check out the full article at www.thefabricator.com

Ceramic aluminum, a sharp microcrystalline grain, cuts aggressively under light to moderate pressures. Its quick cutting capability makes it suitable for grinding stainless steel, titanium, and high-nickel alloys. It works well on applications in which high rates of stock removal are required under light pressures, such as when plates require rounding or dimensioning. Ceramic aluminum’s microcrystalline structure gives it a very long life. It is temperature-sensitive, meaning that removing heat from the cut extends the life of the grain. Quite often ceramic products require grinding aids to reduce heat.

Zirconia alumina, although less expensive than ceramic aluminum, also is a single crystal that is very tough and sharp. In fact, this grain is so tough that it withstands heat very well. However, a common problem with zirconia grain is glazing, which occurs when the grains dull from insufficient grinding forces. Rubbing the dulled grains causes the metal to adhere to the tips of the grain. Reducing glazing requires heavier grinding forces to fracture the grain and enable resharpening. Therefore, zirconia lends itself to the higher temperatures and heavier pressures that are present in high-stock-removal applications.

Zirconia’s advantage over ceramic primarily is its performance in high-heat and heavy-pressure applications, such as those characterized by mechanically applied pressures that generate a large spark array. The heavy grinding pressures effectively resharpen the grain, promoting long wear life without adverse effects from the high temperatures. Plate examples are power-pack grinding of castings and automated grinding of fixtured tools.

Aluminum oxide is a single-crystal grain used in most polishing applications because of its durability and longer service life than silicon carbide’s. This grain is less tenacious than ziconia and therefore requires less pressure to prevent glazing. Soft metals, such as aluminum and some carbon and stainless steels, usually are good candidates for aluminum oxide grain products. For the most part, these metals are not as sensitive to the heat that is sometimes generated by the aluminum oxide grain because of its crystalline structure.

Silicon carbide, also a single-crystal grain, is the sharpest and hardest of all grains, but it is also the most brittle of all, resulting sometimes in a short service life. This grain’s advantage is its ability to work well on very hard, tenacious metals such as titanium, cobalt, and INCONEL® alloys. Silicon carbide’s sharp shape and extremely hard properties make it the most suitable grain to work on these metals. Conversely, the “blocky” nature of aluminum oxide grain renders it incapable of penetrating these surfaces efficiently, causing higher heat generation and resulting in a shorter service life.

In addition, because of silicon carbide’s sharp, slender shape, it produces a brighter finish profile on stainless steel and some carbon steels.

You can subscribe to The Fabricator by going to: www.thefabricator.com
For more information on sanding and sanding products, check out our website
www.abrasiveresource.com

Sanding Wood

I thought we had one of the only blogs that extolled the virtues of sandpaper. Well, while doing an Internet search I ran across another blog where the writer sings the praises of sanding! It's called "Stay of Execution" and this entry is from awhile back, but let me share a little bit of it with you...

I don't do it much, but there's something that I've always loved about sanding wood. I like the repetitive back and forth, feeling the slight scrape beneath my fingers. I like seeing the soft tracks that the sandpaper leaves in the wood, a dusty faded trail. I like touching the wood and feeling its texture, the rough spots that you haven't gotten to and the smooth powdery feel where you have already been. The wood dust on your fingers and even the way it tickles your nose a bit...

Isn't Sherry a good writer? She has captured the emotions behind sanding wood--a tactile, artistic sense of accomplishment! To see the whole entry, visit her blog at:
Stay of Execution
For more information on sanding and sanding products, check out our website
www.abrasiveresource.com

Woodworking Dust Masks

Never say "no" to a dust mask. Among woodworkers, the chances of developing nasal and sinus cancer run up to 40 times greater than non-woodworkers. Although researchers haven't identified the exact cancer-causing compound, some evidence points to the dust generated from sanding wood with a high tannin content, such as chestnut, redwood, western red cedar, hemlock and oak!
Always use the dust collection option on your sanders and work in a well ventilated area. The inhalation of fine wood dust from sanding can have many effects on the respiratory tract, including: a runny nose, violent sneezing, stuffed up nose, nose bleeds and even nasal cancer. Asthma is another concern...most wood dusts can irritate the respiratory tract provoking asthma attacks in those individuals that develop allergies to wood dust.

For information on Wood Toxicity, check out the following links:
1. www.woodturner.org and look under "Resources"
2. Greater Vancouver Woodturners Guild Wood/Dust Toxicity Article

If you are interested in purchasing a new dust mask or respirator--do your research. Face masks depend on good contact between the skin and the mask for their effectiveness, and you want to find a style that is comfortable to work in! A few of our customers have recommended the masks made by www.aosafety.com

For more information on sanding and sanding products, check out our website
www.abrasiveresource.com

Paint Your Car At Home

Did you see the April, 2006 issue of Car Craft Magazine? The cover story is "Paint your Car at Home", and it's all about how expensive it is these days to do paint and bodywork on a car. The author, Jeff Smith, writes:

"Today, the cost of materials can easily run $2000 and up if you want to use top-notch materials and do the job right. Labor cost? Expect to pay $60 per hour minimum. So, this leaves the budget-beleagured car crafter with one alternative--do it yourself. You've probably heard all this before, but it demands repeating. The key to a quality paint job is all in the prep work before any color ever finds its way onto the car."

The article goes on for 6 more pages, detailing every aspect of painting your car at home, with lots of good, detailed photographs. Best of all, what a pleasant surprise to find Abrasive Resource listed at the end of the article as one of their material suppliers! Since they gave our website a "shout out", we will do the same...

If you are interested in purchasing a back issue of Car Craft Magazine, simply go to www.carcraft.com and click on the link for "Back Issues". Click on Car Craft in the left navigational bar and then scroll down the page until you find April, 2006!

The sanding discs used for refinishing the '65 El Camino in this article can be found at www.abrasiveresource.com

Abrasive Belt Burning

The Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America have a new e-mail newsletter called "Productivity Tips". It is going to be a series of six e-newsletters dedicated to helping professional woodworkers improve productivity, quality, safety and ultimately, the bottom-line of their businesses. It is presented in a Q & A format and the answers are supplied by resident experts of WMMA companies.

Here's a question that particularly caught our attention:


Q. My abrasive belt is loading up and burning quickly, what am I doing wrong?
A. You're either trying to remove too much stock for the grit of belt you are using, or you are running the feed too fast. Basically, there are three types of belts, including: abrasive planning (grits from 24 through 60), light calibrating belts (grits from 80 through 120) and finishing belts (grits from 150 through 220 or more). Each grit type is designed to remove a specific amount of stock at a certain feed rate.

For instance, a 100-grit belt can remove 0.025 inch on oak at 20 feet per minute. If you push beyond these parameters, the belt will load up and burn your product. A rough guideline is to use abrasive planning belts if your stock removal is 0.060 inch or more, calibrating belts for stock removal from 0.012 inch to 0.050 inch and finishing belts for no more than 0.005 inch stock removal (at around 20 feet per minute).

The expert in this case was Tim Mueller, Marketing Director at Timesavers, Inc.

If you would like more information on the Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America, their website is at www.wmma.org

If you are interested in obtaining high quality sanding belts for woodworking, visit our website at www.abrasiveresource.com