Sanding is a very important task for the woodworkers. It is an essential step to make a smooth wood surface so that you can give your project a nice finish. Therefore, in such cases, sanding becomes a must thing to do! It is a crucial stage in almost all projects.
There are different types of power sanders with different features and techniques with the aim to finish the job more easily. Let us have a peek at them and know how useful they are!
1) Belt Sander
The belt sander is considered to be the least popular power sander for a sanding project. It can take a lot of material within a very short time. That is why it may cause damage to such a point that it might not be redeemable. So, it can cause serious harm to your workpiece.
Generally, a belt sander is used in those cases where you do not want to use a large professional floor sander. For example, it can be used while removing finish from a wood floor.
2) Oscillating Spindle Sander
If you want to take the wood to the sander, use an oscillating spindle sander. It has both a belt sander setup and a single spindle set up and it is capable of using spindles of different diameters!
It is the best type of power sander for sanding or smoothing out the curved cuts from jigsaw or a band saw. The sanding grit works great across the face of the spindle and belt and the oscillating action of the sanding head aids this fact.
3) Random Orbit Sander
The random orbit sander is the most popular sander on the current woodshop. It is also known as ROS, the acronym of this power sander. There is a sanding disc attached to the base. It is done by fastening a 5-inch diameter sanding pad to a hook-and-loop system of the sander. Dust may form during the cutting operation.
This dust is extracted by the holes created on the pad. There are eight holes in total so that all the sawdust is extracted properly. The special feature of a random orbit sander is that the pad can move in arbitrary directions and thus, it can avoid repetitive motion scratches during the sanding project on the surface of a wood piece.
Even if the random movement of the pad fails to remove the scratches, it decreases them in a good amount.
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4) Sheet Sander
If the removal of scratches is not your main concern, (as mentioned on random orbit sanders) you may go for a sheet sander. It is small and fits in your palm.
Generally, a 1/4th sheet of a standard size sandpaper is used in this sander. Sheet sander is one of those sanders with the most economical use. The sanding pad can rotate in repeatable motion and it helps to form small swirly patterns on your wood piece.
5) Hand Sanding for a Perfect Final Touch
Power sanders may produce a smooth surface by using a course grit paper or disc at the beginning and gradually moving towards finer grits of sandpaper or discs. This process is continued until the sanding action produces a smooth and clean area. However, it may not be satisfactory and the project may require a smoother finish. Hand sanding will help you in that case.
Up until now, you have read about the five different power sanders. All these sanders are quite useful for every project. When you are using these tools, use them with maximum safety.