Sanders Now

Having an electric sander polisher in your collection of tools ensures your jobs always come out with a little something extra you like to deliver to your customers. Moreover, these polishers are so versatile that you can use them for just buffing or sanding and grinding your job. To derive the utmost from a power polisher the models from Makita and Dewalt enable you to deliver goods with heightened level of professionalism.

For the most heavy-duty work, Makita’s 9227C (7″) electronic sander-polisher gives absolutely shining finishes. Apart from delivering absolutely stunning results, this equipment can easily be made to work as a sander, making it a very versatile power tool. Look at the speed variation, from 0 to 3000 RPM. That means you can use it for executing slow painstaking jobs to more aggressive ones. Added advantage of such variation of speed is that the operator can have better control over the powerful motor of 10 AMP and execute a variety of jobs, choosing an appropriate speed.

Electronic speed control further ensures that the tool maintains its speed under heavy loads too and delivers smooth and enormously dependable results. The complete 9227C sander-polisher kit that includes a hook-and-loop pad, hex wrench, side handle and a hoop handle varies in price from about $200 – $220.

Dewalt’s DW849(7/9”) is again a variable speed machine tool that allows you to perform all three activities of sanding, grinding and polishing of very high quality. This equipment will prove to be an asset in any workshop or onsite job, such a versatile tool it is. It houses an eight amperes motor, perfectly balanced on ball bearings. Here’s a durable tool offering smooth operation and convenient switch over from polishing to sanding by simple change of accessories. It employs heat-treated precisely cut gears that add to its functionality and life while giving commendable repeat performance. It offers speed variation from 0-3000 RPM and a built in electronic module ensures maintaining speed under varying loads. Depending on the nature of job at hand, the speed is adjustable easily. The DW849 sander-grinder-polisher kit with a 2-position side handle, rubber backing pad, and clamp nut is priced for about $165 – $190.

For getting the best polishing and performance, a corded power polisher supplies the needed power and smooth operation to deliver well polished beautiful jobs. Either of these machines is certainly desirable to have for getting the best possible results.

Most often a spindle sander is used for sanding curved cuts or saw marks on finishing woodwork to make them smooth. It is a very popular tool for home improvement projects for rounding wood like one finds in furniture legs and stair treads. You should understand that a spindle sander is different from an oscillating spindle sander. The latter has a tube that moves up and down at the same time while it continues to rotate. Traditionally sanders were mounted on bench tops, but these days you get hand held portable editions.

One of the most trusted and a popular brand amongst spindle sander tools is JET. Jet, set up in the late 50s has a wider range of popular woodworking tools that include spindle sanders. Its model that has gathered many positive reviews from users all over is the JET 708404 JBOS5 sander. The JBOS-5 provides a one-inch oscillating action that considerably reduces heat caused by friction that ensures wood pieces remain protected during sanding. Its powerful 1/2 HP induction motor delivers guaranteed results over prolonged use. It also has a tilting table for bevel sanding, and safety mechanism by way of a removable on/off safety switch that prevents accidental start-ups.

Those looking for an oscillating spindle sander with a belt sanding capability would like to consider the Ridgid EB4424 14663. Its housing, designed to include ball bearings, makes it a dependable long lasting tool. You’ll find the belt sander attachment being put to good use when wanting to smooth up miter or straight joints, and switch it back to a spindle sander by exchanging the belt attachment in less than a minute.

One more brand of spindle sander that you wouldn’t like to ignore is the Grizzly G9922 that comes with a 1/2 HP 4.6 amp TEFC motor. The sander is set over a table of ground cast iron measuring 14.5 x 14.5 inch that provides it a solid base. You can tilt the table to an angle of 45 degrees for bevel sanding. Oscillating at 64 strokes per minute this sander makes sanding of contoured edges or irregular shapes too easy. Another useful feature is the provision of a built in 2″ dust collection port. Another model on the market from the same manufacturer called as the Grizzly G0529 combines the benefits of an oscillating sander and a 12″ disc sander, thus offering the functionality of two machines from one power tool!

Are you thinking of purchasing a new sander but aren’t too sure of what type you need? Or perhaps you know what type you need but seem to be unsure of the features it should have.

Here’s a brief description if the eight varieties of sanders available in the market. You would understand the specific benefits of each kind and the features you should look for in that.

