Sander Issues, RS 400 & DTS 400

[Fred West]

If this is the wrong area please post it where it belongs. I am the proud owner of 12 Festool tools, tables and shop vacs. However, two of my last few purchases have left me perplexed. I build built in cabinets and shelves as well as heirloom quailty furniture. Because of this I spend a lot of time sanding and have many, many different types of sanders and use my variable speeds constantly. Both my RTS 400 and DS 400 have severe issues at the lower speeds. The vibration at lower speeds renders both of these sanders almost unusable. The RTS is really only bad on the setting of one but two is not great. The DS on the other hand is unusable at levels one through three.

Has anyone else experienced this issue or even better figured out a way to overcome it? I love both of these sanders and at the higher speeds they are incredible. However, I paid for variable speed and indeed use all levels so truly need help here. Thank you in advance, Fred West

 

[Eli]

What is the vac set at? Some people have a lot of chatter if the vac is too far rabbit.

 

[ROb McGilp]

I think its a hare Eli. Like in The Hare and the Toirtoise. If you look closely, its got longer ears and legs. ;D

 

[Eli]

Duh. But you don't cut a hare with the router, do you?

"Here. Hare. Here" - Withnail and I

 

[eweber]

Hi Fred,

This might help: Festool sanders

Emmanuel

 

[Fred West]

Thank you all, I will lower the setting on my CT 22 Rabbit ) and wait until several hours of use have passed to see what happens. Fred

 

[Michael Kellough]

Thank you all, I will lower the setting on my CT 22 Rabbit ) and wait until several hours of use have passed to see what happens. Fred

As Eli said, the suction has to be appropriate for the orbit speed and stock removal. A quick test is to set the sander (switched off) on the work then turn on the vac. You should be able to easily move the sander laterally. Turn down the vac speed until you can. If you see much dust escaping while sanding at the new vac setting then turn it up a little.

With fine grits and low orbit speed turn the vac all the way down. The result will be smoother too.

 

[Dave Rudy]

Duh. But you don't cut a hare with the router, do you?

"Here. Hare. Here" - Withnail and I

I think that with an OF 1400 you can adjust it by a hare with the micro adjuster.  Don't pelt me!  I couldn't resist. ;D

 

[Fred West]

So as an update I have been playing with the vacumn settings and of course using both sanders as often as possible. The one distressing thing that I am finding is that even at middle to high vacumn speeds I have significant dust left on my boards. This is not true with either my Rotex or ETS 150/5. The good news is that at lower vacumn speeds I am better able to use variable speeds 1-3. Fred