I'd like to ask for advice on purchasing a sander that will help us on
some home projects.

We're doing a lot of painting in two houses to just change the look of
a few rooms, take out of railings, patch holes and seams with joint
compound on drywall, etc. We're not pros, but we're going to try to
do a good job. However, our lack of knife skill will require some
sanding work and we're thinking of getting an orbital sander to help.

I guess that we're looking for a sanding solution and believe that
random orbital is the way to go to smooth surfaces, but if we're way
off base then you won't hurt feelings if you set us straight.

Anyway, I've read that dust collection systems vary by model, that
sometimes orbital isn't a good choice, etc.

Ideally, I'd like the "best" for the "least amount of money," but I
know there are a lot of variables ... how one doesn't gauge the wall,
the type of sandpaper, etc.

Is a random orbital the best tool for the job?
Is there a brand that offers a decent job (with some effort to learn,
obviously), with ease of use?

I appreciate any advice given.

Thank you.

wrote:
I'd like to ask for advice on purchasing a sander that will help us on
some home projects.

We're doing a lot of painting in two houses to just change the look of
a few rooms, take out of railings, patch holes and seams with joint
compound on drywall, etc. We're not pros, but we're going to try to
do a good job. However, our lack of knife skill will require some
sanding work and we're thinking of getting an orbital sander to help.

I guess that we're looking for a sanding solution and believe that
random orbital is the way to go to smooth surfaces, but if we're way
off base then you won't hurt feelings if you set us straight.

Anyway, I've read that dust collection systems vary by model, that
sometimes orbital isn't a good choice, etc.

Ideally, I'd like the "best" for the "least amount of money," but I
know there are a lot of variables ... how one doesn't gauge the wall,
the type of sandpaper, etc.

Is a random orbital the best tool for the job?
Is there a brand that offers a decent job (with some effort to learn,
obviously), with ease of use?

I appreciate any advice given.

Thank you.


I've done a lot of the work you describe. Only sander I have used is a
"Mouse" (B/D? mini-sander) with a pointed pad....got that for getting
into corners on some doors I painted. For drywall, all you have to use
is a damp cloth wrapped around a flat sanding block, assuming spackle or
j.c. is applied decently smooth. Sanding drywall or spackle is horribly
dusty otherwise. For normal painting, I use sandpaper and a purchased
sanding block....if I need more aggressive, I use coarser sandpaper
(rarely). Refills for my little power sander are very expensive. When
I paint walls, I do final dust collection with the floor nozzle and
vacuum cleaner )

wrote in message
...
I'd like to ask for advice on purchasing a sander that will help us on
some home projects.

snip

The real secret is in your knife (trowel) skills. Try not to get too much
on the joint and once relatively smooth resist the urge to give it another
touch. If there are ridges from off of the sides of the trowel use a light
touch to get it off. Likewise, you could wait until it dries and then hit
it with a damp sponge and use an empty trowel as a scraper. Use this
technique on the whole joint and keep the dust to a minimum. It produces a
very smoothe finish. A pro will probably be checking in on this thread so
take his advise over mine, for sure.

On Nov 22, 3:16*pm, "
wrote:
I'd like to ask for advice on purchasing a sander that will help us on
some home projects.

We're doing a lot of painting in two houses to just change the look of
a few rooms, take out of railings, patch holes and seams with joint
compound on drywall, etc. *We're not pros, but we're going to try to
do a good job. *However, our lack of knife skill will require some
sanding work and we're thinking of getting an orbital sander to help.

I guess that we're looking for a sanding solution and believe that
random orbital is the way to go to smooth surfaces, but if we're way
off base then you won't hurt feelings if you set us straight.

Anyway, I've read that dust collection systems vary by model, that
sometimes orbital isn't a good choice, etc.

Ideally, I'd like the "best" for the "least amount of money," but I
know there are a lot of variables ... how one doesn't gauge the wall,
the type of sandpaper, etc.

Is a random orbital the best tool for the job?
Is there a brand that offers a decent job (with some effort to learn,
obviously), with ease of use?

I appreciate any advice given.

Thank you.

Learn to apply compound, use a pole sander with a vac attachment, its
quicker less dusty and better than a small mini sander.

wrote in message
...
I'd like to ask for advice on purchasing a sander that will help us on
some home projects.

We're doing a lot of painting in two houses to just change the look of
a few rooms, take out of railings, patch holes and seams with joint
compound on drywall, etc. We're not pros, but we're going to try to
do a good job. However, our lack of knife skill will require some
sanding work and we're thinking of getting an orbital sander to help.

I guess that we're looking for a sanding solution and believe that
random orbital is the way to go to smooth surfaces, but if we're way
off base then you won't hurt feelings if you set us straight.

