On Jan 3, 12:22*pm, WayneJ wrote:
Hi all,

I need to buy a new sander, primarily for finishing. I was set to go get a *
palm sander, but a couple of friends are telling me I should get a random *
orbital instead. They claim that they can be just as good for finish work *
and better for coarser things. I question whether they are really as good *
for finish sanding, and I already have a straight disk sander for rough *
work.

I need to keep the cost reasonable, but I don't want to buy junk either. *
I'm looking at brands like Dewalt, Makita, Milwaukee, etc. the money for *
brands like Festool isn't there. I think a 1/4 sheet palm sander or 5 inch *
random orbital sander, is what I'm looking at.

Does anybody have thoughts on this, and any recommendations in the price *
range I'm limited to?

Thanks,
WayneJ

--

Palm sanders aren't limited to the few grits available in
hook and loop discs. Anything is available for quarter
sheet sanders, up to and beyond 2000 grit. 320 is the
finest I've seen for ROS.

Fast way to a flawless, ready to finish surface with a palm
sander is to go up to 320, then finish by hand, straight strokes,
with 220 to remove the swirl marks.

On 1/7/11 11:17 PM, Father Haskell wrote:
Palm sanders aren't limited to the few grits available in
hook and loop discs. Anything is available for quarter
sheet sanders, up to and beyond 2000 grit. 320 is the
finest I've seen for ROS.


Which brings up the question... why don't they have a Velcro version or
attachment for ROS? I looked at Lowes and HD yesterday and every palm
sander still has that horrible metal wire spring/clip system to attach
the paper. The same mechanism that my 20 year old Skil has.

Are you kidding me? This is the best they can come up with. It is THE
MOST horribly awkward and inconvenient way to attach and remove sandpaper.

I'd rather find an internet source for Velcro disks than deal with that
horrible mechanism.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

On 1/8/2011 12:14 PM, -MIKE- wrote:
On 1/7/11 11:17 PM, Father Haskell wrote:
Palm sanders aren't limited to the few grits available in
hook and loop discs. Anything is available for quarter
sheet sanders, up to and beyond 2000 grit. 320 is the
finest I've seen for ROS.


Which brings up the question... why don't they have a Velcro version or
attachment for ROS? I looked at Lowes and HD yesterday and every palm
sander still has that horrible metal wire spring/clip system to attach
the paper. The same mechanism that my 20 year old Skil has.

Are you kidding me? This is the best they can come up with. It is THE
MOST horribly awkward and inconvenient way to attach and remove sandpaper.

I'd rather find an internet source for Velcro disks than deal with that
horrible mechanism.

Yeah, I had an old Makita like that. Sold it on eBay and was glad to see it
go. I'd never buy another of that same style.

--
Free bad advice available here.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

In article e47794ad-0560-4691-884d-2905050aead3
@g25g2000yqn.googlegroups.com, says...

On Jan 3, 12:22*pm, WayneJ wrote:
Hi all,

I need to buy a new sander, primarily for finishing. I was set to go get a *
palm sander, but a couple of friends are telling me I should get a random *
orbital instead. They claim that they can be just as good for finish work *
and better for coarser things. I question whether they are really as good *
for finish sanding, and I already have a straight disk sander for rough *
work.

I need to keep the cost reasonable, but I don't want to buy junk either. *
I'm looking at brands like Dewalt, Makita, Milwaukee, etc. the money for *
brands like Festool isn't there. I think a 1/4 sheet palm sander or 5 inch *
random orbital sander, is what I'm looking at.

Does anybody have thoughts on this, and any recommendations in the price *
range I'm limited to?

Thanks,
WayneJ

--

Palm sanders aren't limited to the few grits available in
hook and loop discs. Anything is available for quarter
sheet sanders, up to and beyond 2000 grit. 320 is the
finest I've seen for ROS.

Klingspor has 'em up to 1500, Mirka to 4000, Micro-Mesh to 12,000. If
you need more than 12,000 then it's time to slap on a foam pad and break
out the polishing compound.


Fast way to a flawless, ready to finish surface with a palm
sander is to go up to 320, then finish by hand, straight strokes,
with 220 to remove the swirl marks.

In article ,
says...

On 1/7/11 11:17 PM, Father Haskell wrote:
Palm sanders aren't limited to the few grits available in
hook and loop discs. Anything is available for quarter
sheet sanders, up to and beyond 2000 grit. 320 is the
finest I've seen for ROS.


Which brings up the question... why don't they have a Velcro version or
attachment for ROS? I looked at Lowes and HD yesterday and every palm
sander still has that horrible metal wire spring/clip system to attach
the paper. The same mechanism that my 20 year old Skil has.

Are you kidding me? This is the best they can come up with. It is THE
MOST horribly awkward and inconvenient way to attach and remove sandpaper.

I'd rather find an internet source for Velcro disks than deal with that
horrible mechanism.

Don't you mean for a palm sander? Every ROS I have seen in the past 10
years or so has a velcro base.

