Gettin really tired of hand sanding oak projects. Just finishing a
magazine rack, and even that small filler project is getting to be a
pain in the rosey red. Anyway, I hear ROS's are the way to go, do not
leave scratches, and take off the small waves from the planer, etc. I
have a Bosch router that I like, Delta/Grizzley big toys, and no brand
loyalty. And woodworking is a hobby, not a job!

The archives on ROS's are from 2002 or earlier, so: What's a good
brand today?

Thanks for any suggestions at all.

Regards,
Rich.....

On Feb 18, 9:39 am, rich wrote:

Anyway, I hear ROS's are the way to go, do not
leave scratches, and take off the small waves from the planer, etc. I
have a Bosch router that I like, Delta/Grizzley big toys, and no brand
loyalty.

All of them leave scratches, it is just a matter of how small.
Sanding is a method by which the scratches get smaller and smaller,
until they are undetectable by the eye.

I think you should look at your price point, and what you are going to
be using it for in the shop. Almost without fail, the more dough you
cut loose with for a sander will get you a better sander.

But what sander fills the bill?

I have the 5" Ridgid brand (2 actually) that I use the crap out of. I
use them for hard sanding, 80 grit planing, and the initial sanding
for some projects. These sanders are beyond all belief at how sturdy
the are. I have used one of these for about 4 years now, and it has
sanded everything from house fascia for paint prep, metal surfaces to
remove rust, and first sanding on table refinishing. Dust collection
isn't bad, either.\

They are great value for he buck, and reliable to boot.
At $70, I can't find another sander that is a better value.
There is a thread floating around on another forum where one of the
members even claims HD stands behind their warranty!

For finish sanding, I don't think you can go wrong with a great deal
of the 6" sanders once you pass the $150 or so mark. There you change
from a handgrip style to a more traditional sanding machine. I have a
Bosch (actually so old it is a 5") that I love and have used for
years. I have used the Bosh 6" and I was really pleased. At one
time, Ridgid even had an entry in the 6" field that was made by Metabo
for them in Germany. I think they are now made in China from the same
tooling, but one of my cabinet shop buddies told me they were still
good sanders. Loves that lifetime warranty, too.

But for me, my final finish sanding would be done with one of my half
sheet sanders. I have the Milwaukee 1/2 sheet that I love. Finish -
excellent. Dust collection - moderate. At $240 or so, it was
expensive at the time, but worth every cent.

The other I have is a Bosch 1/2 sheet. It is about 3 years old and
was Swiss made. Sadly, they no longer make this machine, but you can
find them on ebay from time to time. Finish - excellent. Dust
collection - perfect. It is the only half sheet sander I know that
has about 20 holes in the paper that go through the pad. Exceptional
when working indoors with dust collection.
Bought this at CPO Bosch (although it was not a refurb) for $175 or so
an never looked back.

Thanks for any suggestions at all.

For anything that will last, don't buy Skil, Black and Decker, GMT, or
any other of that raft of low end Chinese crap. A good sander isn't
that much more than a cheap one.

Robert

"rich" wrote in message
...
Gettin really tired of hand sanding oak projects. Just finishing a
magazine rack, and even that small filler project is getting to be a
pain in the rosey red. Anyway, I hear ROS's are the way to go, do not
leave scratches, and take off the small waves from the planer, etc. I
have a Bosch router that I like, Delta/Grizzley big toys, and no brand
loyalty. And woodworking is a hobby, not a job!

The archives on ROS's are from 2002 or earlier, so: What's a good
brand today?

Thanks for any suggestions at all.

Regards,
Rich.....

Buy one that feels comfortable in your had.

I have both Porter Cable and DeWalt. Both sand equally, but the DW just
feels better for me so it tends to get used more. .

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"rich" wrote in message
...
....
The archives on ROS's are from 2002 or earlier, so: What's a good
brand today?
....

Buy one that feels comfortable in your had.

I have both Porter Cable and DeWalt. Both sand equally, but the DW just
feels better for me so it tends to get used more. .

