Hello nadolski,

I've had a Porter Cable random orbit sander for many years and I've gotten great service out of it. Mine uses the velcro 'holed' sandpaper to hook to a dust-free system--but alas, I've never hooked it up and I just use a dust mask instead.

I think the "random" part is very important--it really does cut down on 'swirls'. But you'll still get some--if you try and jump a sandpaper grade or two (say, from coarse to fine)--not a good idea.

I think any of the pro-grade ones would serve you well (e.g., Makita, Porter Cable, etc.) but I'd avoid the cheapies. Especially if you're interested in using it quite a bit--which sounds like the case.

I like buying the paper in bulk (25-packs) to have each grade on hand when I need it. Also, that way I'm not tempted to try and get every last bit of usefulness (to the point of counterproductiveness) out of each piece. (And I'm sure some folks go for much bigger bulk than 25-packs!)

Good luck and happy hunting!

Regards,

-k2 in CO

Moderator, Miscellaneous Forum

http://www.bobvila.com/BBS/Miscellaneous

between myself and my crew, we have a truckloaad - OK well maybe just a wheelbarrow full of Makita and PC ROSs both are good.

For furniture work, you'll need opads from 100 to at least 180 or 220 and need to finish off with some hand work too. You might also want to lok into a Fein detail samder

Excellence is its own reward!

Hello Nadolsky,

I have a better one to get good sander. You can purchase good sanders to use in refinishing wood furniture.

An orbital sheet sander will be nice because it will fit into corners and will be easier to maneuver. However, it might be a little too rough and leave scratches.

A random-orbit sander is going to be more effective all around it will have a better finish with less vibration making scratches less of a possibility. If you won't need to do a lot of maneuver I'd say you should get this one.

This has been my experience anyway from working with a Minneapolis plastering company for so long.