Trusted Service and Repairs
Support Center
Popular Topics
Recalibration is a simple step that you can perform on your sander if you should notice that it seems a little wobbly or off in its performance. This typically occurs if you do not use the power switch to turn off your sander before unplugging it.
First, make sure your sander is unplugged. Hold down the minus button for about 5 seconds and plug the sander in. You will hear a series of 3 audible beeps. When you do, release the minus button, and press down on the paddle on/off switch. Next, press the on button and run through your different speeds to check that it sounds correct at each speed.
There could be a few reasons for this problem. It may be that you are pushing down on your tool with too much pressure while sanding, increasing internal heat in the brushless motor, thus heat radiates out through the composite/grip housing to your hand. Applying too much downward pressure will slow your tool down and put a strain on the motor resulting in it getting hot. The smart control board (like a motherboard in a CPU) monitors the excessive heat from the motor and is designed to place the tool in preservation mode, slowing down and eventually shutting down. Keep in mind that your sander is most efficient while maintaining just enough light pressure to control the sander while moving at a rate that allows the sander to do its job without trying to rush. Always select the correct abrasive grit for the job at hand and avoid “driving” ANY sander into a substrate.
Another reason may be that you are using it without a vacuum attached and not removing the gray rubber side vent covers on each side of the tool when doing so. Removing them when using without a vacuum will allow more air flow into the tool so that it operates at normal temperatures. If you do remove them, please keep in mind that they need to be put back in when using your tool with a vacuum to create suction for dust free sanding as well as move air through the body of the sander keeping heat down.
A third reason this could be happening is if you are using your tool with an improper extension cord. With power coming through so much length, you will need to consider an extension cord at a 16 or 14 gauge. Any extension cord that is not up to par will increase the resistance in the electric cord, increasing heat build up. Any sort of plug adaptors can also cause heat in tools.
Keep in mind that it is normal for any and all power tools to become warm during use. Maintaining basic care for your tool is very important as well. Regularly blow out the body of your tool with compressed air to ensure dust does not build up in the motor and bearings (especially if your tool is vacuum compatible). Should your tool begin to overheat from misuse, SurfPrep’s sanders have a built-in shutoff feature to keep your tool from damage. Should this occur, give the tool sufficient time to cool off before restarting it for use. You may need to recalibrate your tool if this occurs.
Yes, you can! Just be sure to remove the two small rectangular rubber plugs covering the breather vents on each side of your tool or overheating may occur. Should your tool overheat, it has a built-in safeguard and will slow the motor down by pushing it into a preservation mode until the heat subsides. A recalibration may be in order if this happens. Should you continue sanding in this mode, damage may occur to the motor. When using with a vacuums, be sure to put the vent plugs back in place.
When sanding without vacuum, the dust will simply settle on the surface you are sanding (the sander has no suction power).Be aware that when not using your tool in conjunction without a vacuum, there will be no dust containment and you will be inhaling sanding dust. Wearing a respirator or good quality dust mask is a necessity should you elect not to use a vacuum with your tool.
SurfPrep offers a wide selection and variety of abrasives. Many times, there is not one “correct” answer to this question, but in some cases there is.
If you are new to finishing, the primary thing you should know is that sanding tasks require an order of grits, also called a ” sanding schedule”, to achieve the best results. This is true whether using the sandpaper, film, or screens when sanding. To do this, you need to understand why sandpaper is numbered as such, 80, 100, 120, 150, 180, 220, 320 and so on. The lower numbered grits are coarser, or more abrasive, and the higher numbered grits are finer and less abrasive. When sanding any substrate, you start with a lower grit and move successively higher in number, preferably moving to a higher grit in single increments and not skipping any. You can occasionally skip one grit and still achieve good results, but we recommend progressing one numerical grit at a time.
SurfPrep’s foam abrasives, though designated as Coarse, Coarse+, Medium, Medium+, Fine, Very Fine, Super Fine, and Super Fine+, follow the same principles.
The more coarse and medium foam abrasives are used primarily for finish removal or scuff sanding on things like chair spindles, rungs, profiles, and detailed trim. The finer abrasives are best utilized when sanding in between sealer, primer, and finish coats and smooth out nibs and imperfections in your coats. They also provide a scratch to these coats to provide a good mechanical bond for your next coat to adhere to. Although available in a wide range of grits, foam sanding abrasives were not designed to “level sand” or aggressively cut or strip sand.
There can be a few reasons why you are seeing swirls or “pigtails” when sanding. One of the most common is too much downward pressure on your sander or moving at too fast of a rate. Keep in mind that your sander requires just enough pressure to control it. Pressing down hard on your tool will not help sand your substrate any faster and can overheat your tool. Moving your sander rapidly back and forth will also cause swirls. When final finish sanding raw wood, keep in mind that you want a slow, steady advance of your tool with the grain of the wood. Because of the nature of orbital sanding, small circles will be evident when using coarser grit abrasives. As you move through your order of grits and progress to higher numbered grits (finer abrasives) it is necessary to move your tool at a rate of 1 to 2 inches per second to allow the finer grits enough time to totally remove the swirls made by the coarser abrasives and eliminate them.
For example, when sanding raw wood for stain, a good basic order of grits would be: 120, 150, 180, with SurfPrep Paper being the best choice for surface finish.
When sanding veneers, 150, 180, 220 and 320 (if necessary).
Another cause of sanding swirls is when you get buildup on your abrasive from sanding off an existing finish or sanding raw wood. One small piece of old finish attached to your abrasive surface can cause even the most experienced woodworker to experience sanding swirls. When this happens, grab that fingernail brush to remove these attached pieces or, switch to a new piece of abrasive.
A great timesaving tool to add to your Surfprep arsenal is one of our LED inspection lights. These high-powered LED light bars will show imperfections or swirls in your substrate that are often overlooked with the naked eye. It can be very discouraging when beginning to stain your project and you see the stain accentuate swirls that you may have missed. Examination under one of our inspection lights resolves this issue and will up your sanding game and your finished product quality. Inspection lights can be found at this link: https://surfprepsanding.com/product/led-inspection-lights/