And as a a second for the above recommendation, I have one DW and at
least three PC and prefer the feel of the PC...

So, you really need to test drive to decide what feels better to you.

BTW, I remove the internal "brake" from the PC sanders before using as
all it is is an o-ring around a stationary post. The friction it
creates heats the bottom bearing excessively and leads to early failure
plus makes the whole sander overheat when used for long periods of time.
(The DW I have is still so old it precedes their incorporation of the
"feature" assuming they have done so--I'm not sure.)

As an aside, I use pressure-sensitive base almost exclusively for the
savings in paper costs so recommend that as the better base choice --
but I would recommend a spare base for H&L as an option if only have
one--for the occasion where changing paper frequently might be
desirable. I swap the sander, not the paper, but I have multiple as
they're cheap...if only an occasional user, that's probably overkill.

--

wrote in message
...



They are great value for he buck, and reliable to boot.
At $70, I can't find another sander that is a better value.
There is a thread floating around on another forum where one of the
members even claims HD stands behind their warranty!


Just be a bit careful with the warranty expectations. Any HD store manager
may decide to stand behind the warranty to a point, but really HD does not.
It's a Rigid warranty. HD has a complete satisfaction guarantee that allows
you to return almost anything for 30 days after purchase, but beyond that
you really shouldn't set expectations that they will do anything for you.
If a forum member lucks out and hits a deal where a particular HD stood
behind a Rigid warranty beyond the 30 day satisfaction policy of HD, then
that would be an exception to the rule and not something you would expect to
find universally.

--

-Mike-

On Feb 18, 9:39 am, rich wrote:

Anyway, I hear ROS's are the way to go, do not
leave scratches, and take off the small waves from the planer, etc. I
have a Bosch router that I like, Delta/Grizzley big toys, and no brand
loyalty.

I have a PC--it works well. Festool is overpriced. The Bosch
1295DVSK is a very good choice.

On Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:21:58 -0500, Phisherman wrote:

On Feb 18, 9:39 am, rich wrote:

Anyway, I hear ROS's are the way to go, do not
leave scratches, and take off the small waves from the planer, etc. I
have a Bosch router that I like, Delta/Grizzley big toys, and no brand
loyalty.

I have a PC--it works well. Festool is overpriced. The Bosch
1295DVSK is a very good choice.

Being cheap, I bought Klingspor's sander and my wife loves it.. good enuff for
me.. *g*
http://tinyurl.com/3ctcle


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

On Feb 18, 12:21*pm, Phisherman wrote:


. *Festool is overpriced. *

Bull****.

"rich" wrote in message
...
Gettin really tired of hand sanding oak projects. Just finishing a
magazine rack, and even that small filler project is getting to be a
pain in the rosey red. Anyway, I hear ROS's are the way to go, do not
leave scratches, and take off the small waves from the planer, etc. I
have a Bosch router that I like, Delta/Grizzley big toys, and no brand
loyalty. And woodworking is a hobby, not a job!

The archives on ROS's are from 2002 or earlier, so: What's a good
brand today?

Thanks for any suggestions at all.

Regards,
Rich.....


Well, I am a Festool convert. I have had PC for about 20 years and still
have the PC right angle ROS. Way too much sander and tough to control for
small projects. I replaced it a couple of weeks ago with an expensive
Festool Rotex 5" sander and it is great. I wish I had bought it years ago.
Still, probably too much sander for small projects. While purchasing the
sander the Festool rep was also demonstrated the smaller 5" ROS. He turned
it on and held it stationary and pushed it all along the top of the board
using a single finger centered on the top of the sander with a very light
touch. Still not cheap but a bit more affordable.

Many ROS sanders will wander and must be held with your hand. The Festool
stays put and moves easily and controllably with the "lightest touch".

If you want sanding to be fun you should at the very least get a hands on
demonstration of the Festool sanders.

On Feb 18, 2:02*pm, mac davis wrote:
On Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:21:58 -0500, Phisherman wrote:
On Feb 18, 9:39 am, rich wrote:

Anyway, I hear ROS's are the way to go, do not
leave scratches, and take off the small waves from the planer, etc. *I
have a Bosch router that I like, Delta/Grizzley big toys, and no brand
loyalty.

