What Type of Sander for Wood is Best to Use for Your Woodworking Project?

Excited to start that latest woodworking project but you aren’t sure which type of sander for wood would be best for the job? Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered! We have a complete rundown of all of the facts and specifications you need to know about all types of wood sanders, so you won’t...
The post What Type of Sander for Wood is Best to Use for Your Woodworking Project? appeared first on Homedit.

Cons:
Using your orbital sander, you can easily create some DIY rolling storage carts that can be used for so many different things. From gardening to collecting toys to keeping the pet’s toys or leashes in, you just can’t go wrong having some extra storage carts around the house, and your orbital sander will help you buff out all the rough edges to make this cart soft to the touch.
While wood sanders are really nifty to use, there are a few projects where wood sanders are absolutely needed to make things safer and just better looking. Here are a few of the most common projects that require wood sanders, to give you an idea.

Do I Need a Wood Sander?

Redwood Deck
One of the downfalls of using a sander is having to deal with all the dust it produces. Many sanders come with built-in dust-catching bags that are even compatible with shop vacs or other dust collecting systems. IF you don’t want to have to spend hours sweeping up more dust than you have to, you may want to look into whether or not your sander has some built-in dust bags to help.

Different Types of Sanders and Their Uses

Whatever you can set your mind to, odds are a wood sander can help! Get your finishing sander or orbital sander ready because this project is so beautiful that you are going to want to try it for yourself! These sanders are perfect for working with more delicate corners, edges, and wood to make your handrail absolutely gorgeous to look at and super soft and smooth to touch.

  1. Palm Sander – A palm sander is also sometimes referred to as an orbital finishing sander. This type of sander is a handheld tool that allows you to sand surfaces to remove the finish so you can replace it with another finish. It is also used as a general sander to smooth out surfaces and get rid of surface blemishes. You can control this sander easily, often simply by using one hand as it lacks too much power to ruin anything because it is set for more delicate work.
  2. Orbital Sander – An orbital sander is a popular sander due to its versatility. Anyone who works with wood on a regular basis either owns or knows about orbital sanders because these tools won’t remove wood as abrasively as a belt sander, but polish woodwork to a gleaming finish. These are fine sanders that are easier to work with as they don’t blast out too much power. These sanders leave no scratch marks and will present instead a finer polishing job on all types of wood.
  3. Disc Sander- Disc sanders can be used for multiple projects, which makes them so popular. These sanders use a disc-shaped abrasive surface that gives these sanders their name and distinct look. Disc sanders are best if used for more abrasive, rougher work where a lot of material needs to be scraped away in order to provide a finer or smoother surface. A disc sander can easily strip paint or remove old varnish with ease, and it will save you a lot of time compared to trying to do these tasks manually.
  4. Finishing Sander – A finishing sander is ideal for finer works such as delicate furniture or intricate woodworking. These sanders will make sure whatever the job is at hand, it will be done with delicate care and will leave your wood as smooth as possible. These sanders use sanding pads that require sandpaper. You can find a sander that takes multiple types of sandpaper from ultra-fine to fine.

What to Look for in a Good Sander for Wood

Modern Toy Box with Lid
Type: Palm Sander

Grips for Your Hands

Compared to very coarse grit, which has 40 particles per square inch. You can see how abrasive the 40-grit sandpaper is, as these types of sandpaper are commonly used for more abrasive jobs that require a lot of scratching or scouring.

Does It Collect Dust?

Just like actual sanders, sandpaper grit is not all the same. From finer sandpaper for delicate projects to ultra gritty sandpaper for more abrasive projects, sandpaper is a crucial element to your sander. Here are a few specifications of sandpaper grit to help you on your way.

Speed Settings

Trigger locks are another important feature as they let you lock your sander in motion and allows you to free up your hands. This will help with the overall wearing out of your hands and you can even use some sanders as stationary sanders if you hook them up to a clamp, so there is some extra freedom to move around if you have to.

Trigger Locks

Whether your need to spruce up your daughter’s dorm room or you simply want a side desk for any projects, you can’t go wrong with this contemporary hairpin leg desk. This smooth and sleek desk would look great in any room, but due to the delicate leg areas, your best bet in a sander would have to be a palm sander or a finishing sander, so you don’t accidentally apply too much pressure and break the delicate legs.

Warranty

Black & Decker is known for its prestige in producing high-quality power tools, and this random orbit sander is no exception. This tool features a powerful 2.0 amp corded electric sander that is strong enough for sanding, smoothing and paint removal. It is compact enough to work in hard-to-reach areas. It comes with a paddle switch function to turn on and off easily, a comfort grip to enhance control and create less fatigue, and an onboard dust collection bag to help you reduce cleanup.

Best Types of Sanders for Wood

Makita XOB01T 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless

The Bosch Palm sander brings in an optimized combo of pad orbits and a rotation that provides fast removal of materials, and a super smooth finish. It’s a tool that’s ideal for cabinet making and will complete all tasks to your liking without annoying swirl marks. You can easily control your ideal speed for any task with an onboard system to filter out fine dust.
No one should buy any type of power tool without a warranty and wood sanders are no exception. To make sure your tool has proper protection, check out the warranty before making a final purchase. Wood sanders can have a year warranty up to about five or six years, most commonly.
No one should buy any type of power tool without a warranty and wood sanders are no exception. To make sure your tool has proper protection, check out the warranty before making a final purchase. Wood sanders can have a year warranty up to about five or six years, most commonly.
What to Look for in a Good Sander for Wood

