I was working on a project this week when my trusty, old black and decker
gave up the ghost. This was a good sander that lasted over thiry years of
use. It was of a generation when B&D actually made good tools. It was a
half sheet sander. I went out to try and replace it.

No can do. Apparently half sheet sanders have gone the way of the dodo bird.
There are plenty of quarter sheet sanders. But almost no half sheet sanders.
Creaftsman has a half sheet and a third sheet sander in their lineup. I
couldn't find anything else.

I talked to an old tool guy at one shop and he said that the tool companies
got tired of selling products that they couldn't sell consumables for them.
They make more money off the velcro sanding disks than they ever would off
the tool itself.

Somebody at Lowes said that they got so tired of the esculating sanding
discs cost that they went out and found an independent supplier. They
weren't going to sell the brand name sander consumables any more. Can we
say corporate greed?

I haven't replaced the sander yet. I have a Bosch rotary disc sander. I
bought some more sandpaper for it. I still miss the half sheet sander. For
certain projects, they worked just fine.

Like I told my wife when I got home. I went out to buy a sander and found
out that the world changed the rules around without consulting me, AGAIN!!