JGS wrote:
Hi,
Thanks for your answer on a Fein sandpaper alternative. It's good to hear
that I will not need a special backing pad. Do you have a source for Abranet
in the GTA? Or do you have a preferred US source. Thanks, JG



I use the pad protector, I don't know where you were told not to. The
fact is that the mesh is uniform and therefore can abrade on both sides,
you do not want it slightly abrading your sander's pad. Thus, using a
pad protector insulates your sander's pad which is presumably an
expensive part to replace. The pad protectors are less expensive and
disposable.

Here's what Robert at Beaver Tools wrote me some time ago:
the MK9955 pad protector will work with the Festool 5" sander. If you
are using Abranet always use a pad protector with any sander that is
used. The pad protectors are cheaper to replace than the cost of the
pad. They are designed by Mirka to work with Hook & Loop pads to better
grip the Abranet abrasive.

I bought mine at Beaver Tools in St. Louis: beavertools.com I tried to
give some business to a distributer in Calsbad, but he never got back to
me on my order. Beaver Tools came through -- and with a wider
assortment of the product line.

Also, the grit of the Abranet is a bit more aggressive that the grits
I'm used to. I gather the grit rating has undergone a recent change,
but I noticed that the 400 Abranets did not polish ebony like 400 paper
did. This difference could be that the 400 paper tended to wear down
and become more like 600.

At any rate, I think the Abranet mesh is a milestone in woodworking, I
even use them by hand. I highly recommend Abranet.