RO90

[John Beauchamp]

I bought an RO90 about a month ago to sand face frames, so today I'm making a desk for my grand daughter and start sanding out the faces using my regular methods. After a few minutes I think now why am I not using my new sander so I get it out and set it up. Well I understand now some of the other RO stories about being hard to handle. If you were ever in the service and had to buff floors you might relate to this. My first experience with a floor buffer was not pretty, it had me wrapped up in the cord in about 3 seconds, but the other fellow was able to do this with one hand and not really even paying attention. After a while i found the secret sitting flat with no pressure it just spins lifting up or pushing down on the handle goes left and right while a left or right tilt gives forward and back. Piece of cake now can operate one handed. The rotex is very much like this. Gentle touch keep flat any tilt gives directional movement. A couple minutes practice and now I love it. Hope this helps someone 

 

[snodgrass23]

That sounds like angular momentum / gyroscopic precession possibly causing some confusion with people that have issues with controlling it. I actually have an RO90 getting delivered today, so I'll be curious to try this out.

 

[tbellemare]

With any of the Rotex sanders in random orbital mode, just hold them by the tail to take the weight of the cord and hose off so they can be flat on the work. Let them float and slight changes allow you to "drive" them around the work piece. It takes very little effort.

Tom

 

[andyman]

Used mine for the first time a few days ago had no issues with it, even used it in rotex mode one handed

 

[mike_aa]

With any of the Rotex sanders in random orbital mode, just hold them by the tail to take the weight of the cord and hose off so they can be flat on the work. Let them float and slight changes allow you to "drive" them around the work piece. It takes very little effort.

Tom

Every time I "drive" my RO around the workpiece, I end up taking the scenic route!  [eek]

Tom, I did the same thing while using my RO 150 and it was kind of neat how good your method works.  Thanks for the tip.

Mike A.

 

[SittingElf]

If you were ever in the service and had to buff floors you might relate to this. My first experience with a floor buffer was not pretty, it had me wrapped up in the cord in about 3 seconds, but the other fellow was able to do this with one hand and not really even paying attention.

LOL!!! [big grin]

You just brought back a ton of memories for me!  Basic training, Officer Candidate School, burning Johnson's Paste Wax, cutting up blankets for final buffing, and even small guys sitting on the buffer for deeper stripping!  Oh man....those were the days! [thumbs up]

We got caught once in OCS sneaking in some pizzas.  Our TAC Officer suddenly showed up and demonstrated that pepperoni pizzas do a great job of stripping wax off of buffed floors using a buffer!! [eek]  We didn't try to sneak pizzas ever again!

Like you, the buffing experience immediately helped me figure out my RO's!

Cheers,

Frank

 

[DB10]

The floor polisher comparison is exactly what I thought fist time I used the 90, And this is why I think alot of people struggle with the Rotex, it's because they have never used a floor polishing type of machine, It just takes a bit of getting used to. The more you relax with the sander the easier it is to handle. Your arm hand and machine need to become one.

 

[gnlman]

Hi. Same experience here, had to learn to let the sander be a little "free"...lol
I also purchased the hard pad for the sander as I was still having issues using the sander in the vertical position sanding down door frames.....fixed my issue of cupping into the wood, I highly recommend the hard pad for sanding narrow surfaces.
Greg.

 

[John Beauchamp]

gnlman, I'm curious why you are sanding vertical instead of just laying the cabinet on it's back.

 

[gnlman]

Hi. Sorry was not too clear in my post. I should have said door jambs...I sanded all the door jambs down to bear wood in my house to get rid of years of bad paint jobs from previous owners. Even then, I find the hard pad is easier to use sanding anything even if it's on my bench, but I'm still a novice woodworker trying to get better....lol
Greg
Ps, I do use the soft pad as well, but never in rotex mode and I need both hands on the sander when stripping or aggressive sanding.