Abrasives for my new Sander

[Belle City Woodworking]

Hi,

I have been using a Bosch 6" ROS and have NEVER been satisfied with the finished results, so I took the plunge and purchased a Festool 575074 Rotex RO 150 FEQ Dual-Mode Sander, my question is, what products should I purchase to go with this sander that will help me to get the best results?  I am looking for suggestions on paper, recommended grits, bonnets, pads etc.... 

Thank you!
John

 

[ChiknNutz]

I have both Rubin and Granat in grits ranging from 40 to 220.  For rough work and semi finish work, the Rotex is fantastic, but you may not be satisfied with it as a finish sander.  That's why I also ended up with an ETS as well.

 

[Alanbach]

I use Granat almost exclusively with a smattering of Rubin. I also added the hard pad as well as the extra soft pad. I have a few interface pads that I use for sanding rounded over edges and odd shapes. I make some end grain cutting boards as well as some Corian cutting boards so I have grits from 40 up to 1500 plus a little Platin in 4000. So I invested in two Systainers to store my assortment. It is a somewhat expensive luxury but with all of those sandpaper boxes filling my cabinets it is more space efficient and very convenient.

 

[RustE]

Rubin for soft woods that are unfinished. Granat for hardwoods and finishes. Arguably, using Grant all-around would be fine too.

Festool Nirvana (dealer) does custom assortments, which is a good starting point without committing to large quantities.

 

[xedos]

What are you typically finishing and what paper/grits were you using with the Bosch?

The RO150 really isn’t a finishing sander and I’m guessing you won’t be happy with it or the results as such either.

If you’re going to give it a go though, I also recommend Granat from Nirvana.  80 thru 320 grit should give you what you need for most projects.

 

[Belle City Woodworking]

I use Granat almost exclusively with a smattering of Rubin. I also added the hard pad as well as the extra soft pad. I have a few interface pads that I use for sanding rounded over edges and odd shapes. I make some end grain cutting boards as well as some Corian cutting boards so I have grits from 40 up to 1500 plus a little Platin in 4000. So I invested in two Systainers to store my assortment. It is a somewhat expensive luxury but with all of those sandpaper boxes filling my cabinets it is more space efficient and very convenient.

Thank you Alan!

 

[ear3]

Go Granat all the way if you can.  RO150 also acts as a great polisher, so you might look into getting the smaller green polishing pad.  For oil finishes the Rotex is great outfitted with the green and white vlies mesh pads, though you don't necessarily need the Rotex to do a good oil finish.

Interface pads are good to have around as well for any curves and roundovers you might encounter in your work.

In terms of the Rotex as a finishing sander, I don't think you'll notice a difference between it and the ETS(EC) up to 320 -- it's when you go 400 and north that you would get a consistently better finish with the ETS sanders.

 

[Belle City Woodworking]

Rubin for soft woods that are unfinished. Granat for hardwoods and finishes. Arguably, using Grant all-around would be fine too.

Festool Nirvana (dealer) does custom assortments, which is a good starting point without committing to large quantities.

Thank you Russ!

 

[Belle City Woodworking]

What are you typically finishing and what paper/grits were you using with the Bosch?

The RO150 really isn’t a finishing sander and I’m guessing you won’t be happy with it or the results as such either.

If you’re going to give it a go though, I also recommend Granat from Nirvana.  80 thru 320 grit should give you what you need for most projects.

Usually I am working with unfinished wood.  Mostly tabletops and small shaker style pieces.  No matter how hard I tried and how careful I was I could not get a swirl-free finish with that sander.  I switched to a belt sander on this project:

What is the best finishing sander that Festool offers?

John

 

[RustE]

...
What is the best finishing sander that Festool offers?
...

The ETS150/3 is a good choice in 150mm size. Also would be a nice companion to the RO150 because both use the same abrasives.

 

[Belle City Woodworking]

...
What is the best finishing sander that Festool offers?
...

The ETS150/3 is a good choice in 150mm size. Also would be a nice companion to the RO150 because both use the same abrasives.

Thank you so much Russ!!!

 

[Alanbach]

As far as a finish sander to couple with your Rotex and utilize the same sandpaper I would suggest that, if possible, you go to a Festool dealer where you can try an ETS 150/3 vs an ETS EC 150/3. The ETS is not brushless, it is a bit taller than the EC (and therefore has a little different feel). The ETS EC is the brushless model, it is shorter and IMO more comfortable in the hand, it is also more powerful that the ETS. It is also more money. The third choice in a round 6” pad is the ETS 150/5 or the ETS EC 150/5 but since you already have a Rotex with a 5mm orbit I’m not sure that is a great way to go right off the bat.

I LOVE my ETS EC. I own five Festool sanders (including a Rotex) and the ETS EC is the go to first pick for me.

 

[Belle City Woodworking]

As far as a finish sander to couple with your Rotex and utilize the same sandpaper I would suggest that, if possible, you go to a Festool dealer where you can try an ETS 150/3 vs an ETS EC 150/3. The ETS is not brushless, it is a bit taller than the EC (and therefore has a little different feel). The ETS EC is the brushless model, it is shorter and IMO more comfortable in the hand, it is also more powerful that the ETS. It is also more money. The third choice in a round 6” pad is the ETS 150/5 or the ETS EC 150/5 but since you already have a Rotex with a 5mm orbit I’m not sure that is a great way to go right off the bat.

I LOVE my ETS EC. I own five Festool sanders (including a Rotex) and the ETS EC is the go to first pick for me.

Thank you for the response Alan!

John

 

[Cheese]

As far as a finish sander to couple with your Rotex and utilize the same sandpaper I would suggest that, if possible, you go to a Festool dealer where you can try an ETS 150/3 vs an ETS EC 150/3. The ETS is not brushless, it is a bit taller than the EC (and therefore has a little different feel). The ETS EC is the brushless model, it is shorter and IMO more comfortable in the hand, it is also more powerful that the ETS. It is also more money.

I LOVE my ETS EC. I own five Festool sanders (including a Rotex) and the ETS EC is the go to first pick for me.

Two other differences between the ETS and the ETS  EC models is that the EC models are not only shorter but also lighter by almost 1.5#.

Also the EC model will not accept a dust bag because it doesn't have an internal impeller. It was removed to reduce the height. It always needs to be hooked up to a vac.

I also love my ETS EC 125 because I can use it with a 150 mm pad. It and the ETSC cordless sander are always sitting out at the ready. The Rotex now resides in a Systainer.