I have a PC--it works well. *Festool is overpriced. *The Bosch
1295DVSK is a very good choice.

Being cheap, I bought Klingspor's sander and my wife loves it.. good enuff for
me.. *g*http://tinyurl.com/3ctcle

I'm pretty sure that is a Bosch. Great unit for the money.

mac davis wrote:
On Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:21:58 -0500, Phisherman
wrote:

On Feb 18, 9:39 am, rich wrote:

Anyway, I hear ROS's are the way to go, do not
leave scratches, and take off the small waves from the planer,
etc.
I have a Bosch router that I like, Delta/Grizzley big toys, and no
brand loyalty.

I have a PC--it works well. Festool is overpriced. The Bosch
1295DVSK is a very good choice.

Being cheap, I bought Klingspor's sander and my wife loves it.. good
enuff for me.. *g*
http://tinyurl.com/3ctcle

FWIW, the local Home Despot has a two for one deal, a deWalt ROS and a
deWalt quarter-sheet non-random orbital sander for a hundred bucks.
They're packaged that way by deWalt so I'd bet that it was national.


--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

"Robatoy" wrote in message
...
On Feb 18, 12:21 pm, Phisherman wrote:


. Festool is overpriced.

Bull****.

;~) You just have to use'em to understand.

Leon wrote:
"Robatoy" wrote in message
...
On Feb 18, 12:21 pm, Phisherman wrote:


. Festool is overpriced.

Bull****.

;~) You just have to use'em to understand.

Their storage cabinets must take a lot of understanding...

On Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:41:28 GMT, DS wrote:


Their storage cabinets must take a lot of understanding...

I like the tools, but I also don't see the value of the $50+ plastic
box.

On Feb 18, 2:47*pm, "Bonehenge (B A R R Y)"
wrote:
On Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:41:28 GMT, DS wrote:

Their storage cabinets must take a lot of understanding...

I like the tools, but I also don't see the value of the $50+ plastic
box.

I like the Systainer systems. It is awesome plastic though.

You guys just don't understand..... *sigh*

On Feb 18, 2:33*pm, "J. Clarke" wrote:
mac davis wrote:
On Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:21:58 -0500, Phisherman
wrote:

On Feb 18, 9:39 am, rich wrote:

Anyway, I hear ROS's are the way to go, do not
leave scratches, and take off the small waves from the planer,
etc.
I have a Bosch router that I like, Delta/Grizzley big toys, and no
brand loyalty.

I have a PC--it works well. *Festool is overpriced. *The Bosch
1295DVSK is a very good choice.

Being cheap, I bought Klingspor's sander and my wife loves it.. good
enuff for me.. *g*
http://tinyurl.com/3ctcle

FWIW, the local Home Despot has a two for one deal, a deWalt ROS and a
deWalt quarter-sheet non-random orbital sander for a hundred bucks.
They're packaged that way by deWalt so I'd bet that it was national.

I have used them both and they both suck. Period.

Bonehenge (B A R R Y) wrote:
On Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:41:28 GMT, DS wrote:

Their storage cabinets must take a lot of understanding...

I like the tools, but I also don't see the value of the $50+ plastic
box.
Or the $500 cabinet to put the boxes in.

On Feb 18, 11:29 am, "Edwin Pawlowski" wrote:
"rich" wrote in message

...

Gettin really tired of hand sanding oak projects. Just finishing a
magazine rack, and even that small filler project is getting to be a
pain in the rosey red. Anyway, I hear ROS's are the way to go, do not
leave scratches, and take off the small waves from the planer, etc. I
have a Bosch router that I like, Delta/Grizzley big toys, and no brand
loyalty. And woodworking is a hobby, not a job!

The archives on ROS's are from 2002 or earlier, so: What's a good
brand today?

Thanks for any suggestions at all.

Regards,
Rich.....

Buy one that feels comfortable in your had.

