Back-Up Pads for Sanding Discs

A random orbital sander is only as flat, cool and dust-free as the pad under the disc, and pads wear out long before the tool does: hooks go bald, PSA faces get gouged, and the rubber cracks at the rim. These replacement back-up pads for 5 inch and 6 inch sanding discs come with a hook-and-loop (Velcro) face or a PSA (pressure-sensitive adhesive) face, in no hole, 5 hole, 8 hole and Festool hole patterns, so you can match the pad to the discs you run and the extraction on your sander.

They are bought by cabinet shops, finishers, body shops and serious home woodworkers who want a fresh pad rather than a new sander, and by anyone converting a sander from PSA to hook-and-loop or the other way round. The rubber body is made in different hardnesses to suit flat work, contours and fine finishing.

• 5 inch and 6 inch pads for the two most common random orbital sander sizes
• Hook-and-loop (Velcro) or PSA (pressure-sensitive adhesive) face to match your disc stock
• No hole, 5 hole, 8 hole and Festool patterns keep dust extraction working
• Rubber body in different hardnesses for flat sanding, contours and finishing
• Restores a worn sander to flat, cool, grippy sanding for the price of a pad
• Free shipping on orders over $200; 30-day returns on unused product in original packaging

Which back-up pad should you choose: size, face and hole pattern?

Work through three questions in order: what diameter disc does the sander take, what face are your discs, and where are the extraction holes.

• 5 inch: the standard pad for most compact random orbital sanders and the size the widest range of discs is made in. If your discs measure 5" across, order 5 inch.
• 6 inch: for larger random orbital and dual-action sanders used on wide panels, tabletops, body panels and floors of boats. More surface per pass and a smoother finish on flat work.
• Hook-and-loop (Velcro) face: hooks grip the loop backing of hook-and-loop discs. Choose it if you change grits often, reuse partly worn discs, or run net and film discs that are only sold in hook-and-loop. The most versatile choice for a woodworking shop.
• PSA (pressure-sensitive adhesive) face: a smooth face that sticky-back discs adhere to. Choose it for production sanding where a disc is run to the end and discarded, for the flattest possible disc-to-pad contact, and for shops already stocked with PSA paper or cloth discs. PSA discs are usually cheaper per disc than hook-and-loop.
• No hole: for sanders without dust extraction and for solid discs. Also the right pad if you run a mixture of hole patterns and rely on shop extraction rather than through-the-pad suction.
• 5 hole: matches 5-hole discs and the 5-hole port pattern on many 5" random orbital sanders.
• 8 hole: matches 8-hole discs and sanders with an 8-port pattern, common on 5" and 6" machines.
• Festool: the multi-hole layout used by Festool sanders and Festool-pattern discs. Order this only if your sander and discs both use that pattern.

Not every size, face and hole combination is stocked; the selector shows what is available. If you need a specific rubber hardness, say so when you order and we will match it from stock.

How do hole patterns and pad hardness change the result?

What sanders do these back-up pads fit?

• 5" random orbital sanders, corded, cordless and pneumatic, that take a 5 inch pad. Confirm the diameter and the hole pattern of the sander's extraction ports before ordering.
• 6" random orbital and dual-action sanders used in cabinet, furniture and body shops, matched to a 6 inch pad with the same hole pattern as the sander.
• Festool-pattern sanders in 5 inch and 6 inch, using the Festool hole option.
• PSA conversions: fitting a PSA pad to a sander that came with a hook face lets you run our 5" and 6" cloth PSA discs and PSA paper discs on it. Fitting a hook-and-loop pad to a PSA sander opens up hook-and-loop film, net and ceramic discs.

Pads attach to the sander with its existing pad screws or threaded stud; check how your current pad is mounted before you order, and keep the screws. The hole pattern of the pad must line up with the ports in the sander head or extraction stops working; if in doubt, count the ports and measure the pad diameter with the old pad off.

How to get the most out of a back-up pad

1. Fit it flat. Clean the sander head, seat the new pad squarely, and tighten the screws evenly. A pad that sits crooked wobbles, wears hooks on one side and leaves swirl marks.
2. Align the holes. Rotate the pad until its holes match the sander ports, then fit discs with the same pattern and line those holes up too. Misaligned holes cut extraction and load the disc.
3. Keep hooks clean. Dust packs into hook-and-loop faces and reduces grip; brush or vacuum the face when you change discs. A disc that flies off is usually a dirty or bald pad.
4. Keep PSA faces clean and cool. Wipe the face with solvent when adhesive builds up, and peel discs while the pad is warm so the adhesive comes off with the disc.
5. Match hardness to the job. Firm for flattening panels and coarse grits, medium for everyday work, soft or an interface pad for contours, edges and fine finishing where a hard pad would dig in.
6. Lift the sander on and off the work while it is running level. Tipping a spinning pad onto an edge rounds the rim of the pad and gouges the work.
7. Do not let the disc overhang. A 6" disc on a 5 inch pad flaps at the rim and tears; a 5" disc on a 6 inch pad exposes hooks or adhesive that mark the work.
8. Replace the pad when the rim cracks or the face goes bald. A worn pad transmits vibration to your hands and stops holding discs flat.

Use it for / don't use it for

Use it for

• Replacing a worn or damaged pad on a 5" or 6" random orbital sander
• Converting a sander between PSA and hook-and-loop disc systems
• Matching a pad's hole pattern to 5 hole, 8 hole or Festool discs for dust extraction
• Choosing a firmer or softer pad than the one the sander came with
• Setting up a second sander with a different grit or disc type ready to go

Don't use it for

• Angle grinders or high-speed disc grinders; these are random orbital sander pads
• Discs of a different diameter than the pad
• Mixing hole patterns between pad, disc and sander and expecting extraction to work
• Running a cracked or bald pad; it stops holding discs flat and vibrates

Specifications

Frequently asked questions

Related products and guides

• 5" Cloth PSA Sanding Discs, 50 pack
• 5" & 6" Hook & Loop Gold Sanding Discs, no hole
• 5" & 6" PSA Premium Paper Sanding Discs, no hole
• Interface pads for contour sanding
• All orbital and dual-action sanding discs