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Thread: Roto-orbital sander as polisher

  1. #1
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    Roto-orbital sander as polisher

    Hi,

    Either this is a very obvious question or a stupid one.

    But I read at some forum that one could use a roto-orbital sander as a polisher.
    I don't have have a roto-orbital sander, neither a polisher, but I plan to buy both at some point. My current sanders are square and as polisher I use my left arm .

    (I'm going to buy this one: http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-D26451K...6176401&sr=1-1)

    I know a polisher does not have a very high speed. I understand a roto-orbital sander it's fast. But I'm not sure how much.
    Besides the sander has that mechanism to vaccum the dust, which would become blocked with a wool pad.

    What do you think? Is it possible?

  2. #2
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    Festool has a video showing how their sanders can take a piece of rough wood to a fine shine by going through grit steps all the way to to a buffing head. I don't know why you couldn't do that with another brand of sander.

  3. #3
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    Hi,

    Thanks for your response.

    I made a little research and found out that Sander which are feature as Polisher too, have a Variable Speed control.

    Like this one:
    http://www.boschtools.com/Products/T...x?pid=3725DEVS

    Also, I read that high speed rotation tools might simply burn the finish and than lower rotation rates are needed for polishing.

    So, well, I think that's the catch. If you are able to slow down the rotation then you can use it as polisher, too, and that's it.

  4. #4
    My first ros (20 years ago) was a Bosch. It came with a polishing bonnet ...it was variable speed.

  5. #5
    Wood Magazine had an article a month or two ago about doing this. You can do it with a ROS. The key is using the right polishing compound and a buffing pad.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Prashun Patel View Post
    Wood Magazine had an article a month or two ago about doing this. You can do it with a ROS. The key is using the right polishing compound and a buffing pad.
    Ayup.

    I think I read the same article.

    I'm fortunate enough, though, to have scored a refurb'd P-C dual-action polisher (that I use to polish the cars, 2x/yr).

    I haven't used it on furniture projects ... yet ... but probably will.

  7. #7
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    A P-C 7455 5" right angle ROS doesn't work to polish metal, it doesn't rotate fast enough. It will buff wax okay.

  8. #8
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    I have a PC right angle ROS. From what I understand, the only difference between the sander and polisher is the pad and counterweight. The motor is the same.

    John

  9. #9
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    PC ROS stop rotating when enough pressure is applied to them. You really don't have to push down hard at all to cause that to occur.

    What you really want (and what's become very popular in car detailing circles) is a ROS with forced rotation. The Flex XC 3401 is awesome for car polishing (safer than a rotary sander, but can obtain a similar finish.) No matter how hard you push on it, it's geared rotation will continue rotating. Well balanced too.

    I've never tried mine on wood, though, as the thought of a wood chip destroying the paint on one of my cars prevents me.

    I'm often surprised when polishing compound is suggested in the woodworking magazines for polishing wood. That's a very coarse compound, only used on cars whose paint is essentially trashed.

    Any of the microparticle polishes which are state of the art for cars now, have much smaller particles, and, I would assume, would produce a much smoother, lustrous finish. Again, I've never tried this on wood. I keep meaning too, but I don't want to risk ruining my cars.
    Last edited by Alan Lightstone; 10-04-2010 at 9:34 PM.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alan Lightstone View Post
    PC ROS stop rotating when enough pressure is applied to them. You really don't have to push down hard at all to cause that to occur.
    Very true. I never found using a ROS for this was the most effective method. However, my Festool Rotex in rotary mode does work well for this. Other tools that also use the "forced" rotation that Alan described would also be better suite than a ROS.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alan Lightstone View Post
    I'm often surprised when polishing compound is suggested in the woodworking magazines for polishing wood. That's a very coarse compound, only used on cars whose paint is essentially trashed.
    In the automotive world, I think what you're describing is FAR more true of rubbing compound than it is of polishing compound.

  12. #12
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    I agree, but they are both far more abrasive than true polishes. I may be getting caught up in the syntax, however.

  13. #13
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    The Porter Cable unit is very popular with car people. I purchased one on close out at Lowe's for woodworking that came with the polisher kit.

    http://www.autogeek.net/hk7424.html

    "Remember back in the day, when things were made by hand, and people took pride in their work?"
    - Rick Dale

  14. #14
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    The Porter Cable is far more popular than the Flex with car people. I own both it and a Flex. Part of that is cost (the PC is far cheaper), and it's been around forever.

    Once you use the Flex, the Porter Cable sits in the closet (except for putting on sealant, because it's lighter than the Flex, and power is irrelevant for that.) It's more effective (about as effective as a rotary, but with much less risk of burning the paint -- or in this case wood.)

    If I had to use one of these for woodworking, it would be a no-brainer for me to use the Flex. It's just better technology. They work in different ways. Forced, geared rotation is far more effective.

    That being said, I've not used it for that (though I've detailed a zillion cars with it), so I'm not an expert on this use.

  15. #15
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    I just polished a repaint on my truck's hard tonneau lid this weekend using the Porter Cable polisher that Dave shows in his post above.

    The machine was able to polish the finish after wet sanding with 2000 grit. Automotive urethane is very hard. First came the compound, then the polish, and completed with a hand glaze. The PC is slower than the usual right angle polishing wheel, but it is also more forgiving as burn marks are not an issue.

    I bought my PC as a polisher. I'm not sure if the eccentric is the same as the sander version. I used it with Lake Country sponge wheels. They come in various coarseness. I've also used it for general polishing of tired automotive finishes with very good result.

    I have an old Bosch random orbital sander that came with polishing bonnets. It works OK for very light polishing, but it was much less capable than the PC and not up to the job to restoring old finishes.

    Hope this helps,
    Jeff
    Thank goodness for SMC and wood dough.

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