Why I stopped using a random orbit sander for face frames

I was building a shaker cabinet last week in my shop and kept getting these weird swirl marks on the maple. I blamed the wood, blamed the dust collection, even blamed my sandpaper. Then a buddy stopped by and pointed out I was using way too much pressure and a cheap pad. Switched to a square pad sander for the flat panels and suddenly the finish came out perfect. Has anyone else found a better strategy for avoiding swirls on hardwoods?

2 comments

2 Comments

troymorgan1mo ago

Ngl, same thing happened to me with cherry. Switched pads and fixed it.

angela8901mo agoMost Upvoted

Have you tried actually cleaning the pads before you switch them out? Most times I find the problem isn't the pad itself but the crud that builds up on it over time. A good scrub with some rubbing alcohol and a rag usually does the trick for me. Plus buying new pads every time you get a skid can get expensive real quick, especially if you're running higher end ceramic stuff.