Orbital Sander

[Rockytime]

I had a very nice 5" Dewalt orbital sander but no more. I have no idea where it has gone. However, I suspect that since my garage door is often open while I am in my shop I think someone helped themselves to it. Although I am in the garage my small shop is partitioned off so I can't be seen nor can I see out to the rest of the garage. The sander is always on a workbench at the back of my shop facing the sidewalk. Every tool has it"s place and every place has it's tool. It is yellow, easy to see from the sidewalk and is the only tool there small enough to be carried off.

So, tomorrow I will visit HF for their 5" sander for $19.99. I'd like to replace the Dewalt but it was $89 at Woodcraft. The HF will have to do.

 

[kmmcrafts]

11 minutes ago, Rockytime said:

I had a very nice 5" Dewalt orbital sander but no more. I have no idea where it has gone. However, I suspect that since my garage door is often open while I am in my shop I think someone helped themselves to it. Although I am in the garage my small shop is partitioned off so I can't be seen nor can I see out to the rest of the garage. The sander is always on a workbench at the back of my shop facing the sidewalk. Every tool has it"s place and every place has it's tool. It is yellow, easy to see from the sidewalk and is the only tool there small enough to be carried off.

So, tomorrow I will visit HF for their 5" sander for $19.99. I'd like to replace the Dewalt but it was $89 at Woodcraft. The HF will have to do.

 

Sorry to hear someone walked off with your sander... 

I bought a harbor freight orbital sander years ago and loved it... used the crap out of it.. then the dust bag finally just gave up.. I wanted to replace the bag but couldn't find anything.. sooo... I went and bought another sander.. figured the bag would be as much as a sander anyway.. and I could use both sanders for different jobs... anyway... long story short.. the sander had changed from what my first one was and the new one is way too aggressive and no variable speed... fastest running OS I've ever seen.. I couldn't use it for anything with my fragile pieces and even sanding blanks was a pain to hold onto the sander.. I wouldn't recommend buying it if its still the same as the newer one I have... I'd let you have mine but... but shipping would be half the cost of the one you can get from HF anyway... at least they are pretty good about returns and I'm not..

Anyway.. just an idea but maybe look on Craigslist or Facebook marketplace to see about getting a better one..

   

[munzieb]

Rocky, I got the  one from HF and it does the job. If I push the cut offs back into the holes and tape them in place, the sander gets rid of almost all the fuzz. Even used it on the 36 Ford grill with no damage. I just have to sneak/slide up on it.  Can't beat it for the price.

[kmmcrafts]

I don't see one on their site for 19.99? 

This is the one I have.. I believe I paid 19.99 for it but the website doesn't show one at that price.. Maybe I got it on sale... either way.. I don't like it... it is usable and I recently had to use it while I was waiting to get the new brushes for my Bosh.. It does work.. but is very fast running and would be easy to damage anything very delicate... 

https://www.harborfreight.com/5-inch-random-orbital-palm-sander-93431.html

I see they have another style now... This one appears to be a variable speed.. 

https://www.harborfreight.com/28-amp-5-in-random-orbital-palm-sander-63999.html

[Rockytime]

The sander will get very light use so I'm sure it will suffice. I used to buy on craig's list and also sold. These days it easier to drive 10 minutes to HF.

[Rockytime]

I have a one day coupon for Sunday only. Regular $33.99. On sale at $19.99. Cheap enough. I also have a 20% off coupon but I don't think I can use it on a sale item. I can get some shop towels or something with the purchase. I already have a dozen tape measures.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

I have many different sanders including orbital but this is my go to sander for everything. I have a couple of these and they work great. Any delicate items have been sanded with this sander. It is a block sander by Porta Cable. https://media.toolpartsdirect.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/54db668a51db726605bee154e6a83c77/3/3/330_3.png

[OCtoolguy]

I too have one of those H/F sanders. My only complaint is that it is a single speed. I'd sure like to calm it down a bit. It's a bear to control sometimes. I had a very nice Dewalt too but sold it when we sold everything. Sure would be nice to be able to slow this one down. Here is one that I was thinking about on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074GMPBVZ/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_6?smid=A1EP223CRMJWJX&psc=1

 

 

Edited November 19, 2018 by octoolguy

[Dave Monk]

20 hours ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

I have many different sanders including orbital but this is my go to sander for everything. I have a couple of these and they work great. Any delicate items have been sanded with this sander. It is a block sander by Porta Cable. https://media.toolpartsdirect.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/54db668a51db726605bee154e6a83c77/3/3/330_3.png

I have that sander also. Love it but it sure creates the dust.

[Rockytime]

I just bought mine today and only took it out of the box. I did get 220 grit disks. There was a very small "Drill Doctor" detail sander for $13.99 regular price. It used pointed pads. My sanding needs are so limited I thought about getting it. I lookked at the sanding pads and they only come in 60, 80 and 100 grit. Way too course for what I need. I was a cute little thing. 12,00 opm.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

1 hour ago, Dave Monk said:

I have that sander also. Love it but it sure creates the dust.