I have both Porter Cable and DeWalt. Both sand equally, but the DW just
feels better for me so it tends to get used more. .

Ditto. My PC makes my hand cramp up, and I have to fight with it to
get it to go where I want. The Dewalt behaves itself and I can use
for hours, but the h&l pad seems to wear out while the one on the PC
still has a death grip on the paper. To be fair that's the one that
my dad borrows and he likes to go gorilla on everything, so I suspect
he's pushing down even though I tell him not to and burning it up. I
am really thinking about getting the little Festool, I have some stuff
where I have to sand vertically and the PC is awful vertically.

On Mon, 18 Feb 2008 07:39:37 -0800 (PST), rich
wrote:

Gettin really tired of hand sanding oak projects. Just finishing a
magazine rack, and even that small filler project is getting to be a
pain in the rosey red. Anyway, I hear ROS's are the way to go, do not
leave scratches, and take off the small waves from the planer, etc. I
have a Bosch router that I like, Delta/Grizzley big toys, and no brand
loyalty. And woodworking is a hobby, not a job!

The archives on ROS's are from 2002 or earlier, so: What's a good
brand today?

Thanks for any suggestions at all.

Regards,
Rich.....

Also, consider the cost of sanding disk. And whether you want 5-hole
or 8-hole.

-Zz

wrote:
I have the 5" Ridgid brand (2 actually) that I use the crap out of. I
use them for hard sanding, 80 grit planing, and the initial sanding
for some projects. These sanders are beyond all belief at how sturdy
the are. I have used one of these for about 4 years now, and it has
sanded everything from house fascia for paint prep, metal surfaces to
remove rust, and first sanding on table refinishing. Dust collection
isn't bad, either.\

They are great value for he buck, and reliable to boot.
At $70, I can't find another sander that is a better value.
There is a thread floating around on another forum where one of the
members even claims HD stands behind their warranty!


Ditto. I've had excellent luck with the Ridgid. I bought it after seeing it
rated a best buy in one of the woodworking magazines.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

I have the same brand - Ridgid, and I use the crap out of mine too.
http://tinyurl.com/2vb375
I love it! Relatively quiet, not too full of vibration and fits nicely in my
hand with a variable speed.
If you combine it with a Rockler sandpaper storage bin
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...aper%20storage
It makes a great system.

Kate

wrote in message
...
On Feb 18, 9:39 am, rich wrote:

Anyway, I hear ROS's are the way to go, do not
leave scratches, and take off the small waves from the planer, etc. I
have a Bosch router that I like, Delta/Grizzley big toys, and no brand
loyalty.

All of them leave scratches, it is just a matter of how small.
Sanding is a method by which the scratches get smaller and smaller,
until they are undetectable by the eye.

I think you should look at your price point, and what you are going to
be using it for in the shop. Almost without fail, the more dough you
cut loose with for a sander will get you a better sander.

But what sander fills the bill?

I have the 5" Ridgid brand (2 actually) that I use the crap out of. I
use them for hard sanding, 80 grit planing, and the initial sanding
for some projects. These sanders are beyond all belief at how sturdy
the are. I have used one of these for about 4 years now, and it has
sanded everything from house fascia for paint prep, metal surfaces to
remove rust, and first sanding on table refinishing. Dust collection
isn't bad, either.\

They are great value for he buck, and reliable to boot.
At $70, I can't find another sander that is a better value.
There is a thread floating around on another forum where one of the
members even claims HD stands behind their warranty!

For finish sanding, I don't think you can go wrong with a great deal
of the 6" sanders once you pass the $150 or so mark. There you change
from a handgrip style to a more traditional sanding machine. I have a
Bosch (actually so old it is a 5") that I love and have used for
years. I have used the Bosh 6" and I was really pleased. At one
time, Ridgid even had an entry in the 6" field that was made by Metabo
for them in Germany. I think they are now made in China from the same
tooling, but one of my cabinet shop buddies told me they were still
good sanders. Loves that lifetime warranty, too.

