Current best options for bowl sanding tools?

[Scott Horton]

What are the current best options for bowl sanding tools? Passive, electric angle drill, etc?

I gathered from old threads there were several variants of the passive sanders that had poor bearings and they failed in short order. There's a DIY post of a guy who made some of his own using roller skate wheels, and while a little rough looking, it seemed he had a good idea.

I saw a pneumatic version somewhere, but I already have enough trouble with dust control that I'd think a pneumatic drill would not help with that any blowing dust around even more. For electric I see angle drills from harbor freight and amazon. One company had RO drills that were stupid expensive, way out of my price range.

I'm new to bowls and have quickly found I'd like something more for sanding that my fingers.

Current links to passives I've considered:
DIY https://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=75911&d=1196039329
DIY https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2012205
Hope ~$100 USD https://hopewoodturning.co.uk/sanding-items/hope-pro-sander/16/hope-complete-pro-sander-kit
Sanding Glove $160 http://www.thesandingglove.com/The-Sanding-Solution.asp
Woodnwonders $150 https://vinceswoodnwonders.com/product/sanding-wonder/
Woodturnerswonders: $90 https://woodturnerswonders.com/coll...oducts/the-turner-turbo-wonder-inertia-sander

What are folks current recommendations?

 

[Ron Solfest]

I went to angle drill power sanding many years ago. After burning out a Sioux drill ~10yrs ago I bought a cheap one from Harbor Freight (or similar?), and after a few years bought a second one. One is dedicated to 2” and one to 3” discs; both are still going strong. Can’t tell you how many sanding mandrels I’ve bought for them

Power sanding will not make you love sanding, but is a game changer from passive sanding.

Still, I can sometimes see sanding scratches on some woods (walnut) after 600-800grit. So a couple days ago I unboxed an RO pneumatic sander from WoodturningWonders. Haven’t used it yet for turning, but tried it for 30seconds on some snipe on a cherry board yesterday with 80grit and was very happy with what I saw. Looking forward to sanding a bowl with it sometime in the next week or so when I finish some other things I’m working on.

 

[Michael Beswick]

I use the Hope kit. But I’m in the UK. Works well.

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

The passive sander work OK IF you have enough surface area that does turn the sander, so on the outside of bowls that works good enough, but on say the inside of a bowl, it won't work at all close to the center.
I have a home build one and I have used it a few times, but as I said only on the outside of the large enough turnings, these sanders do not work as well as a powered one where you can control the speed of the disk regardless of where on the turning you are sanding

 

[John Hicks]

I like to use a passive sander on the outside, then a power sander on the inside. I always finish sand by hand. I bought the Sanding glove sanding solution. Well made with a ceramic bearing. Then a older sioux sander (some on ebay) for power sanding. I did have the one from Woodturners wonders, but had problems with the brushes breaking apart. The older sioux, and milwaukee drills use hardened gears with no grease to catch the sawdust.

 

[Rusty Nesmith]

I bought the angle drill kit from wood turner wonders and have been very happy with it.

 

[Brian Gustin]

I just use a cordless drill (only one I have anyways) with the sanding kit from WW (just like the one in background under sander in rusty's picture I got the 2 inch kit originally and just recently the smaller 1.5 inch kit as well. 3 inch is too big for the stuff I turn on my "12 inch" HF lathe) , no cords to bother with then. I'd be nervous about using angle sander myself, I'd always be worrying about catching my fingers (holding the trigger and/or tool) on edges of bowls..

 

[David Wrate]

I bought this and have been very happy with it.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07QXMTVQF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Monty Ivy]

Another vote for power sanding. I use this angle drill. Has held up well to heavy use.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XUHA8C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[odie]

Still, I can sometimes see sanding scratches on some woods (walnut) after 600-800grit.

