Sander – Belt or Random Orbit?
ElegantSolution
| Posted in Tools for Home Building on
This is my first message to the forum. My old 3×24 belt sander finally self-destructed, and I am in the market for a new one. However, I just read that article in Fine Woodworking about Random Orbit sanders. I have a 5 inch DeWalt RO finish sander, but I am wondering if one of those bigger 6 inch models would do the same thing for me as the belt sander. My main use is flattening and smoothing panel glue ups as well as scribing the backs of countertops to walls.
You can email directly to me, since I won’t be able to check the forum regularly over the next few weeks. Email is [email protected]
Joe
Replies
This is a FORUM - a public meeting place for open discussion - not a private consultation resource. If you don't have the time to return regularly to retrieve responses why should we take the time to inform you - especially privately, which antithetical to the idea of Forum?
What you are looking for is a Tool Consultant. Most tool suppliers have them on staff. I beleive their title is Salesperson.
F
Gee Frankie, that was a great first response to my first message posted on the web. How forgiving. I am so sorry for wasting your time. I'll make sure to avoid this site.
Joe
Your first post on this site can be very much like your first cigarette. You go away retching and feeling woozy.
Then, pretty soon, yuou are addicticated and have to get your daily fix...
;)
BTW, I hope you read far enough to realize what good advice you did get from Andy. I sure heard about something new worth looking into.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
A furniture maker friend of mine uses the Festool Rotex, and retired all his other gear since getting it.
Does everything, and the dust collection is incomparable.
Check out Wayne's stuff at http://www.swallowtailstudio.com/Gallery/gallery.htm
You will get that kind of reponse from almost any type of peer forum.
They are for SHARING information.
The success of this forum depends on the free and public exchange of information. To request it be privately sent goes against what a public information sharing forum is all about.
While Frankie could've sugarcoated his response more, I don't think he said anything that was out of line.
The latest issue of FHB has a review of random orbit sanders. Some of the higher end right angle sanders, with the right pad, could be just as aggressive as a belt sander. The RO sanders, however, have the advantage of being finish sanders as well; which the belt sanders can't.
I will say that I do alot of sanding to make pieces fit my uneven walls in my house. I always grab the ro sander rather than my belt sander. I use anywhere from 60 grit to 220 grit sandpaper.
Oh no, please don't go! We need more sensitive guys like you around.
Please accept my apologies for thinking you were a self-centered poster who wanted private attention. Silly me. Next time I'll be sure to be more considerate of newbies and their lack of protocol knowledge.
Hope to see more posts from you in the future. This really is a great site. You just have to know when to duck.
DUCK!
F.
"Next time I'll be sure to be more considerate of newbies and their lack of protocol knowledge"
Woe to the newbies who don't lurk awhile to see how the BT runs...Or should that be: WHOA!
I have a bit of the same feelings and don't need my email in another hundred mailing lists or spam directories.
But-
I'll answer for the benefit of others who might have the same question though. It is hard to imagine that a RO sander can come close the doing the same job a belt sander can for stock removal on countertop backs or door bottoms. Both sanders have specific purposes and uses. i don't know what I would do without at least one of each. Currently, I have one 4x24 PC belt and about four various RO sanders, maybe five
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Hmmmm.... so that's where the high-road leads. And from there you get a view of the "bigger picture."
or
You have too much free time, man.
F.
"You have too much free time, man. "
Wasn't me who typed half a page to say nothing
;)
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
BOTH
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
Ditto Piffin. With very coarse paper, a RO would come close to a belt sander in a pinch. But just barely. I can't imagine not having both a belt sander and a RO ... although I'm not as fortunate as some others here, and have to make do with two.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
Not both. Spend the money and buy a Festool Rotex. It's about four bills, and is more agressive, on one setting, than any belt sander I've ever used. Dial it to the friendlier setting, and you'll get perfect finishes. It's the bomb.
Andy
Arguing with a Breaktimer is like mud-wrestling a pig -- Sooner or later you find out the pig loves it.
more, tell me more.Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
i think on the agressive setting the pad is actually powered by the motor so its a bit like a sanding disc in a grinder and then you switch it back and its a regular random orbit??????
http://www.festool.co.uk/
A friend of mine is a Festool dealer. He encourages me to borrow his tools, kind of like a crack dealer giving away first tokes. So far, I've only bought the vacuum. No regrets there. Festool stuff is worth it just for the stackable carry boxes.
AndyArguing with a Breaktimer is like mud-wrestling a pig -- Sooner or later you find out the pig loves it.
Andy, it sounds like you're talking about the dual action random orbital sanders which are now getting quite common here in Europe. Aside from Festool, Metabo offer one and I mention this brand name because I know they have a US presence and could be checked out by US users. Perhaps Bosch are also into the dual action random orbital sanders too, but I haven't looked.
On the coarse setting with coarse paper-- 120 grit and rougher, the machines tear off wood like nobodies business. Coarse is in the region of about 6 mm of swirl. Set fine and these machines do less than a 3 mm swirl. Worth looking into anyway.
I think there's room for both belt sanders and random orbital sanders for different purposes. Being a furniture maker that uses hand planes a lot (and out of choice because that's what my punters pay for) for flattening large panel glue-ups I've seldom had much use for a hand held belt sander, but that's just me. Slainte.RJFurniture
I own the Rotex and the CT-22 vac as well as several other Festools and the work table.
Yes, the Rotex can be a very aggressive stock remover.
I will not hesitate to use the Rotex or the other RO sander INDOORS when hooked to the vaccuum.
With just a wipe of a barely damp cloth afterwards, the wood is basically ready to take a stain. Sometimes that's not even necessary.
Dust collection is superb because the tools are designed and manufactured with DC as an integral part of the finished product.
I've even used it for repairing plaster walls when it needed a bit of sanding to smooth out the patches.
I noticed there are several copies of the Rotex available - Bosch being one of them.
However, I'm not sure if they also copied Festo's center blow hole design for the dust collection.
Send me a demo so I can do a real-life test report for the mag. I'll even spell your name right.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
I just wanted to come out with another thumbs up for the festool rotex sander, that is one hungry s.o.b. and on the other hand can be very delicate, plus the dust collection is very good.
regards
james
The only drawback is you only have one tool. What if the other guy wants to use the RO while you are using the belt?
That sounds like a must have tool next on my list.
Man, it's expensive to frequent this forum.
What if the other guy wants to use the RO while you are using the belt? Obviously you have not read the discussions here about lending tools...Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt