Random-orbit sanders that can suck up sawdust as they make it are a wonderful invention. But for them to work properly, they need to have the holes in the disks lined up accurately over the holes in the sander’s pad. As shown in the drawing, I make quick work of this with a pair of dowel pins set into a wooden block. I slip the pins through the disk, then into the sander for perfect alignment every time.
—Wilbur R. Sanger, Lebanon, PA
Edited and illustrated by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #165
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Wilbur,
Quick, patent that idea, before SBD grabs it! Really, this is one of those "stupid simple" ideas- something Izzy Swan or John Carroll would do. (John Carroll is the laziest carpenter in America and Izzy is the craziest. And I mean that in the best possible way...)
Or you could switch to 3M Clean Sand discs and backup pads. Better dust extraction, less loading, longer life, and the hole alignment doesn't matter.
25 cents and 10 minutes to build a hole alignment jig vs. paying 4 times the cost for "Clean Sand" discs, plus a special back-up pad that wears out; that don't outlast good quality sanding discs...hmm.