Sanders for Edges and Corners

[Dan Clermont]

I am looking for a sander to clean up glue in the corners and along the edges of dado's.  In the past I have hated this task using a block and sandpaper.

My question is which Festool sander works best for this? Looks like the Deltex is pretty long (how long is it with the cord)? The DTS 400 looks tall.

I'd like this sander to work the corners of jewelry boxes and such

Thanks
Dan

 

[Dave Rudy]

If you're talking about the inside of jewelry box corners, the deltex would probably be the best bet.  I must say I am quite fond of the LS 130 with fine grits (for example 320) to clean up the outside of boxes.  But as a practical matter, if you are talking about sanding the inside of small boxes after glue up, the sander has to fit inside the box.  You also want sanders with rectangular (or triangular) not circular pads.  The only other real contenders would be the RTS 400 or DTS 400.  The RTS is exactly the same size as the LS130 -- the difference is that the LS is linear (in line) while the RTS is random orbital.  The LS essentially won't work across the grain, while the RTS will.

HTH

Dave

 

[Jerry Work]

Hi Dan,

I don't want to sound like a smart a**, but by far your best bet is to develop a technique of gluing that avoids the squeeze out in the first place.  No matter which sander you use (Deltex would be my choice) you have to run the paper against both sides of the joint to remove the glue and that can cause dig in at the edge of the paper that would be a blemish in its own right.  And, you run the risk of not removing all the glue which will show under your finish.  On small pieces like jewelry boxes try adding a narrow saw kerf just below the surface on the piece inside your dado to provide a place for the glue squeeze to go so it won't come out where it can be seen.  Or, if you cut the dados with a router, make two passes.  The first to establish the working depth and a second with a smaller bit to establish a partial trench which forms a reservoir for the glue to remain in the bottom of the dado.  If the glue stays in the dado your life gets much easier from there.  Hope this helps.

Jerry