On 27 Sep 2004 06:07:14 -0700, (Andy) wrote:

Thanks for all the replies. It's a 5" round. Most of my jobs are
small, but I do wish I had a belt sander sometimes like when I was
trying to strip paint off of my porch (only about 100sq.ft). I was
using 80 or 50 grit but it still wasn't working. I apply as much
pressure as if I were doing it by hand, so I don't know if that's
excessive. The weight of the sander alone definitely is not enough
unless it's finishing work. Perhaps I need a belt sander instead of a
more powerful RO sander.


Just to reiterate what has been said befo you are using too much
pressure. The weight of the ROS is about all the force that you need.
Iy you need more force, then you are probably using the wrong tool. A
5" sander IS definitely undersized for stripping paint from 100 sq.
ft. It is more suited for finish work, as you surmised. You're right
in thinking that a belt sander is more appropriate for this type of
heavy duty.

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