The Framers Forum

Hi all,

I mentioned in one of my posts recently that I have gained lots of experience over the last four years of be a full time frames by a lot of trial and error (learning the hard way) when it came to ‘bits and pieces’. Mainly framing hardware and miscellaneous items.

However, I need some advise with regards to power sanders. What are your tool of choice?

I of course have sanding blocks for hand standing but needed something quicker and something that could capture the dust that is created.

I tried a Draper 50mm orbital pneumatic sander but a combination of it not having any form of dust capture and it draining my 50l compressor tank very quickly, that has been donated to a friend.

I then bought this detail sander, DeWalt D26430 240V 300W DetaiL Sander, it’s great but the dust capture is only ok and no option of attaching a vacuum and it’s a bit big / hard to grip.

So I am now looking at this sander, Dewalt DWE6411-GB DWE6411 Sheet Sander, it has a large dust bag and option to attach my Henry vacuum.

Please can I get your thoughts / suggestions before I make another duff choice and spending money...

Thanks as always.

I use a variety of sanders and to be honest the effectiveness of any dust extraction from almost any variety or make of sander is going to be limited by the very nature of how any and every type of sander works. It's just one of those facts of life! I've got a bench top combined belt and disk sander, a random obital sander and a detail sander. They all work just fine, but however you choose to do the sanding there will always be saw dust and very little of it gets removed by dust extraction. Sorry, but that's how it is!

I eventually would like to add an oscillating drum sander to my list of sanders some day, when I get the chance.

There is a lot to be said for gluing a sheet of Silicon carbide paper on to a scrap piece of board and clamping it down onto your workbench and rubbing the item to be sanded backwards and forwards on top of the silicon carbide paper, as I gives you a reasonably flat surface and quite a lot of control over the final result. Two of my sanders are made by Clarke and the othter one is made by Einhell.

I've had several similar sanders made by Makita. Good sanders, light and easy to use. But I only got a year out of any of them. The problem is the small nylon supports for the sanding bed fatigue over time and that's the end of the sander.
I've been using a pneumatic orbital sander for the last 25 years and it's still going strong. Very light and easy on the hand. Trouble is, you do need a rotary compressor, as it will drink up all the air as fast as you can supply it.
So my advice is to just buy a really cheap sander and be prepared to dump and replace it whenever it fails - they all do.
Forget about trying to extract the dust. Wear a dust mask and move to another room.

Decent sized belt sanders probably last about as long as you are likely to get. They are made of some heavy duty sanding and have to be design to stand up to that level of service, which is probably the best indication of longevity that you are likely to get. Unfortunately, I have not seen much indiction that buying one of the leading names is much guarantee that paying more for the name gets you anymore for your money. I'm much more interested in examining what I am buying and looking for something which is solidly made and at a good price.

I make a particular point of never buying power tools with a low power rating. The better rated tools will not be operating right on their limit. Regularly operating right on the limit kills power tools before their time. O.K. buy decent less pricey power tools, but make sure that they have a good reserve of extra power if needed. Too much current through the motors brushes, reduces the life of the brushes and the commutator.

When the motor slows down under load there is masses of extra current hammering the brushes and the commutator. Maybe you might be able to change the brushes, if you can get them, but a burnt out commutator usually means it needs a new motor and most of us know that's not going to happen. Good bye power tool and into the dumpster! Learn how these things work and don't overload, or hammer them beyond what they are meant to handle, if you want them to last.

Mirka abranet sheets and pads can make extraction more effective and I think they offer them in most sizes. They can be a little fierce, so its good to get a grade below what you think you need.

Thanks Abi.

Thanks all for the tips and insight!

Have a good week!

One of the Jonhathans bought a festool sander and extraction unit and reckoned that his space was completely clean. They are not cheap though.

I have been using one of these....



..............for a few years. Works well and not too dear. Nice to hold. I wouldn't mind a cordless one, but instead of a cable to tread on
you have a heavy battery pack.

The weak point with these velcro-pad sanders is that the pads tend to come off way before the grit is worn out. I buy them by the 100.
Not found a solution for this. Sometimes they cling on to the bitter end and sometimes they come off almost straightaway.

Try mirka abranet. I use them on my small random orbital and I've not had one shift before I took it off

Meant to say, I have the metabo random orbital sander with abranet. First one lasted a month longer that the guarantee the second is doing better. Yes its dusty with the bag on but too cumbersome with a hose attached.

I go for the buy cheap replace often option. I have a £30 B&Q special which is about to be replaced after about a year. I did look into an air driven one but I'm pretty sure my compressor is not man enough.

I buy cheap too! Ilike Einhell and Clarke power tools. My rule is don't buy power tools with low wattage motors, they don't last and their the ones that die first. I like to be well overated for the task in hand.

Justintime wrote: ↑Thu 30 Jul, 2020 10:58 pm Meant to say, I have the metabo random orbital sander with abranet. First one lasted a month longer that the guarantee the second is doing better. Yes its dusty with the bag on but too cumbersome with a hose attached.

This is where Festool dust extractors are worth their money. Hoses are smooth and don't want to keep coming out (plastic ribbed material catches on everything) and they are flexible. They do also collect dust better than any other i have used.

I have a festool rotex sander and dust extractor and my dust extractor also connects to my chop saw and track saw. I am a believer in buying the best tools you can (not always most expensive). I have a few festool tools, but have a mix of makita and dewalt. I wouldn't buy festool drills and impact drivers, but things like track saws and sanders are worth extra for my uses.

Metabo are very good tools btw. They are owned by Hitachi and i believe with rebrand, all hitachi tools are sold under metabo brand in United states.

I have to say, if you ever buy one Festool tool, the dust extractor is well worth the money, especially if you don't have alternative area for sanding. It is by far the best i have used by miles.