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So far I've not gone out and bought any power tools specifically for guitar making, and am now wondering if I should suppliment my belt sander and 1/2 sheet orbital with a random orbital. I would be getting one of these if I did

http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Axmi ... -31298.htm

Or should I stick to the 1/2 sheet?

John

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

By belt sander I assume you mean a bench top over platen belt sander. But you could mean a hand held belt sander. These are good for rough shaping but are not intended for finish sanding. The tend to use a course paper and are too high powered to safely remove fine thickness and are difficult to control with finesse. If you want to power prep or finish sand then you need a good finish sander and/or a good RO sander.

I have 3 types of belt sanders a 4" x 36" and 2" x 80" bench mounted, and a 3" x 21" hand held for roughing out, and for finer work I use a 1/2 sheet orbital and this I use for prep work up to 240 grit then I hand sand 240 and 320 grit. What I'm asking is would a random orbital really make much difference and it was only that it was cheap and came with a palm sander that I placed this post I wondered if it'd make my life easier and improve the quality of the finish was all.

_________________
Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

The half sheet orbital is the finish sander I referred to. I would not consider it a belt sander. an RO is not mandatory but I will say you will end up picking it up more often than the finish sander if you have one. With the finish sander the orbit is more confined and less random this mean this sander works best in straight lines and flat surfaces. the RO has a more random orbit and is round which allows you to move nor randomly across your work surface. it is not absolutely needed but is convenient to have.

i have the dewalt ROS, i thought it was mandatory.....

I have a couple of Makita random orbitals. One variable speed & one not. If I only had one, I'd choose the variable speed unit.
Wouldn't want to be without at least one ROS in the arsenal.

I find that a random action sander is essential. My main sander is the 6" Porter-Cable variable speed. Its a real work horse. I recently had to pick up on of the smaller units, and for $40 the 5" Ryobi is a pretty good little unit. If I could only have one, it would be the Porter-Cable. The variable speed is very useful.

If you only use certain grits for short periods of time, get the hook & loop base, otherwise I think that the adhesive papers are a better choice and the hooks tend to wear off over time.

Contrary to what you might think, mass is good in these sanders. It offers better control.

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Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

I love my random orbit. I used several electric ones but now I use an air powered craftsman sander. It is not as nice as my buddys snap on but it is relitivly quiet and does not vibrate as much as an electric. As an extra benifit it is super comfy because it is smaller with not having the motor.

I agree with the crew - a ROS is one of my favorite and most used power tools.

Although this is a personal preference thing I like the 5" for guitar building. Variable speed is also a good thing with a ROS since some paper combos and wood combos can make it more difficult to control.

Good dust collection is important too since the kind of dust that a ROS, or any sander for that matter, produces is the dangerous very fine stuff that you don't want to breath, John. Many of the ROS offerings today will come with a little bag arrangement which though not perfect is better than nothing. Wear a dust mask too my friend.

I went through 3 ROS's before I found one that I am thrilled with and that is the Festool ES-125. Though expensive (approx $165 US) it does a superb, ready for finish job.

You can say that again ... I second the Festool.

Glenn

I too have the same Porter-Cable unit, I can't imagine not having one. It's also virtually dustless when connected to the dust collector which is a real plus.