Sand Cabinets Like a Pro | Eliminate Swirl Marks for a Factory Finish with a 3x4 Ekasand Sander

All right. So, we got [music] something here from Unidita. It's Undilon pads. 3x4 pads for your sander. And our 3x4 Echoand sander is probably the most versatile sander you'll use as a painter. So, what would these Unilon pants do for somebody? I'm a painter. Uh, Sher. >> So, what we discovered several years back was what the 3x4 is indicative of swirls. So, it'll leave some really deep swirls in your wood when you're sanding. And that became a problem especially in when we're staining doors. So we had to figure out a way how to either remove them or to lessen them. One of the things we did was with the interface pad as you know we lessened them a little bit with the coated abrasive but then we still had a lot of swirls to remove. So what we found was the 3x4 maroon if you use it in the center panel after the behind the 3x4 it will actually mask the swirls and it doesn't change the color in the stain. um it knocks the tops off of them where we don't see them in the stain and you can go ahead with your clear coat afterwards. >> Right. So, if you're getting swirls in a painted finish, so say we're doing a repaint and like this door right here and I'm sanding it and I'm getting swirls in my painted finish, could I use that to get rid of the swirls? >> I would probably go with the gray. And there's a difference in the grain size. This is a uh 320 grit aluminum oxide. This is a 600 grit silicon carbide, right? So, I would go with the gray with the gray on painted surfaces just because it's going to be a little softer in the finish. Um, and it'll help with not leaving any other marks that you would need to remove. >> So, if you're getting swirls in your painted uh finish on cabinet doors, the 3x4 gray Unilon pad is going to help you get rid of those swirls before you're doing your next coat. So, give it a try next time you're getting swirls. You know, Sher, when using Filmtech, you know, on say a full set of kitchen cabinets, I typically go through uh Filmtech uh maybe like three or four of these abrasives, and it just seems like they last forever. And I guess the question is some of uh people watching, you know, might want to know like when do I switch these things out? Like how long do they last? >> It's it's really subjective, Chris, cuz the the main thing is when you feel like you're losing money, cuz your time is your money. So, I always tell people if I start to see less dust or I start to feel like it's taking me a longer time just to get through that part, that's when I go ahead and change. >> Right. So, um there's no really hard rule. I can't just look at the abrasive and go, "Okay, this thing is worn out. I'll switch it out." >> No, there's not really a hard rule. I mean, there'll be times if you're sanding on say finish that you'll start to see little, you know, gum up areas and we know at that point that we're raised up and we're we're not sanding anymore. But if it's just raw wood, it's really hard unless the abrasive is totally loaded. Um, but it's really subjective and I feel like if you use it till it's totally loaded, then you're losing money, >> right? Yeah, I know. When I mean once you start sanding with this thing long enough, you know, you can just feel it. I can just feel that it's not cutting enough and then I switch it out. I mean, these abrasives are pretty inexpensive. How much does on like on average one of these cost? >> It's about 20 cents a a sheet. So, it's not it's not very expensive. And then not only that, I mean, you're looking at like I said, I always say with film, it's good cut rate, good longevity, good finish, great price. And Filmtech is p priced more like a paper product. Yeah. So the longevity that you get from it is uh beneficial in that area. >> There you have it. When to change your abrasives out. So Sherry, I got a question for you. When abrasives get loaded with product, so if I'm sanding it along, I stay in one place a little bit too long and say the coating starts to get loaded into the abrasive, is that abrasive ruined? Do I have to throw it away or can I revive that or clean that up somehow? >> No, absolutely not. There's a couple ways you can do it. But of course, we always recommend using a uh you know, an airline or blowing it out. But if you don't have that handy, you can get a little piece of indoor outdoor carpet from like Home Depot or Lowe's. Just a little piece, put it on the edge of your table, take your sander, tap it with the uh paddle push, it'll knock all the debris off the face of the uh abrasive. And you can you can do that with coated as well as foam. >> So that's a that's an interesting tip. So, a Home Depot has like carpet samples. You can actually uh buy a carpet sample. So, I can go buy a carpet sample of indoor outdoor carpet. I can have my inspection table where I'm doing my doors. I can just have it sitting there. Anytime it gets loaded up, just clean it off. So, that'll work with like it'll work with film tech abrasives, abrasives, and your foam. >> Yes. >> So, there you have it. That is a pretty cool tip. If your um abrasives get loaded with either the wood product or the coating product, indooroutdoor tarpet will revive it and get it going like new