The random orbital sander is one of the most underrated power tools in the shop. It’s simple, but it’s also easy to mess up. Here are 5 mistakes I see all the time (and have definitely made myself):
1. Pushing Too Hard
You don’t need to wrestle the sander into submission. Let the tool do the work. Pressing down stresses the motor and can leave you with an uneven surface. Light pressure is key and the weight of your hand is plenty.
2. Sanding on the Edge
Keep the pad flat. If you tip the sander, that edge can dig into the wood and create divots that are nearly impossible to fix. Flat and steady wins the race.
3. Oversanding Plywood
Plywood’s veneer is thinner than you think. Anything rougher than 180 grit is risky business. Go light, go slow, and if you see glue squeeze-out, wipe it fast or tape it off before glue-up.
4. Skipping Grits
Don’t jump from 80 straight to 180. Each grit erases the scratches from the one before it. Jumping too far leaves those scratches locked in forever, like fossilized mistakes. Here are the transitions I use most of the time: 80, 120, 150, 180, 220 (sometimes but many times I stop at 180 grit).
5. Bad Paper Placement
Always make sure your sanding disc covers the pad completely and that the holes line up. Misaligned paper = bad dust collection and if your pad comes in contact with the wood it will scratch the heck out of it. I MAY be speaking from experience. Even better, use 3M Xtract sand paper which has no holes and works better than any paper I've used thus far.
6. No Dust Collection
I hate to be so blunt but that little bag on the back of your sander isn't doing much. I recommend a shop vac with the Rockler Flexiport Hose Kit for better dust collection. I've been using mine for a while and it works well.
If you keep these 6 tips in mind, you’ll get smoother finishes and fewer headaches.
Need a place for your sander and sand paper? Click here for step-by-step plans to my Drill and Sanding Station.
Happy Building
- Thomas Gojkovich
Thomas Custom Woodworks