It may help you to learn that electric drywall sanders with dust collection attachments are available!

1. Belt sanders: Their size varies from 1″ finger sanders to 37″ wide, freestanding 15HP sanding machines for the shop. The most common size is 3″x21″ (named by belt size). You should especially consider the dB of motor output (it’s a noisy machine) and its balancing, followed by the location of handle grips for speed control switch, type of platen for a flat sanding surface, and arrangement for dust collection.

2. Disc and belt sanders are combination machines. These are largely used in workshops for sanding woods, most plastics and non-ferrous metals. When choosing a belt and disc sander you need to check these features: size of sanding discs and the required belts, tilting mechanism of table, HP of motor, convenience of belt changing and if it has belt tracking.

3. Disc sanders come in a range of sizes from a 5″ handheld sander for working at jobsite, and goes up to a 20″, 3HP – 3 phase motor, freestanding sander for the shop. You should check for these features while buying a disc sander: ease of disc changing, capacity of motor needed for the type of work you undertake, convenience of belt alignment, wrench storage and dust collection arrangement.

4. Drum sanders are employed to flatten, smooth, finish and polish. You may use them as a substitute for a wood planer to finish stock but unlike a planer it removes the sniping on the ends of your job. Apart from the capacity of the motor to suit your kind of job, you should look for convenience of changing belt, dust collection arrangement and footprint.

5. Finish sanders also known as palm sanders are required for the final sanding of a fine wood project. For fine finish sanding you should opt for a high OPM (oscillations per minute) machine with variable speed motor and an ergonomically designed handle for comfort. It is important to have dust collection bag attachment.

6. Random orbit sanders are employed for removing old paint from furniture, preparation of new molding. They are also used to clean up between finish coats, and to smooth and clean metals or composite materials like solid-surface countertops.
Random orbit sanders have a distinctive dual motion. In their case the sandpaper disc moves in a circle whereas the whole pad moves in an oval loop, which delivers a swirl-free finish even when sanding across the grain. Though Random-orbits work faster than vibrating sanders, they don’t remove so much of material. For that kind of work you should check: belt sanders for flat surfaces and disc sanders for curved ones. When buying a random-orbit sander, check that the capacity of its motor, body configuration, and pad size (5- or 6-inch fits your work. Make sure that the model you choose has the option of a dust collecting attachment.

7. For smoothing of curves you need Spindle Sanders. You get them in both a hand-held and a tabletop model. Once you have removed large amount of material employing a belt sander, you need to use spindle sander for getting a superior finish. A freestanding spindle sander should include: well-machined tabletop, sanding drum/spindle storage, emergency stop, and arrangement for dust collection. An Edge sander should include these features: well-machined steel platen, easy accessibility of controls, single knob for adjusting belt tension, user-friendly belt changing.

8.Drywall Sander’s are especially needed for finishing sand drywall. Compared to hand sanding, an electric drywall sander can finish the job 3-4 times faster. Some of the Drywall sanders are also provided with a dust collection system that sucks most of the irritating fine dust that almost goes to cover everything in the area. The Porter-Cable 7800 is a Long Reach Variable Speed Drywall Sander. It’s a lightweight sander weighing eight pounds and can sand up to a height of ten feet from ground level. The vacuum hose of 1-1/4 inch has a length of thirteen feet, making it very convenient for the operator to cover a large area without any need to move the vacuum. Priced at $430, it sounds expensive for such a specific tool but considering the resultant savings in time it is worth the price.

Any carpentry or renovation project necessitates the requirements of a good detail sander, but getting the right one that answers your professional requirements and fits within your budget could be a daunting task. But, you have two good brands, Bosch and Dremel, available. They offer detail sanders with superb designs that deliver high performance at prices you’ll find affordable.

Multi-Max from Dremel provides a very smooth operation and despite an above-average performance costs about $90-$100. This model facilitates craftsmen to reach difficult areas and details to deliver very precise results. It comes with a powerful motor of 1.5 Amps, enabling tougher applications, whereas its variable speed range of 10,000 to 21,000 OPM enables the craftsmen to choose an optimum speed for any specific application. It has a compact and ergonomic design that enables the worker to comfortably reach the tight spaces of any work piece. Of special help is the Quick Fit mechanism that enables quick change of accessories.