Anyway, I've read that dust collection systems vary by model, that
sometimes orbital isn't a good choice, etc.

Ideally, I'd like the "best" for the "least amount of money," but I
know there are a lot of variables ... how one doesn't gauge the wall,
the type of sandpaper, etc.

Is a random orbital the best tool for the job?
Is there a brand that offers a decent job (with some effort to learn,
obviously), with ease of use?

I appreciate any advice given.

Thank you.

You don't use orbital sanders , belt sanders , ect. on drywall...It will
look like crap and fill the house with dust and if your that bad at taping
drywall you should get a pro to do that part...Watch , learn and ask
questions...If you MUST do it yourself and need to use a power sander go
rent the Porter Cable Power Sander and tool triggered Porter Cable Shop
Vac...For your small patches I would just buy a couple of Medium/Fime
Sanding Sponges and vacume up the mess with your shop vac...Wet Sponging
will leave the spot shiney and will be noticable especially with gloss or
eggshell paint...HTH...

" wrote:

-snip-
We're doing a lot of painting in two houses to just change the look of
a few rooms, take out of railings, patch holes and seams with joint
compound on drywall, etc. We're not pros, but we're going to try to
do a good job. However, our lack of knife skill will require some
sanding work and we're thinking of getting an orbital sander to help.

-snip-
Ideally, I'd like the "best" for the "least amount of money," but I
know there are a lot of variables ... how one doesn't gauge the wall,
the type of sandpaper, etc.

Is a random orbital the best tool for the job?
Is there a brand that offers a decent job (with some effort to learn,
obviously), with ease of use?


here's what I use.
http://www.amazon.com/Marshalltown-V...bxgy_hi_text_b
[that style anyway- I think I paid $40 many years ago at my local Home
Depot or Lowes]

They use a screen sanding sheet and suck the dust right through. I
don't even see any dust after doing an entire wall or ceiling.

That and any decent shopvac will bring you down to where a sponge will
give you a perfect finish.

The key, though- is to *not* put on too much compound. I end up
spackling/sanding daily for a week to do a wall. Little bits at a
time- let it dry . . . do it again.

I used to work with a guy who would go into a just sheet-rocked room
with a bucket of mud, some tape a jug of water and a 12" blade.

He would emerge at noon and you'd swear he'd put a primer coat on the
walls. I can only dream of being so good-- it is an art & takes
lots of patience.

Jim

wrote:
I'd like to ask for advice on purchasing a sander that will help us on
some home projects.

We're doing a lot of painting in two houses to just change the look of
a few rooms, take out of railings, patch holes and seams with joint
compound on drywall, etc. We're not pros, but we're going to try to
do a good job. However, our lack of knife skill will require some
sanding work and we're thinking of getting an orbital sander to help.

I guess that we're looking for a sanding solution and believe that
random orbital is the way to go to smooth surfaces, but if we're way
off base then you won't hurt feelings if you set us straight.

Anyway, I've read that dust collection systems vary by model, that
sometimes orbital isn't a good choice, etc.

Ideally, I'd like the "best" for the "least amount of money," but I
know there are a lot of variables ... how one doesn't gauge the wall,
the type of sandpaper, etc.

Is a random orbital the best tool for the job?
Is there a brand that offers a decent job (with some effort to learn,
obviously), with ease of use?


Look for a "finishing sander" with the ability to attach a shop-vac*. Use
the special porous sanding material (it looks like window screen wire and
the vacuum sucks through the face into the collection device).

Sanding drywall generates an unbelievable amount of dust (appx: 82 lbs per
sq in).

------------
* Home Depot has a mini-shop-vac on sale during Black Friday for $20.00. It
fits an ordinary paint bucket (bucket not included).

"HeyBub" wrote:

-snip-

Sanding drywall generates an unbelievable amount of dust (appx: 82 lbs per
sq in).

?? How deep does it have be to weigh 82 pounds per square inch?
[I think your brain farted- but I can't figure out what it was trying
to say.]

I've always thought it was its fine-ness and *lack* of weight that
made it such a PITA.

Those screen sanders are the only way to go. We used a $400 long
armed disk sander with a vac attachment years ago and it was pretty
good-- but the $40 screen sander is a bit slower, but better at
eliminating dust.

Rent the other for the stairwell or cathedral ceilings.

Jim

Jim Elbrecht wrote:
"HeyBub" wrote:

-snip-

Sanding drywall generates an unbelievable amount of dust (appx: 82
lbs per sq in).

?? How deep does it have be to weigh 82 pounds per square inch?
[I think your brain farted- but I can't figure out what it was trying
to say.]


I was counting the gravel and small stones, the left-over bones, and the
extra wheel-weights.