Ron.....I can agree that walnut is a particular problem with sanding while bowl is spinning on the lathe. You should try taking out those 600gt concentric sanding marks with a hand held 600gt sandpaper, in a random orbit fashion. (not under power....by hand)

-----------------------------------

Those using 55° sanders.....unless it's only an occasional use, would be better off getting the original style Milwaukee 55° industrial grade drill in 0-1300rpm. The internal parts will withstand the abuse much better for anyone using the drill as a sander for prolonged sessions, as well as years of time. I had one of the Nieko drills at one time, and it was very substandard, compared to the Milwaukee.

-----odie-----

 

[henry dalton]

I use a corded Milwaukee drill and the sanding kit from WW. Very happy with both. Tried inertia sanding but it was very slow.

 

[John Walls]

Exterior of bowls and spindles, I use a 5" DeWalt orbital sander. For interiors, I use from Harbor Freight a pneumatic 90deg 2". For the higher grits, I find letting the sander rest on the wood with no added pressure usually gives me little/no swirls but sometimes I will finish sand by hand with the grain if going for a semi or gloss finish. To help with sanding dust, I built an enclosure that sits around most items connected to my dust collector.

 

[hughie]

I would recommend by far the Inertia variety for both internal and external bowls. They will consistently produce a finish higher than the grit being used, better ran at over 1000 rpm. I have used them for over 15 years, and they are my go-to sander. If you do get one, make sure it is the extendable type for greater flexibilty

 

[Bill Blasic]

I have a number of angle drills and inertia sanders but what I find my self using 99% of the time are my corded DeWalt drills. I've been using the same ones for over 20 years.

 

[john lucas]

I didnt like the passive sanders. I also didnt likevthe angled drills. They are simply too large and heavy. I use a standard Dewalt 3/8" drill. I burned up several of the cheap drills before going to this one. It's still less expensive than the angled drills and I've been using it for msybec15 years. It does take 2 hands but I prefer the control you have with 2 hands.

 

[Doug Freeman]

I dont see any advantages to passive sanders vs powered (even$’s). A big con for passive is the piece must be turning on the lathe.

99% of my sanding is done with the item mounted on the lathe. I used to always have the lathe spinning, then I stated doing natural edge bowls. I then had to move the piece by hand very slowly so I could follow the rim shape. Now A lot of sanding is done with rotating the piece by hand to focus on areas the need it, such as the end grain of a face grain piece.

Air or electric - just a preference really, both can work equally well. I dont want my compressor running continuously so I use electric. Air tool selection and some ingenuity can greatly reduce the dust being blown around by air.

I use both a drill and an ros. The drill (close quarters HF currently) will remove more material faster. I used to use an HF small air ros, but a while back I found a small variable speed electric “buffer polisher” that came with 2” & 3” mandrels (I use 2”) that works well for me (~$80 on amazon).

Another option is to reverse the situation - have the mandrel mounted (in the lathe or a stand alone) and hold the piece by hand. I dont like it but Some do.

 

[Scott Horton]

I went to angle drill power sanding many years ago. After burning out a Sioux drill ~10yrs ago I bought a cheap one from Harbor Freight (or similar?), and after a few years bought a second one. One is dedicated to 2” and one to 3” discs; both are still going strong. Can’t tell you how many sanding mandrels I’ve bought for them

Power sanding will not make you love sanding, but is a game changer from passive sanding.

Still, I can sometimes see sanding scratches on some woods (walnut) after 600-800grit. So a couple days ago I unboxed an RO pneumatic sander from WoodturningWonders. Haven’t used it yet for turning, but tried it for 30seconds on some snipe on a cherry board yesterday with 80grit and was very happy with what I saw. Looking forward to sanding a bowl with it sometime in the next week or so when I finish some other things I’m working on.

The RO just for the outside, right?

 

[Scott Horton]

Those using 55° sanders.....unless it's only an occasional use, would be better off getting the original style Milwaukee 55° industrial grade drill in 0-1300rpm. The internal parts will withstand the abuse much better for anyone using the drill as a sander for prolonged sessions, as well as years of time. I had one of the Nieko drills at one time, and it was very substandard, compared to the Milwaukee.

