Orbital Sanders

Orbital sanders work by rapidly moving the sheet of sand paper fitted to them in a circular motion. There are a large variety of orbital sanders on the market and they vary in price and quality. If you intend to use your orbital sander to give really fine finishes to your work, then make sure you get one that doesn`t wobble too much when in use!  

To check for wobble, fit a piece of sand paper to the machine hold the machine so that the paper is facing you. Make a pencil dot on the outer edge of the paper and switch the machine on. You will now observe an optical illusion in that the dot will form a circle. This circle should be about constant in diameter and retain its shape. If it seems to move around or become oval then the machine is wobbling too much and you should try another unit.

Depending on the grade of sandpaper being used, your sander will remove surface finishes such as paint or varnish or smooth down rough wood. It can also be used with very fine paper to give that finishing touch. Orbital sanders can also be used to remove rust from metal and to shape fibreglass, plastics and fillers. Orbital sanders may leave a circular pattern on the material.

Random Orbital Sanders

Random orbital sanders have a round sanding pad that orbits and spins the sandpaper. This motion is more aggressive in removing material than an orbital sander and is less likely to leave circular marks. Their drawback is that they cannot get into corners as well as the rectangular or square shaped orbital sanders.

Belt Sanders

Belt Sanders are larger, heavier sanders that are commonly used for heavy duty sanding such as sanding down large flat areas like floors or weatherboards. They work by driving a belt of sand paper around rollers fitted on the machine. Extra care must be taken when using these machines as they become self propelled when the friction of the sand paper meets the surface being worked on. It also pays to be aware of the amount of surface these machines can remove, especially when using coarse paper. The size of the machine is indicated by the width of the sanding belt for example 100mm or 75mm. The better quality belt sanders will come fitted with a dust collection bag. Belt sanders can leave a scratch pattern in the direction of the rotating belt.

Detail Sanders

The detail sander is smaller and often lighter than the other types of sanders mentioned. Its triangular shaped base allows you to get into smaller, awkward spots and its rotating action gives the same fine results as the orbital sanders. It is usually used for finishing sanding.The sandpaper is usually held on to the based with velcro making paper changes very easy.