Mini electric pistol grip random orbital sander?

[Bruce Perlmutter]

I am looking for a Mini (3" max) electric pistol grip orbital sander. I bought a pneumatic one for a little more than $100 only to find that I needed a much higher capacity compressor to operate it than I cared to purchase. Does an electric model exist? I am primarily a bowl turner and need to sand the inside of my pieces, (on the rare occasion that they need sanding ) Most detail sanders won't reach because the handles are too long. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks,
Bruce

 

[Brian McInturff]

Here is a favorite among turners:
http://www.expresstools.com/Sioux-8000ES-Angle-Drill.aspx

 

[CTutor]

sander

Bruce the Souix/Milwaukee electric sanders are definitely not mini in size nor weight but do work extremely well. To keep them running you should blow them out periodically. I have found that the close quarter drills on sale at Harbor Freight are more handy in that the exhaust ports are out of the dust area, lighter, and seems to be better balanced for sanding. At $30 or so they are disposable. I have a Souix (made by Milwaukee by the way) a Milwaukee and H/F drills. the 55 degree tilt on the Souix/Milwaukees do make them a bit easier to get into bowls but the shorter nose on the H/'F makes them almost comparable for bowl sanding.IMO

 

[Bruce Perlmutter]

Brian and CT,
Thanks guys, I have a cheap version of that drill. What I really want is the orbital action in an electric powered version. Are there attachments that can convert the circular motion to orbital?
B

 

[Owen Lowe]

Bruce the Souix/Milwaukee electric sanders are definitely not mini in size nor weight but do work extremely well. To keep them running you should blow them out periodically. I have found that the close quarter drills on sale at Harbor Freight are more handy in that the exhaust ports are out of the dust area, lighter, and seems to be better balanced for sanding. At $30 or so they are disposable. I have a Souix (made by Milwaukee by the way) a Milwaukee and H/F drills. the 55 degree tilt on the Souix/Milwaukees do make them a bit easier to get into bowls but the shorter nose on the H/'F makes them almost comparable for bowl sanding.IMO

These drills are great products but are not intended as sanders, so you have to do some upkeep.

Earlier this week, I disassembled my 8-10 yr. old Miluakee/Sioux to do my regular maintenance, (which for my use is about once a year). I know it’s time when it sounds a little “growly”. I dig out the dust encrusted grease that surrounds the half-dozen-ish bearings and gears (all-metal, I might add), wipe them down, brush and blow out the housings, regrease and try to remember how the wiring lay around the components.

A few years ago, it was suggested that maybe buying 4 or 5 of the $30 cheapo knockoffs and dedicating a single grit to each would be preferrable to one Sioux. Each of these would get 1/4 or 1/5 of the use of single Sioux, so might be just as cost effective and add efficiency to the sanding process.

As far as a small, electric, random-orbit, I know of no such beast at this time. Metabo makes a 3” sander but the design isn’t the best for steep-walled or undercut bowls. I’ve had one of these for about 6-8 years and it’s great for bowl exteriors and some interior work:http://www.metabo.us/Product-catalog-handheld-powertools.23980+M5e7a35adf8f.0.html

 

[Steve Worcester]

I don't know if I have seen an affordable 3" RO other than the Metabo. I got a polisher and that works the same.

http://thesandingglove.com/Metabo-Random-Orbit-Sander.asp

 

[Lee Tourtelotte]

power sanding bowls

Bruce -- I agree with CTutor -- the Harbor Freight electric sander (non-orbital) has a lighter, better feel than the Milwaukee. I have one of each. I bought the Milwaukee on eBay for $69. & the HF later on for slightly under $30. with discount coupon. Both are very good for power sanding, with the Milwaukee's quality a bit better, but it is heavier & not as comfortable. Hence, I always reach for the HF, which is still going strong on it's 3rd year, with heavy us -- although it has started to growl a bit. When it crashes, I intend to buy another. It also has a keyless chuck, which my Milwaukee does not -- the keyless is so much quicker.