On 1/8/11 5:14 PM, J. Clarke wrote:
Klingspor has 'em up to 1500, Mirka to 4000, Micro-Mesh to 12,000.
If you need more than 12,000 then it's time to slap on a foam pad and
break out the polishing compound.


Thank you.
I was hoping whoever brought up that website, before, talking about
the cheap, bulk sandpaper discs would bring it up again in this thread.
:-)


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

On 1/8/11 5:18 PM, J. Clarke wrote:
In ,
says...

On 1/7/11 11:17 PM, Father Haskell wrote:
Palm sanders aren't limited to the few grits available in
hook and loop discs. Anything is available for quarter
sheet sanders, up to and beyond 2000 grit. 320 is the
finest I've seen for ROS.


Which brings up the question... why don't they have a Velcro version or
attachment for ROS? I looked at Lowes and HD yesterday and every palm
sander still has that horrible metal wire spring/clip system to attach
the paper. The same mechanism that my 20 year old Skil has.

Are you kidding me? This is the best they can come up with. It is THE
MOST horribly awkward and inconvenient way to attach and remove sandpaper.

I'd rather find an internet source for Velcro disks than deal with that
horrible mechanism.

Don't you mean for a palm sander? Every ROS I have seen in the past 10
years or so has a velcro base.


Yes. They need to develop a Velcro attaching system for palm sanders.

Thank you for following along. :-)


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

"-MIKE-" wrote in message
...
On 1/8/11 5:18 PM, J. Clarke wrote:
In ,
says...

On 1/7/11 11:17 PM, Father Haskell wrote:
Palm sanders aren't limited to the few grits available in
hook and loop discs. Anything is available for quarter
sheet sanders, up to and beyond 2000 grit. 320 is the
finest I've seen for ROS.


Which brings up the question... why don't they have a Velcro version or
attachment for ROS? I looked at Lowes and HD yesterday and every palm
sander still has that horrible metal wire spring/clip system to attach
the paper. The same mechanism that my 20 year old Skil has.

Are you kidding me? This is the best they can come up with. It is THE
MOST horribly awkward and inconvenient way to attach and remove
sandpaper.

I'd rather find an internet source for Velcro disks than deal with that
horrible mechanism.

Don't you mean for a palm sander? Every ROS I have seen in the past 10
years or so has a velcro base.


Yes. They need to develop a Velcro attaching system for palm sanders.

Thank you for following along. :-)


I wouldn't buy it. My palm sander has the wire paper retainers and it takes
me less than 30 seconds to change paper. The advantages are that paper is
cheaper, reduced paper inventory as the sheets can be used for multiple
things and better variety of available paper.

On 1/8/11 6:57 PM, CW wrote:
Yes. They need to develop a Velcro attaching system for palm sanders.

Thank you for following along. :-)


I wouldn't buy it. My palm sander has the wire paper retainers and it takes
me less than 30 seconds to change paper. The advantages are that paper is
cheaper, reduced paper inventory as the sheets can be used for multiple
things and better variety of available paper.


Takes me less than two to change the velcro sheets.
When I'm in that zone, like a machine, it's frustrating to have to take
even 30 seconds to change one out. I'm impressed that you can cut those
sheets and punch out the dust port holes in that time, too. :-)

The better variety argument doesn't stand as you can find those disks on
the internet at any grit you'd need. And I'm not concerned with reduced
inventory nor price. Even expensive sandpaper isn't, in the big picture.
But that's not and issue given said websites.

The more I do this, the more I find I prefer things that help me do more
work more efficiently, once I am working. To each his own.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

On Jan 8, 9:51*pm, -MIKE- wrote:
On 1/8/11 6:57 PM, CW wrote:

Yes. *They need to develop a Velcro attaching system for palm sanders.

Thank you for following along. * :-)

I wouldn't buy it. My palm sander has the wire paper retainers and it takes
me less than 30 seconds to change paper. The advantages are that paper is
cheaper, reduced paper inventory as the sheets can be used for multiple
things and better variety of available paper.

Takes me less than two to change the velcro sheets.
When I'm in that zone, like a machine, it's frustrating to have to take
even 30 seconds to change one out. I'm impressed that you can cut those
sheets and punch out the dust port holes in that time, too. *:-)

The better variety argument doesn't stand as you can find those disks on
the internet at any grit you'd need. *And I'm not concerned with reduced
inventory nor price. *Even expensive sandpaper isn't, in the big picture.
But that's not and issue given said websites.

The more I do this, the more I find I prefer things that help me do more
work more efficiently, once I am working. To each his own.


I don't know how many times I have done the math but expensive
sandpaper is cheaper than cheap stuff. G
So is the method of attaching the paper. Time is money.
....and 20 bucks worth of paper on a 3000 dollar countertop is totally
and completely meaningless.

On Sat, 8 Jan 2011 19:17:52 -0800 (PST), Robatoy
wrote:

I don't know how many times I have done the math but expensive
sandpaper is cheaper than cheap stuff. G

Once wasn't enough, eh?