But for me, my final finish sanding would be done with one of my half
sheet sanders. I have the Milwaukee 1/2 sheet that I love. Finish -
excellent. Dust collection - moderate. At $240 or so, it was
expensive at the time, but worth every cent.

The other I have is a Bosch 1/2 sheet. It is about 3 years old and
was Swiss made. Sadly, they no longer make this machine, but you can
find them on ebay from time to time. Finish - excellent. Dust
collection - perfect. It is the only half sheet sander I know that
has about 20 holes in the paper that go through the pad. Exceptional
when working indoors with dust collection.
Bought this at CPO Bosch (although it was not a refurb) for $175 or so
an never looked back.

Thanks for any suggestions at all.

For anything that will last, don't buy Skil, Black and Decker, GMT, or
any other of that raft of low end Chinese crap. A good sander isn't
that much more than a cheap one.

Robert

Thanks to all! I will try the Rigid from HD when I get up to
Kalispell. The local Ace has PC and Dewalt, so will probably have a
closer look at them today. I like to buy local if I can.
Regards,
Rich.....



On Feb 18, 8:22*pm, "Kate" wrote:
I have the same brand - Ridgid, and I use the crap out of mine too.http://tinyurl.com/2vb375
I love it! Relatively quiet, not too full of vibration and fits nicely in my
hand with a variable speed.
If you combine it with a Rockler sandpaper storage binhttp://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=17886&filter=sandpaper%20storage
It makes a great system.

Kate

wrote in message

...
On Feb 18, 9:39 am, rich wrote:

Anyway, I hear ROS's are the way to go, do not
leave scratches, and take off the small waves from the planer, etc. *I
have a Bosch router that I like, Delta/Grizzley big toys, and no brand
loyalty.

All of them leave scratches, it is just a matter of how small.
Sanding is a method by which the scratches get smaller and smaller,
until they are undetectable by the eye.

I think you should look at your price point, and what you are going to
be using it for in the shop. *Almost without fail, the more dough you
cut loose with for a sander will get you a better sander.

But what sander fills the bill?

I have the 5" Ridgid brand (2 actually) that I use the crap out of. *I
use them for hard sanding, 80 grit planing, and the initial sanding
for some projects. *These sanders are beyond all belief at how sturdy
the are. * I have used one of these for about 4 years now, and it has
sanded everything from house fascia for paint prep, metal surfaces to
remove rust, and first sanding on table refinishing. *Dust collection
isn't bad, either.\

They are great value for he buck, and reliable to boot.
At $70, I can't find another sander that is a better value.
There is a thread floating around on another forum where one of the
members even claims HD stands behind their warranty!

For finish sanding, I don't think you can go wrong with a great deal
of the 6" sanders once you pass the $150 or so mark. *There you change
from a handgrip style to a more traditional sanding machine. *I have a
Bosch (actually so old it is a 5") that I love and have used for
years. *I have used the Bosh 6" and I was really pleased. *At one
time, Ridgid even had an entry in the 6" field that was made by Metabo
for them in Germany. *I think they are now made in China from the same
tooling, but one of my cabinet shop buddies told me they were still
good sanders. *Loves that lifetime warranty, too.

But for me, my final finish sanding would be done with one of my half
sheet sanders. *I have the Milwaukee 1/2 sheet that I love. *Finish -
excellent. *Dust collection - moderate. *At $240 or so, it was
expensive at the time, but worth every cent.

The other I have is a Bosch 1/2 sheet. *It is about 3 years old and
was Swiss made. *Sadly, they no longer make this machine, but you can
find them on ebay from time to time. *Finish - excellent. *Dust
collection - perfect. *It is the only half sheet sander I know that
has about 20 holes in the paper that go through the pad. *Exceptional
when working indoors with dust collection.
Bought this at CPO Bosch (although it was not a refurb) for $175 or so
an never looked back.

Thanks for any suggestions at all.

For anything that will last, don't buy Skil, Black and Decker, GMT, or
any other of that raft of low end Chinese crap. *A good sander isn't
that much more than a cheap one.

Robert