Below is the current price flyer on the Harbor Freight unit. Good Luck!
Lee Tourtelotte
www.mnwoodturners.com



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3/8" Close Quarters Drill With Keyless Chuck

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3/8" Close Quarters Drill With Keyless Chuck
Chicago Electric Power Tools - Item#95877

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Lightweight power drill designed for less hand fatigue during close quarter work

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3/8" Close Quarters Drill
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Product Overview
Description

Using a big drill for less demanding jobs can fatigue your hands and slow down your progress. Grab hold of this 3/8" close quarters power drill with keyless chuck and zip through your drilling job. The magnesium gear housing and rear drill plates are lighter and stronger than aluminum. The head is fixed at 90 degrees. With forward and reverse capability, the 3.2 amp motor generates up to 1500 RPM.
Drilling capabilities: ferrous - 1/4", non-ferrous - 5/16" and wood = 1/2"
Magnesium gear housing and rear drill plates
Lightweight design for less hand fatigue
3.2 amp, variable speed 0-1500 RPMs
90 degree fixed head angle
Forward and reverse
Specifications
Name 3/8" Close Quarters Drill with Keyless Chuck
SKU 95877
Brand Chicago Electric Power Tools
Amperage (amps) 3.2
Maximum speed (rpm) 1500
Chuck size (in.) 3/8 in.
Product Weight 3.9 lbs.
Shipping Weight 4.33 lb.
Warranty 90 Day

 

[Bruce Perlmutter]

The Metabo looks pretty good, but does anyone know if it comes with a 2" disk?
B

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Does anyone have a number for the HF model. Have looked at local store and on stie and do not seem to be able to find it. Found the close quarters, but thought they had one that is 45 degree or so.
Thanks, Gerald

 

[Owen Lowe]

The Metabo looks pretty good, but does anyone know if it comes with a 2" disk?
B

No, just the 3”. You can use interface pads or make your own to go down to 2” but you still have a 3” main body. Even with that limitation, I wouldn’t give up my Metabo. It does a great job where it fits.

 

[odie]

I am looking for a Mini (3" max) electric pistol grip orbital sander. I bought a pneumatic one for a little more than $100 only to find that I needed a much higher capacity compressor to operate it than I cared to purchase. Does an electric model exist? I am primarily a bowl turner and need to sand the inside of my pieces, (on the rare occasion that they need sanding ) Most detail sanders won't reach because the handles are too long. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks,
Bruce

Bruce.......Is the pneumatic sander you have, the Grex 2" random orbital sander?

As far as I know, this is the only one of it's kind on the market. It's angled head and small body is perfect for bowl making. Sanders of all kinds with 90o heads just aren't as maneuverable. If an electric one were available with such a small body and an angled head.....I'd buy it in an instant!

It was this Grex 2" random orbital sander that was a major player in my own decision to upgrade my compressor. The sander, plus nearly $1000 in expense for a compressor with more output and capacity was an expense that was hard to take, but the results I'm getting are golden. That, you can't put a price tag on.

Not all bowls require the RO sander, but those that do are improved immeasurably from an aesthetic standpoint. I usually sand normally, and use the Grex at about 400gt. This effectively eliminates those very small and incredibly frustrating tiny little sanding patterns that destroy a finish when reflected by light in a certain way.

I find the angled head of the Milwaukee and Sioux sanders work great for 99% of the sanding, but the RO is needed to clean up the fine surface on about half of my bowls. (There are other angle head electric sanders that will work just as well, but these are the brands I'm using.)

The problem with pneumatic sanders is the inconvenience of all air tools. Unless you are really careful, oil will eventually transfer from your hand to your bowl.......or, the occasional "spit" of oil from the tool exhaust.

ooc

 

[Brian McInturff]

Odie,
What are the sanding disks in the 3rd pic? Are those a hook n loop variety. You've got a variety of sizes. Nice!

 

[odie]

Odie,
What are the sanding disks in the 3rd pic? Are those a hook n loop variety. You've got a variety of sizes. Nice!

