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Porter cable 505 half sheet sander issues

4/17/16       
Mike

I'm a bit confused as to what needs to be replaced....

When I'm sanding, the sandpaper starts to slide off. Im wondering if it's the spring that may be getting weaker or something else

And for those of you who have this sander, is the felt or foam pad better?

My boss also has the same sander, brought it to a service center locally and they did a "recondition" on it and you can feel the center metal piece and there's also an indent in the foam pad they replaced. I cant imagne that's right

Thx!

4/17/16       #2: Porter cable 505 half sheet sander ...
Robert Member

Ahhhhh, the Porter Cable 505. Dont know why they quit production but its a fine finish sander. Happen to own the Anniversary Edition...came with a nice Oak Case. Its a nice chrome/stainless steel model as opposed to the grey Works like a charm.

Now, here's what I know for sure about that model.

The felt pad is what came stock..its quite sturdy compared to a foam pad. The paper is sliding off because the spring loaded clip is loosing its tension OR its been dropped in the past and landed on a corner. What grit paper are you generally using ??

Dropping this sander ( its pretty beefy and weighs more than others ) can cause a bunch of problems, it crunches a corner and it throws off the action. Many find that the sander begins to rattle and skip all over the place.

As far as the indentation in the center.... of the pad that's not right at all. The foam pad should be replaced with what came with it to begin with...a nice felt pad.

Also, applying to much pressure will eventually ruin the bearings. This was marketed as a " finish sander " with a small swirl pattern. Some think its a belt sander meant to hog off tons of material at a time.
I liked it for 120 through 280. Higher grit papers are a thicker weight. Trying to put more than two complete sheets, stresses the clamping mechanism and eventually it wont firmly hold the paper.

When using mine, I wouldn't put more than two sheets ( four pieces total ) on at a time and I would make darn sure the paper was firmly attached and completely flush with the pad. You have to fold the front edge and rear edge of the paper to assure a snug fit. That way the paper doesn't flop around and chatter on the pad.

This has been one of my favorite finish sanders that aint around anymore..parts are hard to find..they now cost an arm and a leg if you can find a good one !!...Thumbs down to Porter Cable for discontinuing it.

4/17/16       #3: Porter cable 505 half sheet sander ...
Mike

Thx Robert. I did find parts on ereplacementparts.com. I also noticed that it does tend to leave little swirling marks, similar to my ROS. Normal or another part bad? The spring and the clip are still available, so do i replace both or one or the other? I bought it off ebay and seems to work well overall

4/17/16       #4: Porter cable 505 half sheet sander ...
Robert Member

Hi Mike..what grits do you generally use. The higher the grit the slower speed motion should be. Before replacing parts, make sure your attaching the paper correctly and moving in a slower motion. (its hard to define what slow means.. but you know what I mean ). Keep the paper absolute flush to the pad. You don't want it wandering and flopping around.
I also found it most comfortable to use just one hand when sanding something. I placed my hand right on top of the sander instead of one hand on the rear handle and the other on the front handle. Found I could apply even center pressure that way.

Swirls could mean...sanding to fast or something is on the paper causing the swirl. I had one for raw wood and one for sanding sealer coats. Also blow out alllllll of the dust before putting it away.Keep it super clean and it will last quite awhile.
P.S. If you look at the trigger switch, you will notice its kinda hollow....stick an air nozzle in there and blow out that area real good.Lots of grime builds up in there so try and keep that area clean too.
Good luck and happy sanding ( if there is such a thing as happy sanding.) 8)

4/17/16       #5: Porter cable 505 half sheet sander ...
Mike

I have to laugh at happy sanding..gawd do i know what u mean!! Hand sanding is for the puppets!

I use it for 100-150, then depending if it's a completely closed lac finish, ill put 400 wet/dry between

I have found if i don't apply equal pressure front and back, it tends to "walk" ni heard the swirls could be the bearings? Maybe?

I just took off the foam pad last night as it was a PITA cuz it had some adhesive I n the backside

I think i saw that only the felt pads are available now.

Do u not still have yours?

4/17/16       #6: Porter cable 505 half sheet sander ...
Robert Member

Hi Mike,I hung up my 3M respirator( aka retired)after 30+ years in a booth. Sold off all my equipment except for the Porter Cable and a few touch up kits.
Bought the 505 at Whole Earth Access just as they were about to go out of business.

Could be the bearings might be getting tired ...does it rattle like a Diesel Truck sounds ? If not maybe its skating around due to to much downward pressure being applied. Thats just a guess though.


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