Help Choosing Electric Sander

The 1/4 sheet is for light work. It vibrates the pad to sand. Since it is square, it gets into corners better than a round sander. You must also be sure to sand in the direction of the wood grain. Fairly easy to change paper and all you do is tear a sheet of the grit you want into four pieces.

The ROS rotates the grit in a random pattern so the scratches it makes are not in a pattern and thus, look smoother. It will cut about 50% faster. Grit changes are simply a matter of peeling off one, placing on the next. Since the pad is rotating you don' thave to worry about following the grain.

When my 1/4 sheet sander died, I replaced it with an ROS and never looked back. Ed snipped-for-privacy@snet.net

ROS it is, then. Thanks for the info.

As long as we're on the topic. My 10 year old Makita 5" ROS is going on the fritz. I will have to replace it soon.

Although I have been pleased with the makita, I would consider other models. I like the palm-grip stype and I want to stay with hook & loop.

Is there a consensus on on " best of breed" for 5" H&L palm-style (not D-handle) ROS's

Thanks,

Steve

Doubtful. My kid swears by the PC I got him, whereas I still use my Bosch. Of course I have a couple of "D" handled Bosch sanders too, and they're great on larger surfaces .

With the skirt and a vac, they're as close to dustless as I get.

I added a Boch ROS too complement the DeWalt. The Boch is a variable speed unit. What ever brand you buy I highly recommend the variable speed option for the versatility it gives.

Where does the variable speed come in handy i.e., under what circumstance is it helpful to slow a ROS down?

Larger grit ( 180 ) = higher speed. In between = in between :-).

In non specific terms

On one end of the scale I can really hog off material when needed, in the middle I can do a credible job of sanding between coats of finish and pick a speed that works well with that particular finish, and, at the other end, I can use the machine in most of the rubbing out process.