Hello Brian........That photo is probably about 10yrs old! Those are all Merit power-lock disc holders. There are 1", 2", and 3" disc holders in that photo. I almost never use the 1" disc holders, and only occasionally use the 3" holders. For 99% of my sanding, I use the 2" power-lock discs. These days, for a smaller backing pad, I'm trimming down the 2" pads to whatever size applicable to the current task.

For the Grex, I'm using hook and loop discs.......but, when I use those up I currently have on hand, I'm considering changing over to pressure sensitive discs. The reason I say that, is the Grex throws H&L discs off the pad.....and, I end up losing it! Grrrr! :mad:

I wore out that black Sioux sander about five or six years ago......it's toast! Currently using one Sioux, one old style Milwaukee, and one new style Milwaukee.......all in the 1300rpm range.

ooc

 

[Bruce Perlmutter]

Thanks Owen,
I just might have to order one of those.
Bruce

 

[Bruce Perlmutter]

Odie,
That's the one . can't do the $1K for a compressor.
B

 

[Wayne Spence]

RO angle sander

I saw the Grex 105Degree pneumatic ro sander 2" for $135, regular $148, on Amazon. Don't know if that is a good price or not.

Where I hang out we call them air vampires.

 

[odie]

Odie,
That's the one . can't do the $1K for a compressor.
B

Hiya Bruce......Well, I can understand that. I went for better than 20yrs with a Craftsman 2hp 20gal compressor before making the "big plunge"! Still have a pic of the old compressor.....darn near had to give it away to get rid of it, even though it was still working very well. When I used it for the Grex, it ran non-stop. It worked with the Grex, but drove me crazy!

I saw the Grex 105Degree pneumatic ro sander 2" for $135, regular $148, on Amazon. Don't know if that is a good price or not.

Where I hang out we call them air vampires.

"The Sanding Glove" is advertising the Grex for $109.....that's a decent price.

click:
http://thesandingglove.com/GREX-105-Random-Orbit-Sander.asp

Off hand, I forgot the name of the fellow who owns the sanding glove, but I recall that he was a real pleasant fellow to deal with, who is interested in your satisfaction.

ooc

 

[Bill Boehme]

.... Off hand, I forgot the name of the fellow who owns the sanding glove, but I recall that he was a real pleasant fellow to deal with, who is interested in your satisfaction.

ooc

His name is Bruce Hoover. A really nice helpful guy.

 

[Steve Worcester]

His name is Bruce Hoover. A really nice helpful guy.

I bought my Metabo from him. While he is a competitor of mine, he is a nice guy and a straight shooter, there is space for all nice guys in business .
(Sorry this was not intended to be a hijack).

 

[Bill Boehme]

While we're hijacking threads, I 'll add that I have bought a few sheets of sandpaper from Steve too. He is also on my nice guy list.

 

[Bruce Perlmutter]

Odie,
Add to that the fact that I'm working in my basement. So a compressor running nonstop, as well as a dust collector and I'm pretty much driving everyone out of the house. The Metabo might have to do. And of course a hundred of each 3" discs in every grit.
Thanks all for your input.
B

 

[odie]

Odie,
Add to that the fact that I'm working in my basement. So a compressor running nonstop, as well as a dust collector and I'm pretty much driving everyone out of the house. The Metabo might have to do. And of course a hundred of each 3" discs in every grit.
Thanks all for your input.
B

You bet, Bruce........

Since the Metabo appears to be a 90° head, there will be problems with bowl interiors. This can be solved with an extended reach. You may want to see if there is an extension available for it, and if not, it should be easily made yourself. The Metabo is a machine that I've never heard a bad word about, so it probably is as good as it looks!

Good luck in your turning efforts......

ooc

 

[Fred Belknap]

For the Grex, I'm using hook and loop discs.......but, when I use those up I currently have on hand, I'm considering changing over to pressure sensitive discs. The reason I say that, is the Grex throws H&L discs off the pad.....and, I end up losing it! Grrrr!

