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fernicarry
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If you're going to do any amount of sanding indoors you'll want an extractor. Which pushes you towards picking a particular manufacturer for all your tools so that everything works with their "system". Same deal as with batteries.
Most of my gear is Bosch and their extractor has a rubber bung on the end of the hose that either goes inside the dust port or over the outside depending on the size of the tool so it works with everything they make. It also has a bayonet connector for the chop saw. By coincidence Henry fits almost perfectly on the handheld tools so he gets drafted in from time to time.
You can get adapters or bodge something with duct tape to make different systems work but it can be a pita trying to get into confined spaces with extra stuff hanging off the back of the sander or it coming disconnected at inopportune moments.
I have a couple of 4" orbitals, one mains and one battery and they cover most needs. I've even done a couple of floors with them but I'll admit something with a bit more power would be preferred for that sort of job.
For small or hard to reach spots I use a delta sanding pad on a multi-tool but you have to be careful to keep it flat to the piece. I also have a sort of flexible sanding pad for the multi-tool which I thought I could maybe use for profiles but its completely useless. The paper burns through in no time. You really need to go carefully by hand on profiles or gently use a shave hook to ping off old paint. Its slow and tedious.
What matters more than the brand of the sander is the brand of the paper. Avoid the cheap stuff, its a false economy. I've been buying mainly Mirka recently. Bosch's own branded papers are pretty decent too.
For the outside of windows I often use a caustic chemical stripper. I've had bad results with it on internal timber but externally you can at least rinse it off thoroughly and the wood doesn't mind so much getting wet. Makes getting rid of decades of thick oil paint an awful lot easier but its not pleasant stuff.
Don't forget PPE and ventilation if sanding old paint.
Most of my gear is Bosch and their extractor has a rubber bung on the end of the hose that either goes inside the dust port or over the outside depending on the size of the tool so it works with everything they make. It also has a bayonet connector for the chop saw. By coincidence Henry fits almost perfectly on the handheld tools so he gets drafted in from time to time.
You can get adapters or bodge something with duct tape to make different systems work but it can be a pita trying to get into confined spaces with extra stuff hanging off the back of the sander or it coming disconnected at inopportune moments.
I have a couple of 4" orbitals, one mains and one battery and they cover most needs. I've even done a couple of floors with them but I'll admit something with a bit more power would be preferred for that sort of job.
For small or hard to reach spots I use a delta sanding pad on a multi-tool but you have to be careful to keep it flat to the piece. I also have a sort of flexible sanding pad for the multi-tool which I thought I could maybe use for profiles but its completely useless. The paper burns through in no time. You really need to go carefully by hand on profiles or gently use a shave hook to ping off old paint. Its slow and tedious.
What matters more than the brand of the sander is the brand of the paper. Avoid the cheap stuff, its a false economy. I've been buying mainly Mirka recently. Bosch's own branded papers are pretty decent too.
For the outside of windows I often use a caustic chemical stripper. I've had bad results with it on internal timber but externally you can at least rinse it off thoroughly and the wood doesn't mind so much getting wet. Makes getting rid of decades of thick oil paint an awful lot easier but its not pleasant stuff.
Don't forget PPE and ventilation if sanding old paint.
I like my Bosch random orbital sander too, coupled to a vortex dust catcher and my old Titan vac.
Agree that the cheapest disks are not worth buying.
For more detail and getting into corners I've got a cheapy B&D mouse sander. For me it works better than the multi tool, the ability to flip/replace just the pointy end of the paper is economical and it fits on my extractor too.
Agree that the cheapest disks are not worth buying.
For more detail and getting into corners I've got a cheapy B&D mouse sander. For me it works better than the multi tool, the ability to flip/replace just the pointy end of the paper is economical and it fits on my extractor too.
eezageeza
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I've always given Festool gear a wide berth because its just so expensive, but made an exception with their Rotex 90 sander, mainly because at that time at least, it was the only 90mm diameter machine on the market.
It was horrifically expensive, but I have to say it was worth it. The dust extraction is very good indeed (just plugged into my shop vac) and the rotary sanding setting rips through old paint and varnish at breakneck speed. It comes with a delta sanding pad too, so you are getting 2 machines in one.
(It's worth saying that my house has 22 windows, all varnished timber, so I do a LOT of sanding and refinishing! I might have been more restrained with my budget if I'd had less use for the machine).
