Sander for ipe wood laminations

[aaduranh]

Hi to everyone,

This is my first post in this forum. I have a Ts55. it is a great machine, so I am ready for more Festool.

I have to do a huge counter-top that goes all around. It is 14' long, the sides are 13' and front is 8'
the countertop is in Ipe Wood.
I know a drum sander would be the best tool to sand the lamination, but I don't have one yet.
I have three ideas. i don't know which is better because I don't have any of those tool.
1.-I was thinking to buy the RAS115 to remove material fast and try to make the surface as flat as possible. Then sand with my Dewalt orbital sander. I use my Makita 3 x 24 to flatten panel lamination. Would the RAS do better than my makita?

2.-Buy a Rotex. I imagine it would take longer, but the machine is more versatile.

3.- Just rent a floor sander.

Thank you very much for you help in advance.

 

[nickao]

Where are you?

Is this a veneer or a 1/4" plus thick lamination?

Please bring it to a local shop, pay the 75.00 and have them put it through the drum sander.

If you cant do this , skip the RAS 115, it will dish out the work, it to small and powerful to float out large surfaces flat. Skip the RS 2 as well, it's more for final sanding before applying final finish, not flatting or leveling up seams in solid hardwoods. It would take you weeks.

Get a Rotex 150. Practice first.

I do this all day, it's what I do,, all day every day(1/4" plus hardwood lamination).I fear you are never going to have a stick flat surface unless you really practice. It took me years to be able to remove  material fast on a surface that large and keep it stick flat using orbital sanders. My tools for flatting and leveling hardwood lamination's like this are a drum sander  of course, Rotex 150, Ras 180(the big brother to the RAS 115-ordered straight from Germany) and various smaller sanders. I only use floor sanders in rare cases for work like this(unless I am actually working on/in a floor as opposed to working on a lamination going into a floor later).

If you are working with solid ipe lamination(as in 1/4" thick or more) without the Rotex 150 or similar you will be spinning your wheels unless you use a drum sander. I can give suggestions to other sanders that are cheaper and as good as a Rotex 150(575.00), a 305.00 Makita or 289.00 Bosch could do the same for you.

If you do use a floor sander get a multi disc type, but a that takes finesse and is specialty work. I love homeowners that do their own floors or even guys new to the trade and to them the finished floor looks great, but if it were to be used as a counter top it would be wavy as heck.  It will be easy to ruin that lamination with a floor sander, be careful. I would make your lamination that much thicker to allow for screw ups if you decide to go that route. If you dish it out too much there is no saving it for counter use.

 

[Birdhunter]

The advice to let a shop with a large drum sander flatten the tops is very wise. An RO sander would be perfect for the final sanding.

 

[WastedP]

Beware ipe dust.

 

[aaduranh]

Thank you very much for your answers?
It is 7/8 laminations.

I am going to try to find a large drum sander close to home.

If I understood correctly, the Ras 115 is very good for removing material but it is very difficult to keep something acceptably straight.
In case I don't find a a large drum sander, I was thinking RAS, then makita 4x24 and finally Orbital. How about that?

I will forget about the Floor sanders.

I will have a full mask and complete protection. I am going to look like an astronaut
Thank you very much once again!

 

[Holmz]

Would a BS105 with a sanding frame be ideal?

 

[nickao]

Thank you very much for your answers?
It is 7/8 laminations.

I am going to try to find a large drum sander close to home.

If I understood correctly, the Ras 115 is very good for removing material but it is very difficult to keep something acceptably straight.
In case I don't find a a large drum sander, I was thinking RAS, then makita 4x24 and finally Orbital. How about that?

I will forget about the Floor sanders.

I will have a full mask and complete protection. I am going to look like an astronaut
Thank you very much once again!

I sand all kids of what are considered dangerous hardwoods all day, I NEVER use a mask. Collecting the dust with collectors, CT vacs even shop vacs is all you need. I could sand ipe in my kitchen while the kids eat using any of the Festool or most any other sanders sold today. Until you get to the edges of the work there just isn't any dust.

If you are going to use a regular belt sander thats a different deal they dont collect dist as well.  As far as sanding  I personally hate the straight belt sanders and they dont remove material any better than a RO 150 in my experience and can cause a whole lot more damage.

I dont think the BS105 with a frame is available in the USA, is it? That might be workable if you  could get one, but a free handed belt sander with no frame, no way I would take that to a counter myself. For me anything I used to need a belt sander for back in the day I now use an RO 150.

 

[Holmz]

...
If you are going to use a regular belt sander thats a different deal they don't collect dust as well.  As far as sanding  I personally hate the straight belt sanders and they don't remove material any better than a RO 150 and can cause a whole lot more damage.
...

In "non Rotex mode", an ETS EC is pretty fast.
But a belt sander with a frame has a larger foot print, so it is likely easier to get the surface flat than with a swirling disc.
Then making it "smooth", can be done with an ETS EC or anything else.

...
I don't think the BS with a frame is in the US, is it? That might be workable if you could get one, but a free handed belt sander with no frame, no way I would take that to a counter myself.

I would not use an unframed belt sander either...  [scared]
And I am unsure about the BS105.

But a 150 grit on a framed sander is a different deal.
I had (have in storage) a Makita or Hitachi with a frame. It was very controllable.