Odie I had that problem till I found that you can control the speed. I doesn't need to run that fast anyway. Haven't found a way to keep all the oil off hands and work.

 

[Fred Belknap]

For the Grex, I'm using hook and loop discs.......but, when I use those up I currently have on hand, I'm considering changing over to pressure sensitive discs. The reason I say that, is the Grex throws H&L discs off the pad.....and, I end up losing it! Grrrr!

Odie I had that problem till I found that you can control the speed. I doesn't need to run that fast anyway. Haven't found a way to keep all the oil off hands and work.

 

[odie]

For the Grex, I'm using hook and loop discs.......but, when I use those up I currently have on hand, I'm considering changing over to pressure sensitive discs. The reason I say that, is the Grex throws H&L discs off the pad.....and, I end up losing it! Grrrr!

Odie I had that problem till I found that you can control the speed. I doesn't need to run that fast anyway. Haven't found a way to keep all the oil off hands and work.

OK, thanks Fred........

Maybe I'm just uncoordinated! Ha!

(I wonder if I can somehow blame this on old age, as well! )

ooc

 

[James Seyfried]

For the Grex, I'm using hook and loop discs.......but, when I use those up I currently have on hand, I'm considering changing over to pressure sensitive discs. The reason I say that, is the Grex throws H&L discs off the pad.....and, I end up losing it! Grrrr! :mad:

ooc

You might also consider getting disk holder protector pads for the hook and loop disks. I bought a lot of Abranet sanding disks from turningwood.com and they included some. I think they hold better and they do protect the disk holder. The Sanding Glove sells them too.

 

[odie]

You might also consider getting disk holder protector pads for the hook and loop disks. I bought a lot of Abranet sanding disks from turningwood.com and they included some. I think they hold better and they do protect the disk holder. The Sanding Glove sells them too.

Hello James.......

I haven't used one of these disc holder protector pads. Do you use them in between the regular surfaces of the two-part hook and loop discs and holders?

ooc

 

[Steve Worcester]

Admittedly, I don't use the Metabo on bowls, I use it for glass and polishing my spray finishes. It may be kind of heavy for sanding. I am doing some bowls for local Empty Bowls project this week, so I will try it and report back.

The problem with the Grex is it isn't aggressive enough when you want to get material removed in the lower grits. Even at high pressures and full speed, it stops. Requires light pressure. I spent well more than Odie on my compressor because I wanted a quiet one in my 2 car shop (big BelAire 80 gallon Quiet series, real nice if you can afford it, like a capital expense).

 

[Gretch Flo]

Metabo sander

Admittedly, I don't use the Metabo on bowls, it may be kind of heavy for sanding. I am doing some bowls for local Empty Bowls project this week, so I will try it and report back.

It looked like the Metabo is 2.6# (plus cord.) My sander weighs 3 3/4#. The twisting motion on the inside of bowls makes my arthritic fingers burn if I am at it for some time. So I was looking at the Metabo. Now Steve, you say it may be "kind of heavy for sanding". What weight do you use with your compressor?? (A compressor is "out" for me)
Michael (mouse) (where is he??????-haven't heard from him in months) was using the ? pencil like (forgot the name of the style) one. Gretch

 

[James Seyfried]

Hello James.......

I haven't used one of these disc holder protector pads. Do you use them in between the regular surfaces of the two-part hook and loop discs and holders?

ooc

Yes. After using a holder for awhile the velcro starts to wear and eventually looses some gripping. The pads protect the velcro on the holder and cost a lot less to replace. They probably won't help that much on a holder that is already worn out.

 

[Mark Levitski]

Have a look at this one. It's a true 90 degrees, I think, but is highly rated.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002Y1AZE4

 

[Steve Worcester]

Have a look at this one. It's a true 90 degrees, I think, but is highly rated.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002Y1AZE4

Have one of those too. It can be a little more aggressive (in a good sense) than the Metabo.
If you sign up for the Griot's garage email updates, they do some 10% off sales

 

[odie]

Yes. After using a holder for awhile the velcro starts to wear and eventually looses some gripping. The pads protect the velcro on the holder and cost a lot less to replace. They probably won't help that much on a holder that is already worn out.