  • Comes with paddle switch function
  • Has comfort grips
  • Has onboard dust collection bag
  • Powerful
What to Look for in a Good Sander for Wood

  • 3 AMP motor
  • Foam pad for flatter sanding plane
  • Separate counterweight for reduced vibration
  • Improved paper clamp
What to Look for in a Good Sander for Wood

  • Powerful motor
  • Extended base
  • Innovative design
  • Long cord
Pros:

  • Not for small projects

Understanding Sandpaper Grit

You may not consider it at the time but having a stronghold on your sander is going to save you a lot of work and safety worries. Being able to hold on to your sander in a well-controlled motion or motions will make your sanding job so much more fun and risk-free. Whether you are using a high-powered sander or a finer, delicate sander, soft hand grips will make it much easier to hold on to.
Pros:

Grit Type

The grit type of sandpaper will tell you exactly how abrasive it is. The finer the sandpaper the finer the outcome will be, so an ultra-fine sandpaper grit means and ultra-fine polished finish. Ultra-fine sandpaper has about 600 particles per square inch.
Best for Doing: Cabinet making, intricate woodworking

Composition of The Paper

Makita XOB01T 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless

Size of The Sandpaper

Type: Palm Sander

Common Projects to Use a Wood Sander On

Contemporary Hairpin Leg Desk
So, there you have it! All the different specifications and types of sanders to help you with your next woodworking project. Did you find this article useful? We hope it did! Which sander from this list was your favorite? If you have any experience with any of these sanders, we’d love to hear from you!

Making Furniture

Pros:
Any job that requires a person to sit on or place their hands on is going to require help from a wood sander. The last thing you’d want is for someone to sit on a handcrafted chair only to have their arms pick up some splinters from the arms of the chair. You need to smooth out areas like this to make sure that your wood is sleek as possible.

Crafting Cabinetry

Excited to start that latest woodworking project but you aren’t sure which type of sander for wood would be best for the job? Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered! We have a complete rundown of all of the facts and specifications you need to know about all types of wood sanders, so you won’t be left in the dark anymore about all these great tools.

Building Stairs

Cons:
Common Projects to Use a Wood Sander On

Projects Using a Hand Sander

From grit type to composition of paper, to some of the top-selling sanders, we’ve got all you need to purchase your next wood sander in confidence so you can tackle your new woodworking project with no hiccups at all.

Twine Heart String Art

And for more helpful home improvement tips and tool suggestions, check out our site. Like this guide to DEWALT tool kits!
The DeWalt palm sander comes with a powerful 2.3 AMP motor that sands 14,000 OPM with a rubber overmild texture to offers a smoother and more comfortable experience when sanding. The tool features an updated paper clamp, so it holds the paper better. And a dust port system that locks allows you to attach vacuum hoses up to the sander itself for better dust removal. This palm sander comes with a reduced overall height so you can get really close to your projects. And you get a flatter sanding plane with the nifty foam pad.

Rolling Storage Cart

Bosch ROS20VSC Palm Sander
With a powerful 7.8 motor for faster material removal, the Makita belt sander comes with an extended base to allow flush sanding and has an innovative design for sanding flush to a wall with the nose and side of the sander. You can get into especially tight spaces with this sander, and it comes with an extra-long cord for easier maneuverability. This sander comes with an easy release belt lever for quick belt changes and all-ball bearing construction for longer tool life.

Wooden Candle Holder

There are a few key features to pay special attention to when it comes to finding a good wood sander. Here are the most popular ones:
Yes, you can build that redwood deck all by yourself, with the help of your orbital sander, of course! This project is wide scaled enough to have plenty of room to use your orbital sander and get through sanding a lot of wood at a very fast rate. Before you know it, your deck will be all laid out for you to stain and afternoons sipping lemonade on the deck will just be a few days away!

DIY Stair Handrail

Rolling Storage Cart
MAKITA BELT SANDER DUSTLESS

Modern Toy Box with Lid

Just like how important it is to make furniture as smooth as possible, the same goes for custom-made cabinetry. The last thing you want is unsightly grooves or uneven wood in any part of your cabinetry, so using a fine wood sander will help you even out the edges and get your wood finish to a smooth and glistening product. Smoothing this type of wood as fine as you can, and then adding in a stain or paint will make this project soar to the next level of home improvement jobs.
Cons:

Contemporary Hairpin Leg Desk

A wood sander will easily get rid of all the rough areas of furniture, making it much more aesthetically pleasing and safer to use on a daily basis. Simply running your sander over the wood of these items will make your project a sleek, smooth piece of furniture.
Most sandpaper belts or loops range from three inches to four inches wide and up to 24 inches long. Most sandpaper can be found in easy-to-use square or rectangle sheets that can be folded over to achieve the appropriate size.

This gorgeous toy box may look like something you picked up at your local home furnishings store, but once your friends or guests realize that you made it yourself, you might just get some custom-made orders. For this project, your hand sander or orbital sander would be your best bet as they are powerful enough to work on larger planks of wood but delicate enough so you can have full control of the speed levels.

Redwood Deck

Related: Sand And Finish The Projects With A Bench Sander
BLACK+DECKER Random Orbit Sander

Final Say

Understanding Sandpaper Grit
Not all sanders are built alike. There are so many different types of sanders for all types of jobs that will help you get your project looking its best. Here are some of the most common sanders that you will need for DIY projects or household projects.
The post What Type of Sander for Wood is Best to Use for Your Woodworking Project? appeared first on Homedit.

walter@graefika.com
Author: walter@graefika.com