Abrasive Paper for Rotex RO90

[Woodmatt]

Hi All

I am currently renovating an old barn and have decided to invest in a Rotex RO90.Can member suggest the different abrasive paper to order with the machine.I will be sanding unpainted old pine beams which will be left bare timber, painted pine lintels again to be left raw timber and painted softwood window frames for re finishing.

Thanks in advance

Matthew

 

[skids]

Hi All

I am currently renovating an old barn and have decided to invest in a Rotex RO90.Can member suggest the different abrasive paper to order with the machine.I will be sanding unpainted old pine beams which will be left bare timber, painted pine lintels again to be left raw timber and painted softwood window frames for re finishing.

Thanks in advance

Matthew

How large are these beams? When I think barn and beams I think too large for an RO90..The windows etc it makes more sense. I wonder if you need an RO125 or 150 as well

 

[Tinker]

I have a friend who is using the RO 90 for doing stairs, beams and pannels in a 200+ year old house.  He is thinking of going to a RO 150 or even something that will hog off material much faster that with the 90.

I have the RO 150 and even that is a lot of work if hogging off materials over a very large area.  I am pretty sure oothers will chime in here about experiences with other Festoys that would do better on those beams.  If there is a lot of softwood, i am not sure which of the sanders wood be best for you so I won't recommend other thna i think you will want something bigger for the larger areas.  The 90 will work ok, I think, for the window trim. 
Tinker

 

[Woodmatt]

I would'nt say we would be taking of large amounts of material particularly on the beams which are about 7"x2.5" its more of a tidying up job with the beams .Also this is a job my wife wants to do (am I lucky or what) so we are trying to find a compromise between capability and weight.

Matthew

 

[ccarrolladams]

My business is custom cabinet making, so my experience might not help your choice. I own all the current Festool sanders, especially the RO 90 DX.

Since Festool brought their Granat abrasives to the USA this has become our standard. Friends of mine I trust use coarse grits of Granat with the RO 90 DX for preparing rough lumber. In my shop we mill all of our own solid lumber, so our jointers, thickness planers and multi-head molders render our lumber to final size. We sand such lumber only to remove glaze to make finishing better, meaning we use a lot of 100 and 120 grit, all Granat.

 

[AlexThePalex]

The RO 90 is a mighty small tool to do an entire barn. An ETS 150 or Ro 150 springs to mind. The Ro 150 is bit of a handfull for the average lady, but they should have no problem with an ETS 150.

As for abrasives, Rubin is the best for bare wood, in grits around 80 grit. Granat and Brilliant will do just fine to.

 

[Birdhunter]

I have the ETS 125, RO 90, and RO 125.

From what you are describing, the RO 90 will be too small unless you have unlimited time for the job.

The RO 125 would be a lot better and, if you can handle the cost and weight, I'd opt for an even larger RO unit.

 

[Stone Message]

Hi Matthew

You asked about the right sanding sheets...

I have the Rotex 90 and tackle some quite large areas with it. I use Rubin 2 for general wood tasks between 80 and 180 grit. I think Granat is amazing and will get more when I am next in the shop - it is particularly good for rough work say 40 - 80 grit but is also good at 120. I now use Brilliant 2 for the fine stuff and have 180-400. For the task that you describe I would be tempted to use Granat for the rough work, then Rubin 2 at 120 and brilliant beyond if you need it.

I will be doing a new sanding video soon and will be covering rough oak sanding.

Peter

 

[Nigel]

I have both the 90 and 150 and for anything overhead would choose the 90 which is capable of removing a lot of material quickly and can be used like this all day. In contrast the 150 rapidly becomes tiring and you have to stop frequently for rests - before I got the 90 I used the 150 all the time. The 90 is also ideal for window frames etc.

I reckon you have made the right choice as the 90 is a fantastic sander and packs a punch far beyond it's size.

I'd go with granat for your beam job.

 

[Motown]

I recently used my RO90 for striping old paint off of a 1890's Victorian (siding, windows and original garage door) and I would suggest Granat 40 grit. The Granat paper is a bit more expensive but worth it. You'll be pleasantly surprised how long each sheet lasts. 

 

[Woodmatt]

Thankyou everyone for your replies and advice. I have now ordered the RO90.I appreciate some of you suggested it may be to small for such a job but we have plenty of time for carrying out the work and we are rather concerned about the weight of the larger machines.I have also ordered many of the different abrasives suggested.
Thank you again.

Matthew