Sander question....

[jcmbowman]

So I'm finally getting around to finishing up the sanding and painting of my Tubas (which aside from sand & paint were done back in May!) and I think I managed to burn out the 6" orbital sander that I've had for the last decade. It's making a very strange whirring/grinding noise (at about 3kHz ) and refusing to spin up to full speed. If I leave it alone for a day it works again, but every time it runs for less and less time before acting up. I'm going to crack it open, clean it, and axle grease all the pertinent parts, but something tells me I'll only be delaying the inevitable.

If, in fact, it is dead - what do you guys recommend for a good sander? I've been using the orbital sander thus far just because it's what I have on hand and it's a lot quicker than the 1/4-sheet vibrating palm sander I've got. Do you guys prefer belt sanders or orbital? Are there any brands in particular to look for (or avoid)?

and, if anyone has any tips for cleaning/repairing an orbital sander I'd love to hear it.

Thanks in advance...

[Scott Brochu]

My old Makitia had issues like that, I cracked it open and did what you said; clean and lube.
I got a P Cable Orbital sander a while back.......you got ta love new tools URH URH URH UUURRRHHH!

[Ron K]

I like belt sanders because they take less time to get to the end result.Problem is they dont fit small areas very well. For that I use a makita Palm sander.

[vlad335]

what do you guys recommend for a good sander? I've been using the orbital sander thus far just because it's what I have on hand and it's a lot quicker than the 1/4-sheet vibrating palm sander I've got. Do you guys prefer belt sanders or orbital? Are there any brands in particular to look for (or avoid)?

Actually it's good to have both an obital and a belt sander. Here is the belt sander I have and it's excellent.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Makita-3-x-18-Belt- ... 7C294%3A50

Can't go wrong with refurbed Makita sanders. I bought the above model refurbed on Ebay for $60 shipped. It's powerful, lightweight, and just about 100% of the dust goes right into the bag.

[Tim A]

Belt/Ro aren't interchangable, they do two different things.

Belt sanders are good for quick take down, which is what they're designed for. They suck for finishing. They're also dangerous to your project, it's very easy to install a furrow deep enough to plant corn in a short second. RO's do a decent job at takedown, but will provide a much smoother finish and are almost (almost) fool proof. They work faster over large areas because direction is irrelevant, while the belt sander has to be used with the grain to avoid cross-grain gouging.

If you're only going to own one sander, get the RO. If you can have two, get a belt and an RO.

I hate sanding. I despise it. So much so that I have more sanders than any other tool in my shop. Anything to make it quicker and easier. Currently,

2 detail (Porter Cable, Ryobi)
1 old never-gets-used 1/4 sheet vibrating (old B&D)
2 belt (Old B&D, and {gulp!} Harbor Freight)
3 RO sanders (Craftsman, B&D, Ryobi)
1 bench belt/disc sander (Ryobi)

Also have a whole selection of drum sanders for the Drill Press, sanding blocks, sanding pads, etc.

The RO's get used at least 10X more than any of the others. Second is the bench mount belt sander for final fitting/smoothing critical parts. Then the handheld belt sanders.

The Harbor Freight unit actually works pretty well. I bought it on a whim because it was marked down to $29. It does a good enough job to have as a low-cost belt sander for what little it gets used. Although, I'd never attest to its durability. Had it about 1-1/2 years now, only time will tell.

If money is an issue get a good RO and a cheap belt sander.

[gdougherty]

I've been very happy with my Rigid RO sander. The dust port on it is sized just right for a Rigid shop vac, which I also own, and hooked up to a vac I can sand in the garage 3ft from a car and not put any dust on the car. The warranty on the Rigid tools is about the best out there. Like all our other tool discussions though, going with a big name tool will usually get you quality tools that'll last for years.

[seed]

I have owned a couple of electric RO sanders and after I bought an air RO (Dynabrade)I noticed a huge improvement. Also the sticky discs are alot cheaper than hook and loop.Another sander I find invaluable is an edge sander,they work great on inside and outside curves.

[Bekr]

Just trawling through old posts looking for tips and thought I'd share one. I use my dad's shop for all of my woodworking (dorm rooms aren't conducive to table saws ) and a while back he built a desk mount for the hand held belt sander. Love it! The control you get from using two hands moves the belt from "do your best and cross your fingers" to a tool you can actually use for some precision work. Plus you don't have the money/space costs associated with a permanent bench sander. And if you get creative with your jigs you can do some pretty cool stuff. I've personally used it for everything from wheels (6" is just too big for a hole saw and just too small for a router) to really small miter cuts (think popsicle sticks). I'll post pictures if anyone is interested.

On a side note, before you use a belt for anything freehand be aware that these things pack a rather impressive wallop (the others weren't kidding). Just the other day I stuck some heavy paper on it and used it to knock a half mil off of some stripped screws that were sticking out of the bottom of a jig. Worked like a charm. Just don't expect it to do nice things to the wood around it. And keep a death grip on the thing.

[Sydney]

be aware that these things pack a rather impressive wallop

I have a scar that affirms that ( HP+abrasive, can = OUCH )

[DJPhatman]

6" is just too big for a hole saw and just too small for a router)

Get a Jasper Circle Cutting Jig. The 200 goes up to 18" diameter holes, and the 400 does 1" to 7 1/2" diameter very fast, very easy and very cleanly. I have both, and they are one of the most valuable building tools that I have. I leave my 200 attached to my plunge router, but 3 screws and it's off. There is no easier or better way to make a circle cut in wood, whether you are making driver openings, baffle spacers or routing a driver recess into a baffle, it's so simple, even I can do it without much problem!

[Bekr]

Get a Jasper Circle Cutting Jig. The 200 goes up to 18" diameter holes, and the 400 does 1" to 7 1/2" diameter very fast, very easy and very cleanly.

Sweet, I'll look into one of those. This particular project was more of a "ok, I need round pieces of wood about this big done in 2 hours so I don't miss the bus back to the dorm" type of project. Once the jig was done I could bang out a wheel in about a minute. Looks like one of those router jigs is a must have for when you want a round hole instead of a disk though. I'll add it to the list...

[DJPhatman]

Bekr, the Jasper will do any kind of circular cutting that you need. It can cut disks, driver baffle openings, even driver spacers! Tis is what I used it last for. I was able to cut 8 8" driver spacers in about 10 minutes or so. Did the outer cut on all 8 first, moved the pin and did the inner cuts. Super fast, super easy, and very clean, even circles. Everything a wood-working moron like me could want!

[Bekr]

Yeah, it was more that I needed to work with what was in the shop at the time instead of running errands. I think I may have talked my dad into going splits on one, though. Would sure make life easier.

[djohnson573]

Bekr, the Jasper will do any kind of circular cutting that you need. It can cut disks, driver baffle openings, even driver spacers! Tis is what I used it last for. I was able to cut 8 8" driver spacers in about 10 minutes or so. Did the outer cut on all 8 first, moved the pin and did the inner cuts. Super fast, super easy, and very clean, even circles. Everything a wood-working moron like me could want!

+1 on the Jasper. A moron like me needs to be reminded to add the width of the bit to the desired size for that outer cut. The skinny spacer makes a decent frisbee.