Provision of an electronic feedback system ensures steady speed during any application. Here is a powerful versatile tool that is designed to give precise results for any number of household and hobby projects. You’ll find it difficult to get another multi-functional tool that is as efficient and so reasonably priced. And, yes, in case you need additional accessories, go for Multi-Max kit, the 6300-03 at a slightly higher price of about $125 to $140.

Another detail sander on offer is from Bosch. While offering the ease of operation, it delivers excellent results for any kind of project, be it renovation or modeling. Aptly named corner detail sander, the 1294VSK is available in kit formation with all the accessories. This is a powerful machine that allows you to approach and work precisely in the most typical spaces with unbelievable ease. It has a very powerful motor of 2.4 Amps, which is capable of running from 13,000 to19000 OPM, giving fast and accurate results that are undoubtedly the smoothest you could imagine.

The motor is designed to give consistent speed with minimum vibrations that delivers extra-smooth uniform surfaces. It’s a pleasure to be working on details with this easy to handle machine with an ergonomic design that features tool-free pad changes. You’ll wonder at the charmingly smooth results, so precisely achieved by this machine that enables you to reach the work piece from very close quarters. This is perfect machine for hobbyists and professionals alike. The 1294VSK, priced for $120 to $150, is bit more expensive than the Multi-Max, but a more powerful motor and provision of a few extra accessories justify the price.

Both these are well designed easy to handle machines that would give you most satisfactory results, while the most interesting part continues to be their affordable price.

Wood working and mill working makes it necessary to use power sanders. There are many variations of this machine and one needs to be careful to select one that best suits the kind of jobs handled more frequently. Here are the most often employed sanders, each useful for a set of different jobs. Get familiar with these and the kind of operations they are suited to perform and choose the one that best meets your job requirements.

Belt Sanders

These are probably the most elementary sanders and common people often associate a sander to belt sander. Here, sandpaper is looped around two wheels. As the mechanism starts the sandpaper spins around at very high speeds. Such sanders are useful for heavy-duty jobs, meaning they are employed to primarily make a surface ready for the next operation on another finer machine, which couldn’t be employed for such preliminaries for economical reasons as working on finer machines is slow and more expensive. For instance, for removing of old paint or stains from the given piece would be much faster and economical on a belt sander than on any other sander. One has to be very careful and attentive while operating such aggressive sanders. Else, you need to have a sander that offers the function of variable speed or get one that operates on slow speed.

A narrow belt sander is a variation of belt sander. It has similar features except that it is not as wide and thus more suited for small and difficult-to-reach areas.

Palm Sanders

Palm sanders are also known as finish sanders, or pad sanders. They house a small rectangular pad at the bottom that would generally take about a 1/4 or 1/3 sheet of sandpaper. It vibrates in a rather circular manner, and needs to be moved along the wood in the same circular motion to avoid scratching. A proper handling gives a good smooth finish to flat and easily accessible surfaces. This is an ideal sander for a follow up operation after having done the primary heavy-duty job on a belt sander.

Detail Sanders

Also referred to as a contour sander, detail sanders are small sized, compared to other hand held sanders. You need them for sanding tight narrower spaces or for sanding of unusual shapes that other sanders are incapable of. Generally, they have a triangular shaped pad that facilitates approaching nooks and corners. The modern versions of these sanders come with multiple attachments and depending on the complexity of job one can opt for a suitable attachment. They find a wide application in small craft jobs and mill working like window and door casings.

Random Orbit Sander

Random orbit sanders offer the most versatile operations. They may be employed for execution of big jobs and remain equally good for assignments needing sanding of small narrow spaces. It can surely be classified as an all-purpose sander. Such sanders are provided with a round pad moving in a circular manner but with a bit of random variation that helps to avoid getting spin marks on the work piece. The motor of these senders is provided with speed control feature that proves very helpful while working on softer verities of wood or while approaching the end of your sandpaper. The random orbit sanders have built in arrangements for collection of dust. It may have a dust collection bag or an attachment in the form of a vacuum hose. However, for dust collection feature you have to use special-purpose sandpaper. This is how the dust collection mechanism works: The circular pad has small holes that suck the dust as soon as it is created. There are corresponding holes on the sandpaper, thus all the dust gets collected while the machine is operative.

Because of the multi-purpose functions that a random orbit sander is designed to perform, it would ideally suit those looking for an all-around sander.