If you are only going to buy ONE sander, I would say the random orbital is your best option since it goes from course to fine sanding easily. If you are doing a lot of fine finishing work and want to save some money (and not have to lift such a heavy sander) then a finishing sander is worth the small investment.
For fine finishing work on whatever wood projects you build, you will need a proper finishing sander. There are some tasks belt, disc or random orbital sanders cannot achieve. When it is time to put on a high-polished look, you will have to make sure your sanding is as smooth as possible.
Random orbital sanders do the best job of finish-sanding wood. It's hard to know what type of sander to buy for your projects. We'll take the confusion out of buying a sander for finishing kitchen cabinets and explain why a random orbital sander is the best choice.
A finishing sander enables you to carry out your finishing jobs around corners with ease. This is done using the type of sander that has either a square or rectangular base. These shapes are useful around the corners, as opposed to the other sanders which are extremely difficult to run around corners.
Random orbital sanders are ideal for quick sanding needs. You can use them to smooth surfaces such as rough metal, wood or plastic. They can be used to remove paint or rust. These sanders are best used on flat surfaces and should be held with even pressure across the face of the pad.
Besides operating at no less than 90 PSI of air pressure, random orbital sanders should run with a minimum speed of 10,000 RPM. If you run the sander at a slower speed than this, swirl marks MAY also appear. But if you drop below 90 PSI at any time during your orbital sanding process, you WILL get swirl marks.
In general, it's best to sand with the grain of the wood, especially for the final grits. But to remove deep scratches and stains, it's OK to angle across the grain, up to about 45 degrees for the initial sanding. This goes contrary to popular opinion, but it's a good method to remove material quickly.
Sand the paneling using a palm sander, which is available at most home improvement stores for about $30. Because of its vibration, the palm sander will provide a more consistent surface than hand sanding. It also will get the job done a lot quicker. Wipe away sanding dust with a damp rag.
Selecting the right grit sandpaper
For heavy sanding and stripping, you need coarse sandpaper measuring 40 to 60 grit; for smoothing surfaces and removing small imperfections, choose 80 to 120 grit sandpaper. For finishing surfaces smoothly, use extra fine sandpaper with 360 to 400grit.
For general DIYers, a good place to start is with a basic random-orbit sander—a square 1/4-sheet sander or round model. If you do a lot of furniture work, adding a detail random-orbit sander with a pointed, contoured head might be a good second tool to own.
A: Yes, random orbital sanders can be a worthwhile investment. They're precise and leave a smooth sanded surface behind while also being powerful enough to remove a lot of material in a short period of time with little strain on behalf of the one using it.
If you are only interested in removing paint or stain on a flat surface, an orbital sander is the best option because it's more aggressive. If you need the best sander for removing paint or stain, an orbital sander is the best. But they are best for only surfaces that don't have corners to get into.
The Golden Rule of Sanding
The golden rule for choosing your sequence is to never skip more than 1 grit. For example, if you start with P80, and need to finish at P240, rather than using every grit from P80 – P220, you can do P80 – P120 – P180 – P240.
Most random orbit sanders have a 5 inch sanding surface, but some are larger (6 inches). Unlike the finishing sander, which uses clips to hold the sandpaper, the circular pads on these sanders hold via adhesive or hook and loop (Velcro) attachments.
Safety Rules
Don't wear loose clothing or gloves, keep long hair tied back. • Never adjust Sander or setup while Sander is running. • Never remove guard unless authorized by Technician or WRL Manager • Setups requiring anything other than the standard sander equipment must be approved by supervisor.
If you can only afford to buy one sander, we'd recommend getting a random orbital model. Not only is there less risk of leaving marks in the wood, they are more versatile and can be used for a wide range of sanding tasks.
You can also sand across the grain using a random-orbit sander as long as you don't move the sander rapidly over the surface. Best practice is to follow the random-orbit sander with at least one hand sanding in the direction of the grain using the finest grit you used with the sander.
The vibrating handles of power equipment can result in numbness and tingling in your hands, particularly after you having been firmly gripping the power tool for an hour or more. Long exposure to vibrations can damage the nerves in your hand in the same way a repetitive motion injury can cause carpel tunnel syndrome.