Rotex 90

[rtaylor]

Hello, I am new to the Festool line. I have recently purchased and have been enjoying a 1400 router with a Cleantex vacuum. My dealer said these tools are addicting and he was right. Anyway I am a woodworking hobbyist and do a lot of boxes of various sizes some with inlays. I have read a lot about the versatility of the Rotex 90 and how it will eat through plywood with out even trying. My question is can this sander be tamed to sand small projects such as these without removing so much material so fast that the surface is no longer flat. Also what about edges on 3/8 or 1/2 inch stock? I use sanding blocks a lot and it would be nice to eliminate the dust mess.

 

[jmbfestool]

Yes it can.  Brilliant for doing light sanding getting it dead smooth like a babies bottom.

Oh and welcome

 

[peter halle]

First,
[welcome] to the FOG.  We joke and poke fun at each other about the tools being addicting, but in reality they aren't.  It is just that we find them enjoyable to use and their usage helps us in some way to do our projects better whether it be in quality, speed, or healthier.

Sanding can be made less aggressive by using the speed control in combination with the sandpaper selection and grit choice.  Sanding an edge of a 3/8 or 1/2 wood product will not be the best example of the dust collection ability of the Festool system.  It will be better than many other products though.  Practice will improve your results to a point.

The neat thing is that you can try it for up to thirty days so that you can see if it is right for you!

Peter

 

[tbellemare]

The RO 90, like all of the Rotex sanders (RO 150 & RO 125 included) is a dual mode sander with the circular pad. It has a gear driven orbital mode, which can be very aggressive and a random orbital mode, which is for finish sanding.

Like Peter pointed out, the aggression can depend on the grit of the paper. It can also depend on the mode. The gear driven orbital mode can be very aggressive and can remove material very quickly with a rough grit abrasive. The same gear driven mode can be used for polishing once you get the work piece smooth.

The delta pad is quite good for getting into corners and hard-to-reach spots.

Tom

 

[Brice Burrell]

Not much to add to what has already been posted but here's my 2 cents.  The Rotex 90 sander has three modes, the rotary mode, the random orbit mode and delta mode.  The video you saw of the RO90 eating the plywood was with the sander in rotary mode.  If you use the RO90 in random orbit mode it works like any other small ro sander.  I'd be careful using any power sander on the edge of 3/8" and 1/2" material.  I'd try carefully sanding the edges the delta mode and see how that worked out.  And remember, you've 30 days as Peter already mentioned.  Good luck.

 

[MrToolJunkie]

Welcome!  While I do not yet own a RO90, I did get to put one through its paces in a recent end-user training class at Festool's NV facility and it is a nice sander.  For edge work, I would actually recommend one of the orbital sanders such as a DTS400 or RTS400 -- I find I can keep the sanding pad 90 degrees to the face much, much easier than with a random orbit sander.  The DTS is my favorite sander after the Rotex 150.  

Scot

 

[tjbier]

So to sum up all the previous posts,  GET ONE! I love mine and use it way more than my 4x6 sanders.

 

[Jesse Cloud]

Not much to add to the wisdom above.  It can be aggressive or gentle...

For power sanding thin edges, I would probably work up some sort of sacrificial jig that would be flush with the edge, but extend out far enough to keep the sander from rounding over the edges.  better still, get a stationary belt sander with a 90 degree table if you do a lot of that kind of sanding...

 

[mouppe]

You may also want to get a hard sanding pad accessory as this will flex less than the supplied pad. It will keep your surfaces flatter and your edges cleaner.

I use mine with the rotex 125 but I am sure the rotex 90 has one too.

 

[nehardwoodfloors]

I love this sander!
But as a fine sander, not so much. If I am sanding a 1" wide or so piece of trim, it works well. But if you sand a large piece of flat wood, it is tippy on that small pad.
Two hands help to flatten the pad on the wood service and even out the machine. But if I'm working fast and with one hand I will find that I sand favoring a side.

Maybe just need to use it like your supposed to.....with two hands!  [tongue]

 

[rtaylor]

I finally did buy the R90 and it does do a nice job of sanding for a finish. It does seem to be really jumpy trying to use it with one hand though. I use 220 grit a lot since most of the work is finish planed or cut with carbide and does not require a heavy grit, so I was a bit surprised at that. I does seem funny to me that they would design the tool without 2 grips. The quietness and dustless operation of the tool is the best there is. I probably need to practice on how to hold the sander before I criticize the jumpy part too much. ( It really does want to hop around) Any advice on that would be appreciated. The size is perfect for the work I do so I will probably keep the tool.

 

[Brice Burrell]

....It does seem to be really jumpy trying to use it with one hand though.....

Why Technique Matters

 

[vwdave]

The rotex sanders definitely have a learning curve as well as a break in period.  Once you figure out how to hold it a distribute the weight it will be easy to handle.  Give it some time you'll love it once you get the hang of it.
Dave

 

[BMH]

Agree with all of the above. Would recommend Festool 495966 HSK-D-150 Round Hand Sanding Block - Hard for the edges on 3/8 and 1/2. Sometime hand power tools are the most appropriate for a job.

Bruce