I do all my sanding outdoors with the sander. If I have to sand indoors I have a downdraft table that I set up and works well. I love that sander and would not be without. I had to replace the pad once but it does it all because it does not leave orbital scratch marks. 

[Dave Monk]

9 hours ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

I do all my sanding outdoors with the sander. If I have to sand indoors I have a downdraft table that I set up and works well. I love that sander and would not be without. I had to replace the pad once but it does it all because it does not leave orbital scratch marks. 

What downdraft table do you have?

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

2 hours ago, Dave Monk said:

What downdraft table do you have?

Wow Dave you made me look at the name. I bought that thing so long ago I did not remember and still do not remember where I got it. But all it is is a plastic portable one that is so easy to use and set up. It is by Edgewood and I believe I bought it from Rockler or Penn State Industries and am thinking the latter because that was where I bought my dust air cleaner and i think I bought together. I have included a link to one by a different company but looks similar. I use my 4" dust hose and it has a metal screen with a perforated rubber non skid sanding mat that lays over the top. Any dust not collected with dust collector can be vaced out. It does not take up alot of room so that is why I went that way.

 

Today there is utube videos and plans to make your own which are basically a box of any size you choose and a piece of peg board on top. You can buy those perforated sanding mats from any where. They work well if you have a good dust collector. I have a seperate hose that I use for various portable tools such as my 12" planer and Belt sander and I use that hose for tools like that. Quick hose clamp and easy to use. 

https://www.amazon.com/Platte-River-Collection-Collectors-Dustless/dp/B007NL0WC0/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1542640159&sr=8-15&keywords=downdraft+table

These look so similar that I believe that is the company that took over for edgewood.. 

Edited November 19, 2018 by JTTHECLOCKMAN

[Jim Finn]

I have had a DeWalt also, and now have a porter-Cable and a Festool.  I recently bought a Makita and I like it the best.  It will run slower than any of the others, and I like that.

[OCtoolguy]

44 minutes ago, Jim Finn said:

I have had a DeWalt also, and now have a porter-Cable and a Festool.  I recently bought a Makita and I like it the best.  It will run slower than any of the others, and I like that.

What model and if you don't mind, where did you buy it and how much. Gathering info for a future purchase.

 

[Jim Finn]

Model BO5030 $70     At Amazon

[kmmcrafts]

This is the one I have.. and it's quite gentle on my fretwork portraits etc... I could never sand the finished cut pieces with the new HF model I have .. but could with the older HF model i used to have but wore out.. The little dust canister has a paper pleated filter.. I don't get very much dust off of this thing.. that is until I need to empty the canister.. I usually take my shop vac and clean out the canister and the filter.. I will say.. the canister is kinda difficult to open up... but short of that.. I'm  extremely happy with it.. and if it stopped working.. I'd replace with the same one... 

I do not like the sanders that have the cloth bag dust collection.. everyone I've had the bag gets saturated with the dust and will eventually start blowing dust through the bag.. many times the power cord interferes with the bag and rubs a hole in the bag.. 

https://www.rockler.com/bosch-ros20vsc-5-in-variable-speed-random-orbit-sander-with-carrying-bag?sid=V9146?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=pla&utm_campaign=PL&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIie_t1ZDy3gIVzbbACh3JwwocEAQYASABEgLjEvD_BwE  

 

Just thought I'd ad... I've had my sander for at least 4 years and it's used a lot... Just a couple months ago it stopped working and i took it apart to find the motor brushes worn out.. New brushes and working good again.. 

This was the sander I was using a lot on doing the paint job on my daughters Jeep if anyone remember the posting I did on that job.. sanding cars is a lot of work but the little sander held up and did a great job.. why I used it was.. it actually did a much better job than my big air powered sander. What made me use it instead to begin with? because the air compressor was so loud I couldn't hear my radio.   

Edited November 26, 2018 by kmmcrafts

[Sycamore67]

I have a DeWalt and newer one is a Festool.

My priority is ergonomics, vibration and dust collection.  I have a homemade downdraft table connected to my dust collector but mostly use it connected to a vacuum.  

A lot also depends on your use.  Mine are used mostly for furniture and cabinet builds and relatively long sessions.  It might be different with fret work.  For most of my scroll projects I use either a sanding mops or Mac Mop.

[OCtoolguy]

On 11/17/2018 at 6:38 PM, kmmcrafts said:

I don't see one on their site for 19.99? 

This is the one I have.. I believe I paid 19.99 for it but the website doesn't show one at that price.. Maybe I got it on sale... either way.. I don't like it... it is usable and I recently had to use it while I was waiting to get the new brushes for my Bosh.. It does work.. but is very fast running and would be easy to damage anything very delicate... 

https://www.harborfreight.com/5-inch-random-orbital-palm-sander-93431.html

I see they have another style now... This one appears to be a variable speed.. 

https://www.harborfreight.com/28-amp-5-in-random-orbital-palm-sander-63999.html

That first one is the one I have and I don't care for it. I hate the switch and the fact that it is not a variable speed is a problem. If they would have had the other one at the time, I'd have stepped up to it. I'm going to buy either that one or the one I pictured earlier on Amazon.