Odie: Apparently Milwalkee only makes the 3/8" "quarter angle" drill now, and it gets marginal feviews on their website. One reviewer had his fail when using for sanding and M basically said, "too bad, it's not a sander". So apparently the current model isn't as tough as the old ones.

 

[Richard Coers]

My favorite is this adjustable head cordless Bosch for rough sanding. https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-PS11-1...ocphy=9022121&hvtargid=pla-568961939229&psc=1

After that rough sanding, I go to the Metabo electric 3 1/8" random orbit sander for the inside and a Bosch 5" random orbit on the outside. Both of these are used off the lathe.

 

[Ron Solfest]

Scott - combining two separate questions/issues:
1 - pictured cheap look-alike angle drills have lasted me at least as long as my expensive Sioux drill did. I’d recommend these whether from Harbor Freight, Amazon, etc. Just make sure you blow dust out of them every once in a while.
2 - purchased the mini RO from WoodturnersWonders with expectation to use it on fine grit inside or outside of bowls. Most often problems I’ve had with visible 600-800 scratches have been on the inside of medium sized walnut bowls.

FYI - I do all of my sanding on the lathe, except for finishing a bottom if my Cole jaws won’t hold the bowl

 

[Ron Solfest]

My favorite is this adjustable head cordless Bosch for rough sanding. https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-PS11-1...ocphy=9022121&hvtargid=pla-568961939229&psc=1

After that rough sanding, I go to the Metabo electric 3 1/8" random orbit sander for the inside and a Bosch 5" random orbit on the outside. Both of these are used off the lathe.

I have one of those but never thought to use it for power sanding, just thought the battery wouldn’t last long enough. How long do you get on a charge? I may have to try that as I expect it’s lighter and more comfortable to hold than the angle drills

 

[Scott Horton]

My favorite is this adjustable head cordless Bosch for rough sanding. https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-PS11-1...ocphy=9022121&hvtargid=pla-568961939229&psc=1

After that rough sanding, I go to the Metabo electric 3 1/8" random orbit sander for the inside and a Bosch 5" random orbit on the outside. Both of these are used off the lathe.

I like the look of that drill. I've already got Bosch 12V nut drivers so have some extra batteries. I think they are the same, so that's a plus if they are.

It's not enough to finish with?

 

[odie]

Odie: Apparently Milwalkee only makes the 3/8" "quarter angle" drill now, and it gets marginal feviews on their website. One reviewer had his fail when using for sanding and M basically said, "too bad, it's not a sander". So apparently the current model isn't as tough as the old ones.

Scott.....thanks for pointing this out.

That very well may be so. I buy nothing but old style Milwaukee 55° drills for sanding. I probably should have pointed that out earlier in this thread. Matter of fact, I probably have about ten of them stashed away, anywhere from NIB to good/used.....so I figure I have a lifetime supply! The old style drills are still available on eBay, but very few are new/old stock. A good used one is still a very good bargain.

I do have one of the new style drills, however....this one:

It's been in use for a 7-8 years now, and I couldn't recommend it for sanding bowls. The problem with it, is the modernistic shape isn't as good for negotiating interiors of bowls like the old style was. It's ok for large bowls, but that streamlined shape is just too cumbersome for anything under about 10" +/- in diameter. I believe the internal parts are still good quality Milwaukee, though...well, unless something has changed in the past few years.....and that's possible, too.

-----odie-----

 

[Scott Horton]

That very well may be so. I buy nothing but old style Milwaukee 55° drills for sanding. I probably should have pointed that out earlier in this thread. Matter of fact, I probably have about ten of them stashed away, anywhere from NIB to good/used.....so I figure I have a lifetime supply! The old style drills are still available on eBay, but very few are new/old stock. A good used one is still a very good bargain.

