Sometimes when sanding, your orbital sander stops when pressure applied even when there isn’t an obvious reason.
This can be incredibly frustrating, especially if it happens regularly and disrupts the progress of your project or maintenance job. Before we get into some potential causes for this issue, let’s first explain what an orbital sander does.
An orbital sander is a handheld power tool that uses round abrasive disks to smoothly sand wood, plastics, and metals in small areas like corners and hard-to-reach spots.
It gives you more control and speed than manual sanding, but only if it works properly. Your orbital sander stops functioning because one side of the force you apply has more weight than another side. Read on to understand why your orbital sander suddenly stops working when applying pressure.
Orbital Sander Stops When Pressure Applied
An orbital sander is a power tool for sanding and polishing different surfaces. Sometimes the orbital sander stops when pressure applied.
This sander can stop due to several reasons. For example, it could be because of dust clogging the intake vents of the tool and preventing sufficient airflow. In addition, because the motor has become overheated, a thermal cut-off switch is activated.
The motor could also have become damaged by applying too much pressure during use, causing it to heat up and draw too much current. It can then cause the switch to trip, applying too much pressure. At the same time, sanding can also cause wear and tear on the gearing system within the tool, eventually leading to it wearing out and ceasing operations altogether.
Sanders is used primarily for delicate work on wood and metal surfaces. And they must be able to respond immediately when too much force is put on them. Pressure sensors built into the sander detect when too much pressure has been applied and quickly shut the sander off, thus protecting the surface being worked on. This gives users peace of mind that their finished product will look perfect with no risk of over-sanding or gouging if too much force is used.
How Does Orbital Sander Work, And Why Does Pressure Cause Problems
The sander works by spinning a pad of sandpaper in tiny circles, helping to remove material such as wood or paint with less effort than other traditional sanding methods. The orbital action also creates fewer swirl marks or gouging of the materials being worked on, providing a smoother and more consistent finish overall. Operating an orbital sander is relatively easy; you must plug it in and adjust the speed settings to fit your project. Always wear personal protection equipment, including safety glasses and a good-quality dust mask.
They have a motor mounted on a flexible shaft that turns the pad in a circular motion as it orbits around it. The motor is attached to the end of this shaft, which means that when you apply pressure to your orbital sander, it will stop working.
Understanding why your orbital sander stops when pressure applied can help ensure that your next sanding job works perfectly. This phenomenon results from the design of orbital sanders. And which are built to stop spinning as soon as they encounter too much resistance.
This allows these machines to avoid damage from binding or bogging and prevent woodworker fatigue caused by extra effort needed to push against the sandpaper surface.
Suppose you encounter this issue while using your orbital sander. In that case, it’s a good idea to check that your machine is still in its proper settings. If not, readjust them and start sanding again. Here are the more problems of your orbital sander:
The Sandpaper Might Be Too Worn And Need To Be Replaced.
The most common reason an orbital sander stops working is when the sandpaper is worn out. To check whether this is the case, remove your old sandpaper from the drum and look at it in bright light.
If you see any visible signs of wear, such as cuts and tears in the paper or frayed edges, then this means that your orbital sander needs to be replaced. On the other hand, if there are no visible signs of wear on these parts and they aren’t loose, then it might be possible for them to last longer than expected.
If you’re using a firm grip on the sander, ensure that you apply enough pressure to get it moving. If your orbital sander stops while adjusting or sanding, there may need to be more pressure being applied to the sander. This can happen if your sanding surface has been damaged or worn down and can no longer take the weight of being rotated at high speeds.
The Dust Collector Bag Might Be Full And Need To Be Emptied.
The dust bags are designed to collect the dust created by the sander, and if not emptied regularly, they can clog up the machine over time. Knowing this can save you from a lot of potential frustration. However, you should check the condition of the dust collector bag before embarking on any lengthy troubleshooting efforts for your power tools.
If the dust collector bag is full, it can be emptied by unplugging the machine and letting it sit. At the same time, you use a brush attachment to clean out any accumulated debris. When you’re done, plug in your orbital sander again and give it more time.
If this doesn’t work, try emptying the entire dust collector bag using a vacuum hose attachment. Or place a water bottle over it while turning on your orbital sander again. This will allow any excess moisture in the system to drain through these methods so that you don’t have to worry about mold forming inside your machine.
The Belt Might Be Loose And Need To Be Tightened.
If the belt is loose and needs to be tightened, loosen it first by turning the screw on the adjustment wheel. Then tighten it with a screwdriver by turning it clockwise until you hear a “click” sound from the adjustment wheel; this will tell you that everything is secure and locked in place.
The Motor Might Be Overloaded And Need To Cool Down.
The motor may have developed a jam, preventing it from operating. If this is the case, you must clean out your orbital sander’s switch or trigger assembly with sandpaper.
So that it can open again once it has cooled down enough for you to use it safely without injuring yourself. Or damaging your tool unnecessarily by trying to force things into place when there are no longer any openings in the mechanism, which would cause damage.
Conclusion
We hope that you have learned a lot from reading this blog post and will be able to use these tips to troubleshoot your orbital sander.
The most common reason is that the drive belt has come off or broken. Another possibility is that it might clog the sandpaper with debris.
Lastly, ensure that the power cord is plugged in and that there isn’t a blown fuse. By troubleshooting these potential issues, you should be able to get your orbital sander up and running in no time!
