minimal said:
The RAS 115 looks an awful lot like an angle grinder; I also see in the current catalog that there is a "FiberFix sanding pad with arbor for grinding disks" listed in the catalog.
But I see no grinding disks themselves.
Does anyone know what grinding disks it accepts, and has anyone used this for metalwork? I need something that will clean up steel after being cut/worked with a torch...
Good question! The entry in the US catalogue for RAS115 accessories looks like this:
Note how there are hard and soft StickFix hook and loop pads (484172 and 484173) and a FibreFix pad "with arbor for grinding discs" (485298).
Festool have tried to explain the difference in their
FAQ database:
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Question :
What is the difference between the FiberFix and the StickFix sanding pad for the RAS 115?
Answer :
The StickFix pad accepts hook and loop sanding discs. The FiberFix pad has an arbor to attach grinding discs.
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At first sight it appears that we can attach grinding disks to the RAS115, but there's a catch! If we look at the US version of the
RAS 115 official manual, we get this list of list of speeds for different materials and a warning:
This warning, in no uncertain terms,
rules out the attachment of metal grinding disks, and the speed chart makes no mention of using the sander on metal. It therefore appears that the US catalogue supplies a grinding attachment, but the US manual prohibits its use on metal.
Exploring a bit further, the UK catalogue has lots more accessories for the RAS115, and UK customers can also get the RAS180, which is larger:
And look - two types of cup brushes and a circular brush - "for removal of rust and slag" and "for paint and rust removal".
There are also two more items of interest:
- Clamping nut SM-M14/D115, For RAS 115, for securing Fiberfix sanding discs, 439581
- Spark trap for dust extractor D 50 FL, For use when sanding materials that generate sparks, 484733
So there are quite a few metal grinding accessories available for customers in the UK! Let's see what the UK manual says:
Notice how it says "Designed for sanding wood, plastics, metal..." and how the speed chart includes "sanding painted metal to remove rust".
In summary, it seems that UK customers are allowed to sand/grind metal, whilst US customers are not. Presumably this was one of the conditions for UL approval for introducing the machine to the US market. I therefore suspect that the inclusion of the "FiberFix sanding pad with arbor for grinding disks" in the US catalogue is only there for users who want to use disks designed for grinding stone and concrete, which is allowed.
Forrest
