Tuesday, December 28, 2010

But which sander do I need?

Ah yes, the age old question...which sander do I need? But lets first take a step back, do I even need a sander? If you plan to do any kind of refinishing or wood repairing at some point you will need to sand. If you are simply repairing scratches or small holes in wood you can easily do that with a hand sander, but if you want to re-stain or paint furniture you will need an electric sander for sure. Simple enough, until you walk into Home Depot and see 30 different options. So which one do you need?

The main types of sanders are a belt sander, a detail sander and an orbital / sheet sander. A belt sander is the heavy duty sander that looks like a small tank. It removes larger amounts of material faster, but can be an intimidating place to start.



A detail sander is smaller, often less expensive and great for getting in the nooks and crannies of a piece of furniture. This work can often be done by hand so this is where you have to decide how much sanding you are going to do. If you are only going to do one project then maybe this isn't necessary, but if you are going to take up sanding as your new hobby then spending the $30 - $40 on a detail sander is well worth it.

But the place to start is an orbital or sheet sander. An orbital sander is, yes you guessed it, round. A sheet sander is square. They are both great for your basic sanding needs. This is what I used to refinish the kitchen table! You want to pick one that you can easily hold in your hand. I stay away from cordless only because I never remember to charge the battery and this isn't something you need to walk around the house with. And it is also nice to get one with a bag that collects the dust (well collects some of the dust). Here is a pic of an orbital sander and the sheet sander I have - Makita Sheet Finishing Sander.




















There are also lots of different brands out there. So first decide how much you want to spend. Do a little research online before you go to the store. I usually plan to not buy the cheapest one, no matter how tempting it is, or the most expensive - no risk of that happening. I always go for the middle price range. Then I ask a sales person. Ask them what they use at home! They are usually honest about which brands are quaility and which will fall apart on you. Then pick them up. See which one feels better in your hands, not to mention which one looks prettier! And you are done...you just bought your first sander.