So is the method of attaching the paper. Time is money.
...and 20 bucks worth of paper on a 3000 dollar countertop is totally
and completely meaningless.

Yeah, I've been amazed at how long a $1 5" 5-hole velcro Norton will
last compared to a $0.40 6" PSA from HF. It's at least 6x.


BTW, Toy, I thought you might roll your own with freeze-dried banana
leaves, sticky drool from the inscrutable Quebecois, and sand from the
St. Lawrence beaches. Am I wrong?

Nomex=ON

--
You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will
preserve for our children this, the last best hope
of man on Earth, or we will sentence them to take
the last step into a thousand years of darkness.?
-- Ronald Reagan

On 1/8/11 9:17 PM, Robatoy wrote:
On Jan 8, 9:51 pm, wrote:
The more I do this, the more I find I prefer things that help me do
more work more efficiently, once I am working. To each his own.


I don't know how many times I have done the math but expensive
sandpaper is cheaper than cheap stuff.G So is the method of
attaching the paper. Time is money. ...and 20 bucks worth of paper on
a 3000 dollar countertop is totally and completely meaningless.


I am completely in that camp and it was reinforced this very week.
I had a bunch of leftover paper, some from a big box and some from
Harbor Freight.
The HF stuff practically fills up and clogs in one pass. Even the big
box stuff I bought in sheets a while back seems to take longer to fill,
but still clogs and I need to vac it out or toss it because it just
doesn't cut any more.

When I get the premium stuff, it just seems cut better and last longer.
It will fill up, but then keep cutting and push the cut dust out of the
way. I get at least 30:1 life over the HF stuff and probably 5:1 over
the regular big box stuff.

I think sandpaper technology has improved even in the past few years, as
I notice much better performance from the premium paper I recently bought.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

On 1/8/11 10:23 PM, Larry Jaques wrote:
Yeah, I've been amazed at how long a $1 5" 5-hole velcro Norton will
last compared to a $0.40 6" PSA from HF. It's at least 6x.


Our local HF has the Norton discs...... for more than Lowes and HD
charge. :-)


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

-MIKE- wrote in
:


I am completely in that camp and it was reinforced this very week.
I had a bunch of leftover paper, some from a big box and some from
Harbor Freight.
The HF stuff practically fills up and clogs in one pass. Even the big
box stuff I bought in sheets a while back seems to take longer to
fill, but still clogs and I need to vac it out or toss it because it
just doesn't cut any more.

When I get the premium stuff, it just seems cut better and last
longer.
It will fill up, but then keep cutting and push the cut dust out of
the
way. I get at least 30:1 life over the HF stuff and probably 5:1 over
the regular big box stuff.

I think sandpaper technology has improved even in the past few years,
as I notice much better performance from the premium paper I recently
bought.



I agree that sand paper is getting better. The difference between the
included 220 grit Mouse sand paper (about 10 years old) and the 220 grit
3M purple paper was dramatic. I had to change the included paper about
once per side of a book shelf, and just about finished the rest with a
single sheet of the 3M. I haven't tried the Norton yet.

I need to get some sandpaper for my new sander. The Lowes Gator paper
isn't worth taking it off the shelf. Time to put another sheet on the
sander... To be honest, I wasn't impressed with the included sheet of
Bosch paper either.

Puckdropper

In article ,
says...

On 1/8/11 10:23 PM, Larry Jaques wrote:
Yeah, I've been amazed at how long a $1 5" 5-hole velcro Norton will
last compared to a $0.40 6" PSA from HF. It's at least 6x.


Our local HF has the Norton discs...... for more than Lowes and HD
charge. :-)

FWIW, I couldn't find any Norton disks at the local Lowes the last time
I went. I took what they had, "Gator Power" and, well, if that gator
had any power to begin with he lost it when they turned him into
sandpaper. Further, the crap costs more than Home Depot gets for Norton
or Coastal gets for Bosch.

On 1/9/11 1:12 AM, Puckdropper wrote:
I need to get some sandpaper for my new sander. The Lowes Gator paper
isn't worth taking it off the shelf.

Puckdropper

Really? I picked up some of their new "Ultra Power" and was this is
what I was braggin on. Have you used this new stuff?
http://www.homeconstructionimprovement.com/gator-ultra-power-premium-series-sandpaper-review/

If the 3M Purple stuff is even that much better than the Gator Ultra,
then I can't want to try it.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

-MIKE- wrote in
:

On 1/9/11 1:12 AM, Puckdropper wrote:
I need to get some sandpaper for my new sander. The Lowes Gator
paper isn't worth taking it off the shelf.

Puckdropper

Really? I picked up some of their new "Ultra Power" and was this is
what I was braggin on. Have you used this new stuff?
http://www.homeconstructionimproveme...ower-premium-s
eries-sandpaper-review/

If the 3M Purple stuff is even that much better than the Gator Ultra,
then I can't want to try it.


It was just the standard stuff. I have not tried the Ultra Power version.

Puckdropper