RAS115 and Appropriate Abrasives

[gsdvorak]

I'm looking to get the RAS115 to do some scribing and coping, and maybe try my hand at doing some sculpting.  For those of you who have used this tool for this purpose, any recommendations on which abrasives/pads to use?  Doing a search found that a hard pad was recommended but not sure which abrasives and grits to pair it with for these purposes.

Appreciate any advice!

Regards,
Gerald

 

[DrD]

If I recall, Halfinchshy posted several videos on using his RAS to sculpt drawer fronts for a chest; his videos are some of the best out there.  Google Halfinchshy videos; he also has a blog.

 

[AlexThePalex]

The RAS is a great sander for many tasks including scribing. The hard pad is best for shaping wood.

Get the RAS while you still can, I noticed is vanished quietly from all European Festool websites.

 

[Ajax]

The RAS is a great sander for many tasks including scribing. The hard pad is best for shaping wood.

Get the RAS while you still can, I noticed is vanished quietly from all European Festool websites.

RAS going away?  No way?

I love mine.

 

[deepcreek]

You want the Festool 485298 RAS 115 Fiberfix Sanding Pad.

Use standard 4-1/2" abrasive sanding discs.

I like Bosch GS450 50-grit for scribing.

 

[ear3]

All of the Festool abrasives for the RAS are pretty durable, but the saphir at the lower grits is definitely the most aggressive for the initial stages of sculpting.

One note when sculpting, because the RAS is so aggressive in any grit, I find it helpful to switch over to the 100 grit rubin for the final touches (before I move to a normal sander), you can still get pretty good stock removal with that grit, but it will leave the surface fairly smooth so you can move over to using 80 or 100 grit sandpaper right away with the normal sander.  For coping moulding, you can get away with using the 80 or 100 for most types of work as well.

 

[gsdvorak]

Thanks everyone for the responses!  Looks like it's time to get a RAS.

Regards,
Gerald

 

[leakyroof]

All of the Festool abrasives for the RAS are pretty durable, but the saphir at the lower grits is definitely the most aggressive for the initial stages of sculpting.

One note when sculpting, because the RAS is so aggressive in any grit, I find it helpful to switch over to the 100 grit rubin for the final touches (before I move to a normal sander), you can still get pretty good stock removal with that grit, but it will leave the surface fairly smooth so you can move over to using 80 or 100 grit sandpaper right away with the normal sander.  For coping moulding, you can get away with using the 80 or 100 for most types of work as well.

.  This....^^^^^^. And I don't even scribe with mine much.... [big grin]