sanding sheet goods

[john molloy]

can the rotox 150 or other sander sand a good finish on veneered sheets or is it to agressive and take of the veener

 

[bobfog]

The Rotex in non-aggressive RO mode can indeed be gentle enough to sand veneered sheet goods, provided you use a high quality sand paper (to minimise swirls) and are slow and methodical in your technique.

My advice would be speed 1/2 and 120 grit as a starting point and I'd use Mirka Abranet paper. Allow the machine to do the work and ensure it stays flat and is always moving. 120 should be used sparingly just to get you started and reveal a "fresh layer" then as soon as you've got any obvious blemishes out, move to say 180, etc.

However if you are doing it regularly, rather than as a one off project, the Rotex might be a bit big and cumbersome, so something smaller and more manoeuvrable, along with a smaller stroke would be my advice.

 

[Birdhunter]

ETS EC 150 or 125 would be my first choice for delicate sanding. I would stick to the Festool sand papers and start with 180 and move to 220, 320 , etc.

I like the Rotex sanders, but they seem to demand better technique than the finish sanders. If you decide on a Rorex sander, I'd recommend lots of practice on scrap before attacking the real thing.

All the Festool sanders seem to work better with mid range vac suction.

 

[tjbnwi]

I use the Rotex in the Rotex mode as the final step for all prior to finish stock prep including veneered sheet goods. Choosing the proper grit paper and speed is key to getting great results.

I have not had a chance to use the new EC line yet. I read very good things about it.

Tom

 

[ear3]

The Rotex in RO mode will work just fine.  In terms of speed, the ETS-EC 150/5 would be quickest -- depending on the quality of the veneer, though, particularly how thick or thin it is, you would want to be careful about burning through the surface with the 5mm stroke.  You actually don't face as much of a danger burning through the veneer with the Rotex in RO mode (even though it has a 5mm stroke), because the pad rotation is not as aggressive as the ETS-EC.  I only sand veneered sheets with the ETS 150/3 now, but I'm overly cautious.

In terms of grits, I tend to start at 150, but as Tom already pointed out, you could even start at 180 if the sheet is already well sanded.

 

[Holmz]

can the rotox 150 or other sander sand a good finish on veneered sheets or is it to agressive and take of the veener

1st there are some accounts that the Rotex is not all that much faster that other sanders when not in Rotex mode. I do not know... it has more watts and also less RPM.

2nd it is generally more of a 2 handed sander,, than something like the ETS EC.

For removing material I got 3-5 mm off a slab in short order. The veneer is 1/4-mm. In theory it could work, but it is one of those "do it all" sanders.
For veneer just get a good finish sander... RS2, ETC EC, or Mirka Deros, or uva115e.
Or a scraper or hand sand.
The stuff is usually pretty smooth to begin with, and probably just needs a rub with 240.