What Is Hook-And-Loop Sandpaper?

What Is Hook-And-Loop Sandpaper?

Hook-and-loop sandpaper is a type of sandpaper that uses a material similar to Velcro as its backing. The hooks and loops on the sandpaper allow it to be easily attached to a power sander, such as a random orbital sander or disc sander.

This feature makes changing the sandpaper simple. Some sanders are designed specifically to use hook-and-loop sandpaper, while others can be adapted with a converter disc. Hook-and-loop sandpaper is available in a variety of shapes, commonly discs, but also star-shaped and triangular options.

It can be bought in sheets or rolls, which can be cut to the needed size. All grades of sandpaper, from coarse to superfine, can be found in hook-and-loop form for use with power sanders.

The Benefits Of Hook And Loop Sandpaper

Hook and loop sanding discs are commonly used with orbital sanders, and have replaced the older peel and stick adhesive discs.

The main advantage of hook and loop sanding discs is their speed and ease of replacement; it is simple to change or replace the disc by simply pulling it off and adding a new one.

Additionally, hook and loop sanding discs are less likely to fail due to weak adhesives and do not fall off easily. They also come in a wide range of grits, allowing for versatile usage.

The cost may be slightly higher than other discs, but their convenience and reliability make up for the additional expense and lead to fewer wasted discs.

How To Attach Hook And Loop Sandpaper

To attach sandpaper to a random orbit sander, the sandpaper has loops that are used to connect to hooks on the sander’s pads. The loops on the sandpaper are smooth and the hooks on the pads are rough.

The hooks latch around the loops to hold the sandpaper securely in place. To remove the sandpaper, simply pull it off as one would unfasten a Velcro belt or shoelace.

To attach, hold the sander upside down, place the sandpaper (with the loops) on the backing pad (with the hooks), apply some pressure and connect.

What’s The Difference Between PSA Pad Sandpaper And Hook-And-Loop Sandpaper?

Pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) sandpaper has an adhesive backing that can be peeled off to attach to power tools. It is available in various grits.

Hook and loop sandpaper, on the other hand, uses the Velcro attachment system, which is a stronger and easier way to attach the sandpaper to power tools as opposed to self-adhesive PSA pads.

This type of attachment is commonly used in clothing and shoes and many other applications.

How Do You Convert A Sander To A Hook And Loop?

If you have a non-hook and loop orbital sander, you can easily convert it to a hook and loop sander using a conversion kit. These kits are readily available at both physical DIY stores and online and are inexpensive. A video demonstration can show how simple it is to use the conversion kit.