RO150, Granat and scratch marks

[andy5405]

I've switched to Granat recently and find it an awesome sandpaper for a wide variety of tasks but I'm not so convinced with oak worktops. It seems quite aggressive with scratch marks which I'm finding hard to remove as I work through the grits. I've been sanding some oak tops today which are particularly hard. I started with 80 grit Granat in geared mode, then random orbit, then 120 geared followed by random orbit. Normally that is fine and I would go to 180 to finish.

However these particular tops are proving really labour intensive. The 80 grit has really scratched badly and I wish I had started with 120 now as I could spend hours tomorrow removing the scratches to get a finish. My only alternative paper currently is Abranet and that isn't helping too much either.

Would I be better off having some Rubin2 or Brilliant for hardwood tops? I have read as I was searching through threads on here that Granat is known for scratching more than other papers.

Any advic would be greatly appreciated.

 

[bobfog]

Mirka Abranet paper. The sliced bread of sanding.

 

[Peter_C]

You are moving up grits too early. Are you pressing too hard in Rotex mode with the 80 grit by chance? Another thing to try might be to put a fresh piece of 80 grit on and sand only in orbital mode before switching to 120 grit.

Side note, make sure to clean the surface when changing grits too.

 

[rvieceli]

Oak can also be very open pored. So there may be some coarser grit getting stuck in the pores and the popped out to screw up your higher grit work.

 

[Jonnio]

Hi Id try doing all the grits in geared mode to say 180 maybe adding a 100 and/or150 in the sequence, this should reduced the geared mode scratches to a minimum for the random mode to cope with. Then say random mode from 120 to 180.
Oak can be quite unforgiving!

 

[andy5405]

I think the problem is that this particular batch of oak is highlighting flaws in my sanding process that I got away with on other tops. If weight has anything to do with quality and hardness in oak then this is a particularly hard and heavy sample. I had 2 x 4000x600 and 1 x 2000x600 tops and even the 2 metre was a struggle to lift. The 4 metre tops were the heaviset I can remember lifting for a long time.

The good news is that I'm learning a lot more about my sander as a result. I think I have been pressing too hard in geared mode with the 80 grit as suggested and that is where I introduced all the problems. I have also always skipped grits up until now and that has been fine but I may need to buy some 100 and 150 grit.

I'm going to experiment today and see what I come up with. I might also use this as an excuse to invest in my 2nd Festool sander........ 

 

[Holmz]

Will the second Festool sander be the ETS EC?

 

[sancho57]

 

[sancho57]

heres the video I was originally looking for
http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-how-to/swirl-free-finishes-with-festool-sanders/

 

[andy5405]

I came up with two solutions in the end. I bought some Brilliant, which was the only available alternative in 10 packs at my local dealer. That actually worked much better than the Granat, it did the job without being quite so harsh on the surface. I also made sure that I kept the surface extremely clean and regularly brushed it down as I sanded.

I also bought a 2nd sander which was not necessarily the obvious choice for this particular task but will get a lot of use in other parts of my work. I'm now the proud owner of an RTS400. It did a great job using 80 and 120 grit Brilliant and I was surprised at how little time it took to get a finish. The total surface area was 5 square metres and it wasn't in any way a laborious task. I can only echo the thoughts of so many others on here and say that Festool makes sanding an enjoyable task.

I also tried out the RTS on sanding a door that was painted really badly and sanding Easifill where I have made good where the tiles have been removed from worktop height to under the cabinets. It excelled on both tasks and again the material removal rate was incredible for such a compact sander. Sanding round electrical sockets with a Rotex 150 is possible but it is so much easier with the RTS400!

So there was a time when I thought people had taken leave of their senses spending £400 on a Rotex and I eventually succumbed with no regrets. £250 could also be considered a lot of money for a palm sander but I don't regret spending a single penny of that money. I told some friends in the pub last night what I had bought and knowing my Festool habit they asked the obvious question about cost. They were astounded and I just said that Festool sander prices make no sense until you use them. Then everything becomes clear.

 

[fdengel]

I came up with two solutions in the end. I bought some Brilliant, which was the only available alternative in 10 packs at my local dealer. That actually worked much better than the Granat, it did the job without being quite so harsh on the surface. I also made sure that I kept the surface extremely clean and regularly brushed it down as I sanded.

And in spite of such things, it is the Brilliant they opted to discontinue, is it not?

 

[tiralie]

And in spite of such things, it is the Brilliant they opted to discontinue, is it not?

Yes, unfortunately.
There is probably some retailer with some old stock around.
I really like the fine grits 320-400 for finishing. Abranet discs work well too and they are available in 5" and 6".
Tim

 

[GarryMartin]

I've heard that the Sia 1950 SiaSpeed FiboTec sanding discs are something special too but haven't got hold of any to try yet.

 

[tiralie]

I also bought a 2nd sander which was not necessarily the obvious choice for this particular task but will get a lot of use in other parts of my work. I'm now the proud owner of an RTS400. It did a great job using 80 and 120 grit Brilliant and I was surprised at how little time it took to get a finish. The total surface area was 5 square metres and it wasn't in any way a laborious task. I can only echo the thoughts of so many others on here and say that Festool makes sanding an enjoyable task.

I agree, Festool makes sanding more enjoyable than the alternative.
Was it white Oak you were originally sanding?
I really like the European white oak I have worked with. Very hard, dense and heavy.
If someone wanted a top for their kitchen I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. it really is a much better solution than maple.
Tim

 

[leakyroof]

And in spite of such things, it is the Brilliant they opted to discontinue, is it not?

Yes, unfortunately.
There is probably some retailer with some old stock around.
I really like the fine grits 320-400 for finishing. Abranet discs work well too and they are available in 5" and 6".
Tim

  You know, there are going to be some sighs of 'farewell' when the last of Brilliant 2 goes away.  For the longest time, it was my 'Granat' paper when first starting to use Festool Sanders.  It did everything for me...  [jawdrop]
Granted, it WAS the wrong abrasive for some tasks, but, it did work for me until I branched out with other Abrasives... [smile]