Well, you made me curious so I went poking around on eBay there are apparently a couple vrsions of "old" M angle drills. What's the label's catalog number on the ones you like? Or, see these examples:

Really old

Just old LOL

 

[robo hippy]

When I figured out I was going to be making a LOT of bowls, I glanced at the inertial sanders and said NO!. Just not efficient. I have 3 of the Sioux/Milwaukee angle drills, or is it 4? I have had bearings and brushes replaced in them many times, and even had the cases replaced too. I was hard on them. I never blow them out, and as near as I can tell, it really doesn't do anything. Best thing for having them last almost forever is running at about half speed. The abrasives cut better at slow/half speed, and the drill lasts 3 or so times longer than running at full speed. I did try a cordless drill, and the battery was dead after maybe 2 bowls. Nope! I did buy one of the newer Milwaukee drills, and it seems to run fine. In the old days, Sioux did make the drills for Milwaukee, but not any more. Best thing I ever did was make an articulated arm for sanding (there is a video on You Tube), 2 segments. What it does is lets my hand rest on it while the bowl spins, so I have no weight to bear. I can easily hold the drill, well actually just squeeze the trigger, and spin the bowl with the other hand. This is huge for the first couple of grits and to be able to work on trouble spots, like tear out. The ROSs seem to work fine for the higher grits, but don't cut as fast as the drills when using coarser grits. I usually start at 100 to 120. Do look up my sanding hood for bowls on You Tube as well. I don't need to wear a dust mask. I did try one air drill, and it kept the compressor running non stop, and it was a 60 gallon tank. Oh, Milwaukee used to have some 'reconditioned' drills for sale through their home office.

robo hippy

 

[odie]

Well, you made me curious so I went poking around on eBay there are apparently a couple vrsions of "old" M angle drills. What's the label's catalog number on the ones you like? Or, see these examples:

Really old

Just old LOL

I just went out to the shop to do some checking, and the new style Milwaukee drills are clearly marked "made in China":

The old style drills do not say where they're made, so I suspect some parts are USA made, and some are not:

The really old style drills clearly state "made in USA":


I'm not sure how all this information can be applied, because I suspect ALL the Milwaukee 55° drills have better, more heavy duty parts than the knock-off Niekos and the like. I didn't take apart the Nieko that I had, but I've heard the internal parts are made cheaper.....specifically, the gears are made from a cheaper material.....not as strong, but cheaper to manufacture.

One difference in the really old style and the old style, is the reversing switch has been redesigned. I had one really old style break that reversing switch, and couldn't use the reverse anymore. I only sand in the forward direction anyway. Another thing, is the really old style has the cord in a location that sometimes gets in the way, and the old style is in a better location. The really old style plastic housing is a little smoother, and a little bet harder to get a good grip on. None of these things would prevent me from buying/using the really old style, but a few useful things have been improved on, with the old style 55° drills.

-----odie-----

 

[Scott Horton]

When I figured out I was going to be making a LOT of bowls, I glanced at the inertial sanders and said NO!. Just not efficient. I have 3 of the Sioux/Milwaukee angle drills, or is it 4? I have had bearings and brushes replaced in them many times, and even had the cases replaced too. I was hard on them. I never blow them out, and as near as I can tell, it really doesn't do anything. Best thing for having them last almost forever is running at about half speed. The abrasives cut better at slow/half speed, and the drill lasts 3 or so times longer than running at full speed. I did try a cordless drill, and the battery was dead after maybe 2 bowls. Nope! I did buy one of the newer Milwaukee drills, and it seems to run fine. In the old days, Sioux did make the drills for Milwaukee, but not any more. Best thing I ever did was make an articulated arm for sanding (there is a video on You Tube), 2 segments. What it does is lets my hand rest on it while the bowl spins, so I have no weight to bear. I can easily hold the drill, well actually just squeeze the trigger, and spin the bowl with the other hand. This is huge for the first couple of grits and to be able to work on trouble spots, like tear out. The ROSs seem to work fine for the higher grits, but don't cut as fast as the drills when using coarser grits. I usually start at 100 to 120. Do look up my sanding hood for bowls on You Tube as well. I don't need to wear a dust mask. I did try one air drill, and it kept the compressor running non stop, and it was a 60 gallon tank. Oh, Milwaukee used to have some 'reconditioned' drills for sale through their home office.

