Sander Technology
Furniture restoration, woodworking, and epoxy woodworking are all hobbies or professions that utilize sanders. In this article, we will discuss the different types of sanders used in those fields. We realize that there are other types of sanders besides just those used for woodworking and in the near future we will have articles for sanders you can use for refinishing your hardwood floors, bench sanders, metal sanders, and spindle sanders.
In the dropdown menus we will highlight the technology behind 4 types of sanders. Belt sanders, orbital sander (commonly called a palm sanders), random orbital sanders, and finish sanders – both sheet and detailed ‘mouse’ sanders.
Random orbital sanders are great for woodworking prep work, stripping paint, shellac, or polyurethane off of a project, or coupled with high grit sandpaper for finishing. One of our researchers is a hobbyist epoxy woodworker and swears by his DeWalt corded random orbital sander (DWE6420).
However, DeWalt, Makita, Black+Decker, and many others have introduced battery-powered sanders into their tool line-ups. Whether corded or cordless the sander works in the same manner. The sanding pad moves in two separate ways. Firstly, it oscillates in small orbital patterns and secondly, it rotates in a circular pattern like a palm sander, which we discuss in another dropdown section.
We discuss some of the ins and outs of this type of sander in our random orbital sander article found here: Article about Random Orbital Sanders
Also known as palm sanders or quarter sheet sanders the orbital sanders are a much simpler tool than their cousin the random orbital sanders. The distinctive square sanding surface sets it apart from other sanders and usually fits one-quarter of a 9”x11” sheet of sandpaper.
Our research into orbital sanders is still ongoing but we still wanted to share our findings so far with you, which can be found here: Article about Orbital Sanders
If you have insights or experiences with any brand or model of orbital sander and would like to share them with us you can click the link and then fill out the feedback form at the bottom right-hand side of that page.
These tools are good for leveling surfaces, sanding to a scribed line, and sanding rough lumber or surfaces. Belt sanders come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Most common is the handheld belt sander but others sanders such as a benchtop belt sander can help you complete your job. All belt sanders work on the same concept of moving a belt in one forward direction without any other motion. The design is very similar to an excavator tread.
Here is our Article About Belt Sanders, where we talk about the tech and some of the different types of belt sanders
Although orbital and random orbit sanders can be used as a finish sander with the right grit of sandpaper, finish sanders work in a more streamlined way.
Here is our Article About Finish Sanders and how they are streamlined for finishing work and the difference between sheet sanders and “mouse” sanders.