Difference in final wood, 3.6mm vs. 2.0mm stroke

[JSands]

I use the Rotex 125.    I was thinking of adding the 125 EQ, as I know its easier to handle and most of my work is finish work.... plus,  I can share abrasives....

But what is the difference between the two sanders when Rotex used in fine mode.... it appears just the stroke pattern, 3.6  vs 2.0mm.... will this be noticeable in the finished product? 

Since I don't go vertical or over head, the weight issue is not a big deal for me....  am I missing any other benefits of adding the 125 EQ?   

 

[Kevin Stricker]

For me the big difference is in the time to get sanding done.  When sanding between coats the ETS 125 is perfect as it will not burn through as easily as the RO 125. For general sanding of raw wood the 2mm stroke is pretty inefficient.  I think you will see a difference in the final result as the ETS is less likely to leave swirl marks or dips than the RO125 just because of the general ergonomics of the sander, the ETS being easier to control and keep flat to the workpiece.  That improvement in finish is going to cost you by doubling the sanding time.

If time is not super important then it is a great addition to your sanding arsenal.  Just make sure that if you use the RO in orbital mode you follow up in RO mode for each grit and take it to at least 120 in both before switching to the ETS at 120 and above.  Skipping this step will most likely result in unsatisfactory  results, especially on softwoods.

 

[Brice Burrell]

You won't see any difference in the finished surface. 

 

[mouppe]

I have both, and use both. They are different, and I like having both. I don't think there is a noticeable difference in the finished product, but I seem to get to the finish line quicker if I switch over to the ETS at 220 grit and higher. (I then switch back to the geared rotex mode on the RO125 for polishing.)

As previously mentioned, the ETS 125 is excellent for sanding between coats and only requires one hand to control it.

Go for it I say.

 

[JSands]

>  When sanding between coats the ETS 125 is perfect as it will not burn through as easily as the RO 125.

                           What paper / grits do you use to sand between coats?    I might try this...I hand sand with clear type coats, just to rough the surface, so next coat has something to bite into... is this what you are referrring to?   Maybe I mis understood?    

This might be an interesting application for the ETS 125 EQ vs. RO 125.    The previous poster mentioned what I suspected, for wood sanding, no difference in final product between these two small strokes...

 

 

[mouppe]

>  When sanding between coats the ETS 125 is perfect as it will not burn through as easily as the RO 125.

                            What paper / grits do you use to sand between coats?    I might try this...I hand sand with clear type coats, just to rough the surface, so next coat has something to bite into... is this what you are referrring to?  Maybe I mis understood?   

This might be an interesting application for the ETS 125 EQ vs. RO 125.    The previous poster mentioned what I suspected, for wood sanding, no difference in final product between these two small strokes...

 

320 or 400 brilliant, and then Platin for the final stages. At this point, I am sanding the finish, not the wood though. I can't think of a time when I sanded the wood past 320 grit. I really like the ETS for sanding the finish, as it's lighter and gentler than the Rotex.

 

[JSands]

Richard, thx for response...

most of my finishes are Poly, or some version of pure Poly....
I typically use 600 grit by hand to rough up between coats....
then for final I use 0000 steel wool by hand, for a glass-like finish.
Very happy with results, although my fingers and hands aren't too happy with the method  :-(

If I bought the 125 ETS, can I duplicate this process, if so, what grit duplicates 0000 steel wool ?

Also, at $4.25 per Platin pad, the steel wool sure is cost effective.... can you adapt steel wool to be used on bottom of sanders?

 

[mouppe]

Richard, thx for response...

most of my finishes are Poly, or some version of pure Poly....
I typically use 600 grit by hand to rough up between coats....
then for final I use 0000 steel wool by hand, for a glass-like finish.
Very happy with results, although my fingers and hands aren't too happy with the method  :-(

If I bought the 125 ETS, can I duplicate this process, if so, what grit duplicates 0000 steel wool ?

Also, at $4.25 per Platin pad, the steel wool sure is cost effective.... can you adapt steel wool to be used on bottom of sanders?

I am not very experienced with poly as I mainly use oil finishes, shellac and wax. I also steer clear of steel wool as I have found that with some woods and finishes- I had a bad time with shellac and walnut once!- it can cause me more problems than not. I use platin 1000 instead of steel wool, and sometimes go even higher. Because platin has a spongy backing pad, you can use it freehand and there are no steel fibres left behind. I have also used my ets 125 with a platin pad instead of steel wool and that works well too. Just turn the speed down a little and switch off the dust extraction if you want to fill the pores.

P.S. Cost-wise the platin pads last for decades. I have never thrown one out yet!

 

[JSands]

>  P.S. Cost-wise the platin pads last for decades. I have never thrown one out yet!

                  ahhhh, thanks for that final contribution Richard, it made your entire post sweet....was getting nervous I would go through $40 in pads for small final finishing job 

Now I might go with the 150/3 ETS, since it covers more area, can work faster.... and it appears even for this final "polishing" of poly, the difference in 2mm vs. 3mm stroke (125/2 vs 150/3) seems to be non-issue... I am excited about putting the steel wool away for good.... the 0000 steel wool is like fiberglass, you never get rid of it all....including in your clothes... I can only hope the Platin 2k leaves an equal glass-like finish....