The unsung sheet sander

[les45]

I've commented many times on this forum about all the neat tools that I've "justified" buying in the construction of my weekender. However, there is one old standby tool that really does more work than all of the others combined, especially if you are doing a wood skin tear. Yes, that is the lowly 1/4 sheet sander. I burned my old one out on the first day of sanding on the weekender so I ended up buying a new one at Wally World for about $25. They also have the best deal on sandpaper in the 3M quarter sheets (and I did use a lot of them). I could probably write a primer on sanding with one of these after all the hours I have spent in filling and sanding and priming and filling and sanding etc., but I won't. Just wanted to congratulate Mr. Black and Mr. Decker on a fine tool. If you don't have one of these, get one. They fit right in with the belt sander, Kreg jig, and air stapler that are necessities in every tearjerkers toolbox.

[IndyCubby]

Amen brother! I justified the purchase of a belt sander for my project and I simply don't know how I've gone through life this far without one. Love that machine.

[parnold]

When I had to replace my sheet sander, I specifically researched the orbit of each unit. They range from 3/16 to 3/32, and aren't often advertised or listed in the specs on the sights of the stores selling them. I often had to go to the manufacturer's website. The bigger the orbit, the quicker it sands. For trailer work, I wanted the most aggressive sander I could find.

[Treeview]

I bought a Makita 1/4 sheet pad sander a long time ago. It worked well enough...but doesn't hold a stick up to a dual action circle sander. I had a PC unit that got loaned to someone and never returned...I wish I remember who that someone was! Now I have a DW dual action and love it!

Tom

[CarlLaFong]

Sanders are like clamps......can't have too many. I have two random orbitals, one 110V, one air, a quarter sheet, a belt sander, two detail sanders and a 24" drum unit that I built from scratch. I'm a tool junkie, anyway. I only have six routers, two lathes, one metal and one wood, three drill presses, two oxy acetylene sets, two stick welders, a MIG.............I often wonder how and why did I accumulate all this stuff. My estate sale will be fun

[NathanL]

I'm a big fan of the 2 man long board sander. However you have to talk some other schmuck err I mean volunteer into helping you with it

[angib]

I'm a big fan of the 2 man long board sander.

Tssh, that will only do small things. I've seen a professional boat fairing crew working with a two-man (straight) longboard maybe eight feet long.

But when building racing yachts, the 'ultra-deluxe' hull bottom finish optional extra that was only done on the boss's own boat and those of his friends involved at least six guys using a 20 foot length of PVC drain pipe 2-3" diameter (so, flexible over long distances but not locally flexible) wrapped with sandpaper roll. The trick was to appoint one guy a slave-master and for him to call all the direction changes, since a really perfect finish requires the 'longboard' to be moved at 45 degrees to the axis of the longboard.

Stopping the (British) lads from trying to sing negro/slave spirituals, so they couldn't hear the slave-master's calls, was one problem, and another was everybody's desire to make jokes at which everyone would laugh and then forget which way they were supposed to be moving.