robo hippy

Thanks for the video on the hood, I like it. Interesting idea about mounted articulated sander "arm". I'm decent at fabrication (I coach a high school robotics team). But, time limits my projects and as such I don't do tons of turning and manual (holding) is probably fine for me, whatever way I go. Once I get used to it I'll give your arm some more thought.

 

[Scott Horton]

I'm not sure how all this information can be applied, because I suspect ALL the Milwaukee 55° drills have better, more heavy duty parts than the knock-off Niekos and the like. I didn't take apart the Nieko that I had, but I've heard the internal parts are made cheaper.....specifically, the gears are made from a cheaper material.....not as strong, but cheaper to manufacture.

One difference in the really old style and the old style, is the reversing switch has been redesigned. I had one really old style break that reversing switch, and couldn't use the reverse anymore. I only sand in the forward direction anyway. Another thing, is the really old style has the cord in a location that sometimes gets in the way, and the old style is in a better location. The really old style plastic housing is a little smoother, and a little bet harder to get a good grip on. None of these things would prevent me from buying/using the really old style, but a few useful things have been improved on, with the old style 55° drills.

-----odie-----

Thank you. Well, at the least the old ones are model 0375's per your pics, vs. new model 0370

 

[odie]

Thank you. Well, at the least the old ones are model 0375's per your pics, vs. new model 0370

You're right.....I didn't notice that. I wonder what the difference is.....?

I guess it doesn't mean much, because I'll never buy the new style again....for the reasons I explained earlier. When this one that I have wears out, I'll replace it with either the old style, or really old style.

-----odie-----

 

[Richard Coers]

I like the look of that drill. I've already got Bosch 12V nut drivers so have some extra batteries. I think they are the same, so that's a plus if they are.

It's not enough to finish with?

The drill barely spins, so lasts a really long time. Most turners make the mistake of turning the drill way too fast. This melts the velcro, and doesn't let the abrasive do it's job. Vince was the one to teach me about abrasive speed. https://vinceswoodnwonders.com/diy-wood-turning-videos/
It's not that a drill and discs couldn't finish sand, it's just that a random orbit sander will reduce the sanding time in half because of the reduced sanding scratches compared to the sanding discs on a drill. My experience anyway.

 

[Randy Heinemann]

I have a Harbor Freight angle drill which I use for power sanding. I doubt it would last for extreme or daily use, but it has worked for me.

I also have The Sanding Solution (sandingglove.com) which is a passive sander that works well. It works best on the outside of bowls (as others have said). However, it has worked on the inside of bowls well also, depending on the shape of the bowl. As others have also said, it doesn't work well on the inside center because there is no significant rotation at that point. So, power sanding is more effective there.

 

[Lars Hansen]

@Scott (#22):
I've been using this little fella with use ¼" hex sanding pads for the last 3 years
Works well, easily handling size, light - and just *works*.
Recently unscrewed one side and blew out dust. Not really needed, but...

 

[James Seyfried]

@Scott (#22):
I've been using this little fella with use ¼" hex sanding pads for the last 3 years
Works well, easily handling size, light - and just *works*.
Recently unscrewed one side and blew out dust. Not really needed, but...

What model Bosch tool is that Lars?

 

[Monty Ivy]

I'm not sure how all this information can be applied, because I suspect ALL the Milwaukee 55° drills have better, more heavy duty parts than the knock-off Niekos and the like. I didn't take apart the Nieko that I had, but I've heard the internal parts are made cheaper.....specifically, the gears are made from a cheaper material.....not as strong, but cheaper to manufacture.

