Rotex Ro 150 pad keeps falling off

[hanshamm]

I was using my Ro150 yesterday and the pad kept spinning off.  I was sanding down a carved seat with the interference pad and it would fall off almost every 30 seconds, interference pad and the soft pad together.  Anyone had this happen before?

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Please don't take this in an insulting way, but are you sure the interface pad isn't on upside down?

 

[hanshamm]

no worries I don't.  it's not the interference pad falling off it's the entire pad. 

 

[GPowers]

did you overheat the velcro hooks on the pad and damage them? do you have another pad like a hard pad to try?

 

[hanshamm]

sorry maybe i wasn't clear but the velcro hooks remain in tact.  It's the plastic fitting to the rotex that is failing.  I don't think it has anything to do with with the interference pad but the pad it attaches to that is falling off the machine.  This connection...

 

[GPowers]

Are you saying the sandpaper is coming of the pad (pictured below)?

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Ok, sorry for the misunderstanding. It may just be not turned far enough to hold tight. Depress the green spindle lock and give that joker a good twist (the pad). That should do the trick.  [wink]

 

[hanshamm]

no the twisted connection fit.  ie. the pad, interference pad and sandpaper falls off in one piece from the rotex.

 

[hanshamm]

Shane that's what I did.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

It should just be a matter of aligning the three tabs (highlighted below), depressing the spindle lock, and twisting 60 degrees (1/6 turn). If it's coming off after you've done that, maybe there's a problem with the pad.

When turned far enough, a hole at 12 o'clock should end up around 2 o'clock.

Did you recently change or replace the pad?

Do you have another pad you can use to see if it's just this pad that's problematic?

[attachimg=#]

 

[hanshamm]

no I haven't changed the pad.  It's the original, with little use.  I rotate it until it bottoms out.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Hmm, I'm stumped at the moment. The direction of rotation when the sander runs should actually make the pad less likely to come off.

I'd recommend that you give the service guys a buzz tomorrow and see what they say. Or, maybe one of the forum members will have a suggestion. It's been a crazy day and I'll admit that I'm not particularly focused at the moment.

Sorry I couldn't help more. Service number is on your tool and also below in my signature.

Shane

 

[Kev]

Does in happen in both sanding modes and also does it happen when you're not using the interface pad?

Just for more info ... does it come off when you are pressing against the surface you're sanding or when not in contact?

Lastly, are you running DC when it happens.

(I'm just trying to see a fuller picture)

The nature of what seems to be happening is as if the pad isn't twisting properly onto the teeth of the drive and locking. Strange!

Without attaching a pad, does the spindle lock lock the drive properly if you try to turn it with the spindle locked?

 

[hanshamm]

I notice it fall off while sander is against the piece.  It's does do it  in random orbital mode.  I didn't try it without the interface pad because I just wouldn't see why that would cause it...and I had to use the interface pad because of this specific project.  I am running DC.  It seems to be locking in.  I even stopped it periodically to see if it was slowly slipping...which it was.  the locking button is working fine.  It's almost as if the pad locking taper is worn but I haven't used it much.  Maybe the heat is deforming the locking "threads" on the pad.  that's about all I can attribute it to.  

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

I've sent service your contact information and asked that they contact you tomorrow. If you have a preferred time, please PM or email me. I did note to them that you're on the west coast, so you don't get an early wake up call.  [wink]

 

[hanshamm]

thanks I appreciate that!  You rock Shane

 

[oldie]

(In the same vein as Kevs’ post – just curious; and also trying to get a fuller picture.)
Prior to the pad starting to come off in use, when did you last take the pad off yourself?  Wondering if pad been on a long time before problem started.
When you put pad back on – have you tried to ‘forcefully’ take it off again? – to try and tell if locked ok.
Is the inside squeaky clean – maybe a bit of impacted dust (for eg) is stopping pad fully engaging ??
It does look as though the pad is damaged /worn for whatever reason - &/or, that the locking mechanism is not doing its job properly.  How do you know the locking mechanism is ‘working fine?’
Pity don’t have another pad to try – maybe treat yourself to hard pad  [eek]
Depends what other uses you find for sander of course.
Hope you can find time to let us know what resolves the problem.

Richard.
(edited to remove duplication of text.)

 

[Kev]

Well I'm baffled too. Either some form of contamination or abnormal wear must be the issue. Please let us know what the service technicians come up with.

 

[AlexThePalex]

This kept happening to me too once, shortly after I bought my RO 150. But when I investigated the problem I found I simply hadn't twisted the pad on far enough. The pad can be quite hard to twist on when it's new, because it all fits so tightly.

So it's either that or the OP's pad has some defect, which is always possible of course.

 

[fdengel]

Yes, the pad on the RO 150 can be almost painfully hard to turn on the whole way when it is new.

I doubt this is in play - any chance you are pushing the sander in against the workpiece too hard?