It was horrifically expensive, but I have to say it was worth it. The dust extraction is very good indeed (just plugged into my shop vac) and the rotary sanding setting rips through old paint and varnish at breakneck speed. It comes with a delta sanding pad too, so you are getting 2 machines in one.
(It's worth saying that my house has 22 windows, all varnished timber, so I do a LOT of sanding and refinishing! I might have been more restrained with my budget if I'd had less use for the machine).
Interested to hear how you found the Rotex for finishing @eezageeza , a few friends of mine have said it’s great for rapidly removing material but too aggressive for finishing and ended up switching to the ETS
I’ve ended up on the DeWalt battery systems so have just used their XR brushless sander and been pretty happy with it - dust extraction is great since I 3D printed an adaptor to connect it to Henry
I’ve ended up on the DeWalt battery systems so have just used their XR brushless sander and been pretty happy with it - dust extraction is great since I 3D printed an adaptor to connect it to Henry
Cubist
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Must admit that I always look carefully at the investment cost of the modern products and keep in mind the very high percentage of the tools useful life that will be spent on a shed shelf gathering dust... rather than making it....in this case.
eezageeza
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I've been very happy with the the finish from the Rotex, but its very subjective of course. 120g pads on the random orbit setting produce a finish well smooth enough for external joinery (IMHO!). I've used it on internal joinery too - I recently built a lot of kitchen cabinetry for instance, and used the Rotex on most of it, but I'm not a fan of the super smooth glass like finish that I know some woodworkers strive for - I like my wood to look like wood!
eezageeza
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Ha ha - if I followed that logic, I'd never have bought any of my tools! I doubt there's any of them that spend more than a tiny fraction of their lives actually working! But man, when they work, they're fabulous!Must admit that I always look carefully at the investment cost of the modern products and keep in mind the very high percentage of the tools useful life that will be spent on a shed shelf gathering dust... rather than making it....in this case.
I gauge a tools worth based on the time it'll save vs the alternative, the finish produced vs a cheaper alternative, and of course the sheer joy of owning and using the tool!
Cubist
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But... how do you measure, ascribe value as a share of your investment in that tool, to those benefits?
How do you determine how much time would be/is saved using your sander versus any other?
Why do you ascribe the final finish achieved exclusively to the sander? What evidence do you have, or observe, to support the claim your sander produced this superior finish?
Did you and the sandpaper used make no contribution to either the time taken to do the job or the final finish delivered?
I understand the concept of Esteem Value when it comes to some products - cars, watches and the like - but power tools? Seriously?
Horses for courses dear @Cubist - how do you assign a monetary value to the smile that forms every time I walk in my workshop and see a neatly arranged rack of quality and well maintained tools hanging there ready for use?
How do I impart a monetary value to the confidence I have that every time I pick up the quality tool that it will “just work” and deliver exactly what I ask of it or the knowledge that for almost every issue I face in the house, in my workshop are the tools and materials to solve them.
While I love a classic car my enthusiasm for owning and driving one has almost entirely diminished over the last decade whereas for me owning and using my collection of tools, and the memories of past projects completed with them brings more smiles (and ultimately costs a lot less) than any classic car I have ever owned.
How do I impart a monetary value to the confidence I have that every time I pick up the quality tool that it will “just work” and deliver exactly what I ask of it or the knowledge that for almost every issue I face in the house, in my workshop are the tools and materials to solve them.
While I love a classic car my enthusiasm for owning and driving one has almost entirely diminished over the last decade whereas for me owning and using my collection of tools, and the memories of past projects completed with them brings more smiles (and ultimately costs a lot less) than any classic car I have ever owned.
Cubist
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I too thoroughly admire and will invest in quality tools but may not take quite so much pleasure in their appearance than I do their function and performance. As an example, In our kitchen there is one of those cheap and cheerful knife blocks containing a variety of near physically identical design. Responsibility for keeping those instruments well honed typically falls to yours truly and I can honestly say the two Wusthof blades housed there beside their cheap and cheerful Ikea brethren require considerably less care than their neighbours.
However, as the First Lady would point out, when cared for they all do an admirable and indistinguishable job of slicing up... well almost anything really.
All in all though, it does come down to whether you favour the form or the function in your value system when deciding how much you may be prepared to invest.
However, as the First Lady would point out, when cared for they all do an admirable and indistinguishable job of slicing up... well almost anything really.
All in all though, it does come down to whether you favour the form or the function in your value system when deciding how much you may be prepared to invest.