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jttheclockman

jttheclockman

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Feb 22, 2005
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OK members I am usually one of those people answering tool questions but I will turn the tide on this one. Hopefully I can get some starting points what to look at.

I want to buy and add to my arsenal a power palm sander/buffer. I have a larger version. Looking for something small to use on small projects on the lathe. Variable speed with easy head changing. Not sure if I want electric or air. I have not looked into any of these yet but I hope I can get some suggestions of those that may use them, where to start looking. Would like opinions and what to look for. If you have one what brand, where to buy, where to get attachments. Would you buy again or make a change??? Thanks for the replys ahead of time. :smile:

Please do not say Harbor Freight:biggrin:
 
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John, I don't have one but if I was in the market then I'd look for a battery one that matched the battery tools I have. I have a couple 18v drills, a small circular saw, a jigsaw, a torch etc. All Dewalt. As all the batteries are interchangeable, it makes them a lot more cost affective. :wink:
 
skiprat said:
John, I don't have one but if I was in the market then I'd look for a battery one that matched the battery tools I have. I have a couple 18v drills, a small circular saw, a jigsaw, a torch etc. All Dewalt. As all the batteries are interchangeable, it makes them a lot more cost affective. :wink:
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Skip I am going to bet they do not have one in my line. I have Makita battery operated tools 9V. Have had these for many years and they still do the job very well:biggrin:
 
If you want the good stuff then Dynabrade is the stuff for you. You need a good sized air compressor for the bigger stuff. The company I worked for used their air tools exclusively. They can be repaired or rebuilt when worn out unlike other brands. Our metal finishing department had up to 20 finishers on a shift.
 
Go on down to the Wal-Mart and ..... *got tuned out instantly*


No seriously, are you needing an actual power tool or just a spinning disc holder for your abrasives to do "power sanding" on the lathe to finish bowls and such?

Literally, the best bang for your buck would be to go to harbor freight and get their smallest cheapest air die grinder tool and put a rubber backer wheel on it for holding your abrasives. You don't even need the air line or compressor, they freewheel spin for you ... the spinning bowl or blank provides the rotational power. Cost is under 15 bucks.... will last you pretty much forever. :)



Now, if you actually want power sanding to use on something while the lathe is OFF, but you still want it mounted on the lathe .... afraid I have little to no advice on that score.

I know my local Sears is shutting down, their power tools are on clearance 25% off, most everything else 30% off or more... but you probably didn't want their tools anyways.

I'ld say go to the big box stores and LOOK at their palm and detail sanders ... pick them up and hold them chest height for a good 5 - 10 minutes at a time ... check them out to see if they have dust reduction solutions built in, and how much more they weigh with them attached, ect .... in other words, study the ergonomics! :) Once you have that down, you'll have the basics of what size and weight you are looking for ... THEN select among the brands you trust to see what you can afford in your budget at the quality level you desire.



You guys spending thousands of dollars on a lathe or some other power tool ... your typical shopping desires are just plain foreign to anybody just starting out, honestly! :)
 
One of the local professional woodturners gave a demo at our club last year. He has his turnings in all the local galleries...does a lot of turning. When the inevitable question of sanding came up, he said he buys the cheapest angle drill from Harbor Freight and adds the warranty. It's a thirty dollar corded drill (Harbor Freight calls it a "Close Quarters" drill).

He says that since it'll be used for sanding, and the dust is hard on whatever you chose, he doesn't mind the cheap stuff....it usually wears out before the warranty expires so he trades it under warranty for another one.

Use a coupon and you can get it for less than $30...or splurge an extra eight bucks and get the keyless version. Here are links to both models:


http://www.harborfreight.com/38-in-variable-speed-reversible-close-quarters-drill-60610.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/38-in-...-quarters-drill-with-keyless-chuck-63119.html
 
Let me back this up. I have about 6 random orbital palm sanders all various brands. Not what I am looking for. I want some thing smaller for detail work and yes left on the lathe sometimes stopped and sometimes spinning. Not that that matters when picking a tool. The small detail air sander/polisher that Pete posted looks interesting.

I have an angle drill battery operated and I have a sanding disc for it and a polishing pad set up for it but it is too large.

No to Harbor freight with a big NO

I did a quick look and looks like I have better options with air.


https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51jZadkeoZL.jpg
 
I was hoping you would jump in Ken. I will give it a look. I have the compressor set-up no problem there. Like I said I never really looked into a tool for sanding and polishing like this on a lathe but have a few projects in mind that would be beneficial for something like this. That is a nice size for pads too. Just thinking ahead. Always can use more toys.:biggrin:
 
Herb G said:
What about an oscillating tool like this one?
Linky

I have one & it's great for all kinds of weird little tasks.
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I have the Fein but that will not do what I want. It does a nice job flush cutting. Was a nice invention. When I bought my Fein, all it was was a detail triangle sander. Now look at them.
 
Not sure if a foredom would fit the bill. I own a few of them and do a lot of polishing and clean up with them. Dentists make nice fake corn cutters with them so there must be attachments for that. Small rolocs perhaps. Foot pedal gives you speed control and if you drink enough coffee it could even be random orbital.


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oldtoolsniper said:
Not sure if a foredom would fit the bill. I own a few of them and do a lot of polishing and clean up with them. Dentists make nice fake corn cutters with them so there must be attachments for that. Small rolocs perhaps. Foot pedal gives you speed control and if you drink enough coffee it could even be random orbital.


Sent from my iPad using Penturners.org mobile app
Click to expand...


Have that tool also. Too small. I need something with a 2 to 3" pad and needs to be flexible.
 
Or one of these angle grinders, go down the page to find them The 1/4" collet ones. They also come in a 15,000 and a 20,000 rpm version. There are also models that have the head offset for more comfortable grinding. They also make ones this size that are random orbit too. Just have to poke around their site a lot to find them.

My English teacher would fail me for starting 3 sentences with "They also...".:tongue:
 
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