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For over a year I've been using 3" 'Wave' hook and loop sanding disks for rough shaping. The latest batch of wave discs I bought from Woodcraft are crap! The loop fabric isn't glued well to the sandpaper and every one I've used so far have come apart. Its not seriously dangerous, but not a lot of fun to have a 3" disc of 80 grit sandpaper flying at your head at 1800 rpm! Trying to shape a pipe today, I had 4 of the buggers come apart and take aim at my head! So they are going back to Woodcraft monday!

Anybody got suggestions for a good brand of 3" hook and loop discs? Preferrably ones that don't fly apart!

Dave.. are you cutting the "waves" off of the discs before using them?

Yep! I cut the waves off. These are the first ones I've had problems with them separating.

I have that problem with them whenever I cut the waves off. Have never noticed it when I leave the waves on, though, except when they've been heavily used and are pretty much out of gas. I can be heavy-handed with them from time to time, but I'm not sure how much that has to do with the abrasive peeling away from the backing. It seems to have more to do with cutting off the waves. Maybe they have magic-stickum in those little whoop-tee-doos..

I've only ever had one failure like this, and that was when I was using a 220 grit wave disc that was pretty much used up. I was using it without a backing pad for some reason too. Instead of changing out for a new one, I just kept pressing harder - which generated heat, which released the adhesive. I always leave the waves intact.

You mention rough shaping with these. Are you really using these to remove that much material? I hate to say it, but that might be the problem - these little discs aren't really meant for significant material removal. I use the 220 for fine tuning the shape that comes off the belt grinder, but even then a single 220 is only good for one stummel, maybe two.

You mention rough shaping with these. Are you really using these to remove that much material?

Now that you mention it... when I first got mine, I WAS using them for a good bit of rough shaping. They were coming apart alot at that point. I have since discovered a disc I like much better for this process and only use the wave discs from 220 on up for fine tuning. They don't fall apart as readily used in this manner as they used to.

Dave.. I'm using a 3 inch rubber backing disc with a "lock-tite" type of do-dad that holds the disk to the pad for rough shaping. The abrasive disc itself is of a sterner material than the wave discs are, though still very flexible. The particular one I'm using is a Craftsmen that came in a big ole drill bit and drill accessories kit I got for Christmas one year, but a similar item is offered here at woodturners catalog:

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/store ... Lock?Args=

Something like this might work better for you when rough shaping. I know it's been a godsend to me.

I do much of the rough shaping on my 10" disk sander, but that has limitations. It won't get into the bowl/shank junction and it has way too much torque to safely sand to a final shape. So I do use the wave disks for probably more wood removal than they are designed to do. However, I've been doing it that way for quite a while and never had a problem with the discs until now. I may have to go back to my 5" setup for rough work until I can figure out something else.

That 3 inch power-lock jobby I'm using right now does a pretty good job of getting into those areas. I'll be trying to post a pipe in a few days that has a somewhat tight radius in that area. The problems I had getting into it were few and all on me, not the disc itself. Once I worked out the best way to get after it, it all went smoothly. It would be nice if they offered them in some larger diameters, though, as I'm sure I'll run into something the smaller disc just can't get to.

I prefer shaping with a smaller disk. I went back to using my 3M stick-it 5" disks today and managed to make a total mess of the pipe! The power lock disks may be just the ticket!

I think they might. If you're using them for heavy material removal, they could be just the thing if you want smaller diameter wheels. They're designed for heavy material removal - of metal.

I also wish they came in bigger diameters. I really need something in the 5"-6" range.

KurtHuhn wrote: I also wish they came in bigger diameters. I really need something in the 5"-6" range.

Yep.. that would be nice. The edges of the discs are nice and floppy-firm. You can get just the edge or the whole face of the disc depending on how much pressure you put on it. I bet someone, somewhere offers these in larger sizes.

What I'd also like to see is something better than 180 grit as well - though for rough shaping, you wouldn't really need anything higher. On bowls, cups, and other lathe turned objects, it would be nice to have grits all the way to 800 though.

KurtHuhn wrote:What I'd also like to see is something better than 180 grit as well - though for rough shaping, you wouldn't really need anything higher. On bowls, cups, and other lathe turned objects, it would be nice to have grits all the way to 800 though.

If you're referring to the power lock disks, they go up to 320 grit: http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/store ... iscs?Args=

BTW, is this the same thing? If so, it's half the price of Craft Supplies: http://www.drillspot.com/products/61579 ... Pad-Holder

I was looking more at these:
http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/store ... iscs?Args=

The flexible edge necessary when sanding the interior of bowls.

I dont know if that other link is the same as the 3M Powerlock. There's actually about half a dozen different kinds of locking, quick-change abrasive discs - all incompatible with each other.

www.autobodytoolmart.com, I think, is where I got a 3M 6" backing pad for PSA discs. Thin, flexible edge, works great. 5/8-11 mount fits on grinder shaft.

Jack