One difference in the really old style and the old style, is the reversing switch has been redesigned. I had one really old style break that reversing switch, and couldn't use the reverse anymore. I only sand in the forward direction anyway. Another thing, is the really old style has the cord in a location that sometimes gets in the way, and the old style is in a better location. The really old style plastic housing is a little smoother, and a little bet harder to get a good grip on. None of these things would prevent me from buying/using the really old style, but a few useful things have been improved on, with the old style 55° drills.

-----odie-----

The Milwaukee Tools company has changed hands several times over the years. The ones with a "made in USA" are either originals or from their "AmStar" days. Those are the ones to look for when shopping used tools. I've got an AmStar 1/2 sheet RO sander that weighs in at 12 pounds and still runs like a champ. Sadly, newer models are made overseas and are about the same quality as other big box tools. We just pay for the name at this point.

 

[Scott Horton]

@Scott (#22):
I've been using this little fella with use ¼" hex sanding pads for the last 3 years
Works well, easily handling size, light - and just *works*.
Recently unscrewed one side and blew out dust. Not really needed, but...

Hmmm. I have 2 of those already. Older models, but same thing I think. If yours is just a driver, they (mine) aren't particularly fast though. I mean mine are slow. Where do you get your sanding pads?

 

[Randy Heinemann]

I have that Bosch drill. Never thought of using it for sanding though. It's the drill/driver I go to first in my shop over a 20V Max Dewalt driver and impact driver. Slow wouldn't be a problem for sanding though. Power sanding too fast can burnish the surface and prevent absorption of stains and dyes. I would think the Bosch tool spins just about fast enough.

 

[Marc Banka]

As is often the case, I’ve gone in a slightly different direction. This is a Guinevere cable drive, powered by a stationary motor, or in my case a defunct craftsman lathe headstock.

I find two advantages over using a drill as a sander. First is noise. A lot from the drill and almost none from my set-up. (I find that high noise levels in the shop add stress and reduces the amount of time I can spend without fatigue)
The second thing is handling/maneuverability. I’m comfortable handling this overhand, underhand or like a pencil.
Its fitted with a 3inch soft sanding pad and Norton 3x disks.

The restrictions are that it only goes forward. If your lathe reverses, that isn’t an issue. If you push hard, which you shouldn’t, the cable wants to wind up.

 

[Michael Anderson]

I’ve mostly done passive sanding with folded sandpaper, but have recently started power sanding, mostly on stubborn spots. I use a battery powered dewalt drill, BUT whew it’s a battery drainer. I’ve been thinking of going to the corded route, and recently watch a video of @Emiliano Achaval using a Metabo compact RO sander. Good brand, and seems like good power and a nice angle for sanding. Also, I like that it’s good for the occasional flatwork distraction haha.

 

[Scott Horton]

I’ve mostly done passive sanding with folded sandpaper, but have recently started power sanding, mostly on stubborn spots. I use a battery powered dewalt drill, BUT whew it’s a battery drainer. I’ve been thinking of going to the corded route, and recently watch a video of @Emiliano Achaval using a Metabo compact RO sander. Good brand, and seems like good power and a nice angle for sanding. Also, I like that it’s good for the occasional flatwork distraction haha.

Is it a public video? Link?

 

[Michael Anderson]

It was on instagram. The following link:

Emiliano Achaval on Instagram: "Sanding tip! The most boring yet most important part of woodturning. Thank you to @turningwood.com_ for the great soft pads and the tips during your demo!! This is a Kou natural edge bowl. #keawoodturningstudio #hawa

229 likes, 3 comments - maui_woodturner on November 11, 2022: "Sanding tip! The most boring yet most important part of woodturning. Thank you to @turningwood.com_ for the great soft pads and the tips..."

www.instagram.com

May or may not work for you. Instagram is weird sometimes.