New Festool Owner

[Dionysus480]

OK - the slide into Green as started...  I previously had acquired a TS55R used for a good price.  I have now added a RO125 and CT26 to the collection. 

I've built some simple shop cabinets, including a combination outfeed table / torsion box assembly table and a chop saw station.

Up until now I have used 1/2 baltic birch plywood for my drawer boxes, with through dovetails for joinery (yeah - I have serious domino lust.) I've also been using primarily oak for face frames, doors, and drawer faces for durability. Cheap plywood for cabinet carcass and MDF for raised panels (basically to learn techniques I want to apply later.)

I'm ready to start doing things like building my kids some beds, some end tables for the soft, and a TV center. Yeah - I know thats a long to do list for the amount of free time I have, but heck, as long as I'm enjoying it...

So my questions.

When would I use my RO125 in aggressive mode as opposed to using a coarser grit?  I have no belt sander - so I went for the RO for both coarser jobs as well as finish.  Don't tell the wife but I already realize I'll need a detail sander as well.

What grits are recommended for each "mode"?  Should I be using aggressive mode with 150 or only reserve it for 80 grit or lower?

I guess I'm looking for guidance from experienced folks on how to best use the different modes.

Beds are the next project, and I'm thinking maple.  So perhaps there is a difference with whether I'm working with ply, softwood or hardwood?

 

[Sparktrician]

You would want to use the RO 125 in Rotex (aggressive) mode when you want to reduce stock quickly and in RO mode when you want to get closer to a finish that is ready for paint or stain.  Used in Rotex mode with coarser grits (P40 through P120), you'll find that it can eat material quickly.  Granat is probably the best abrasive for universal use, regardless of grit.  The best thing to do is experiment with scraps to find the best solution to your situation. Be sure, too, to turn down the suction on your CT 26 to about 1/3 power to avoid having the suction try to embed the abrasive in the material.  Also, hold the RO 125 by the Plug-It connector and hose connection rather than by the grip.  You'll find that it will be easier to balance the sander.  Let the tool do the work.  Don't put a lot of weight on the sander's head.  Light finger pressure should work fine.  Also, wipe down the material being sanded when you change to a finer grit to remove all traces of the former, coarser grit before starting to use the finer grit.  Good luck building beds for the residential terrorists! 

 

[semenza]

  Use the aggressive mode for rapid stripping, wood removal and glue removal. The hard pad is also helpful for those tasks.  If the surface is going to be sanded for finish, back up one grit switch to random orbit and then continue through the grits in random orbit. When switching modes you really need to make sure you take out the aggressive swirls before getting to a finer grit.  EX- aggressive to remove a glue line with maybe 100gr. Switch to random orbit and back up to 80gr (or at least re-sand  with 100gr) before moving to 120gr.

    The grit selection will have more to do with the task than the mode. But generally the aggressive (except polishing) would be used in conjunction with lower grits because the task is usually removal of some kind.

Seth

 

[fdengel]

Just fair warning that combining a hard pad with a coarse grit of an aggressive abrasive (like cristal, saphir, etc.) and running in rotex mode can remove material from wood almost uncontrollably fast sometimes.  You need to be careful with that combination that you watch where you are at - it can turn blocks of wood into sawdust rather quickly - and that block of wood won't be coming back!  As with any other unfamiliar tool or technique, practice on scraps or on something that doesn't matter to get a feel for what it can do before trying it on something important.

As others have mentioned - turn dust extraction down significantly if you are sanding on a full sheet / surface; you may want to leave it higher if sanding against an edge too small for the sanding pad to be mostly covered.

 

[Dionysus480]

Thanks guys. I appreciate it. I can tell you I was probably pushing to hard and I'll definitely try changing my grip around. I also probably should use Aggressive mode to turn something into sawdust just to practice.
I was sanding drawer boxes last night and was thrilled with the results and the speed. I think my local vendor carries Rubin 2. I'll have to see about trying Granat at some point.

I've been considering picking up something to give some buffing and polishing capabilities. Do you have specific recommendations.  It would be to buff out finishes on wood projects. I don't do automotive.

 

[leakyroof]

Thanks guys. I appreciate it. I can tell you I was probably pushing to hard and I'll definitely try changing my grip around. I also probably should use Aggressive mode to turn something into sawdust just to practice.
I was sanding drawer boxes last night and was thrilled with the results and the speed. I think my local vendor carries Rubin 2. I'll have to see about trying Granat at some point.

I've been considering picking up something to give some buffing and polishing capabilities. Do you have specific recommendations.  It would be to buff out finishes on wood projects. I don't do automotive.

  On the polishing front, Festool and others sell 6"/150mm pads that fit the Rotex and work well. With Festool, your choices depend on what you're doing. For many people, they use Platin abrasive to rub out a finish and increase the shine or gloss level.  You can also use the polishing pads, Orange is the all-around pad, and various finer pads are sold in either Honeycomb style for flexibilty around curves and shapes, or flat/foam for regular work.
  Adding to what Seth said about Rotex mode, then RO mode with the same grit. That's how I've been trying it recently. Don't switch your abrasive to a higher grit straight out of Rotex mode to get rid of the marks that the Rotex mode sanding will leave.'
Instead, just flick the mode button over and sand as much of the visible Rotex marks out in RO mode, then go up one grit higher in RO mode as need.  For me, it seems to work better than moving to a higher grit right after sanding in Rotex, and watch your efforts struggle to remove the Rotex 'curls' while in Random Orbit Mode.
  I use Saphir for rough sanding if needed, but you really need to watch that as a softwood can be eaten up easily with either a Rotex or the RAS 115 sander without much pressure at all.... [embarassed] [embarassed] [embarassed] Ahem..... [embarassed]