OK, thanks James.........

I can see they are fairly expensive at around fifteen bucks, but I just wrote it down so that I can get one on my next order with one of the suppliers who carry it. Do these protector pads wear out?

ooc

 

[James Seyfried]

OK, thanks James.........

I can see they are fairly expensive at around fifteen bucks, but I just wrote it down so that I can get one on my next order with one of the suppliers who carry it. Do these protector pads wear out?

ooc

Odie, you are looking at a different product than what I'm talking about. I thought Sanding Glove had them too, but I can't find them now. I do have some of those interface pads and they are nice for changing the density of the sanding disk.

These are the ones I'm talking about: Disc Holder Protective Pad for Abranet 2"

I'm sure they wear out eventually, but I have just about destroyed my two inch soft sanding disk using 5" abernet sanding the interior of vases and the protective pad still holds the sanding disk.

 

[odie]

Odie, you are looking at a different product than what I'm talking about. I thought Sanding Glove had them too, but I can't find them now. I do have some of those interface pads and they are nice for changing the density of the sanding disk.

These are the ones I'm talking about: Disc Holder Protective Pad for Abranet 2"

I'm sure they wear out eventually, but I have just about destroyed my two inch soft sanding disk using 5" abernet sanding the interior of vases and the protective pad still holds the sanding disk.

OK, I must have done something wrong.....$2.25 is better!

It's on the list......will give it a try.

thanks

ooc

 

[Steve Worcester]

Autogeek.net has a 20% off code for New Years (they sell the Griots Garage 3" Random Orbital polisher)
20% Off when you use code NEWYEAR2013
and FREE shipping on all orders over $95!
http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/professional+3+inch+random+orbital.do?sortby=ourPicks
You could use it as a 3" sander.

 

[Brian McInturff]

Steve,
With it being a polisher can it "handle" the duties of a sander and the dust associated with it? You said you own one(I think) so do you use yours as a sander?

 

[Steve Worcester]

Steve,
With it being a polisher can it "handle" the duties of a sander and the dust associated with it? You said you own one(I think) so do you use yours as a sander?

I event tried it as a sander, no.

 

[Steve Worcester]

This weekend I finally got a chance to turn a few bowls (for empty bowls) and tried both the Griots Garage polisher and the Metabo.

Granted they both use a 3" pad native and these were smaller bowls in the 5-8" diameter size, so I used them on the outside. The bowls were from Silver Leaf Maple and quarter-sawn Sycamore and all bone dry.
They both handles about the same, but the Metabo did a better job of not slowing down under pressure, which is interesting because it has a brake on it. That is a rubber pad against the body that under pressure would push the the pad against the body and slow it down so you don't apply too much pressure. The Griot does not but still seemed to bog down a little.
Both have adjustable speed, and with a 3" pad and a 1/2" or 1" pad between, they will seriously distort the pad as it spins if allowed to spin free (not in contact with the wood).
The finish from both was good. Since I historically have less tear out on the outside (and I can also use a shear scraper) I started with 180 grit and it was nice enough finish to not have to go higher. I was also using Mahoney's Oil Finish, so I didn't really feel the need to. Too high of a finish on oil finishes inhibits saturation. But tactually, it felt higher than a 180 grit would give.

The other difference is the Metabo is meant to be a sander, and has a rear dust port, not that I use it here because I have the dust collector running while sanding on the lathe. Metabo did have a shorter cord that the Griots I had, but was also a bit more flexible. The Griots is also heavier, but I don't know if it is appreciably more to contribute to fatigue.
The winner for my money in this application is the Metabo. - This is just my opinion and I did actually buy both of them.

 

[Brian McInturff]

Great review Steve!