Using the RO90 to sculpt a saddle

[GaryLaroff]

I’m in the schedule panic part of the project to make a red oak rocking horse for my grand nephew’s first birthday.  I haven’t made any of these in over 20 years and again underestimated what it takes to make the saddle.  Sculpting of the hard red oak can be done quicker with the old handheld belt sander but that’s not fun and  would then require weeks of cleaning up the clouds of sawdust.

In the 2011 Festool sander special I bought the RO90 and a Bellemare Bundle of Granat abrasives in a Systainer but barely used the tool until now.  It is amazing how well a single sheet of the 40 grit Granat in Rotex mode with the standard pad sculpted the entire seat.  Sanding of the seat was then done with Granat in 80, 100, 120, 150 and 180 grit in Rotex mode with the “interface pad for supersoft abrasives”.

The RO90 might not be the ideal tool for sculpture work day in and day out, but there doesn’t seem to be much that this multi-purpose tool can’t do.

Fig. 1 (below) is the rocking horse with the bandsawn saddle blanks attached.

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Fig. 2 (below) shows the saddle after the top has been profiled with a stationary belt sander.

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Fig. 3 (below) shows the saddle after some rasp work followed by the sculpting and sanding with the RO90.

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Fig. 4 (below) shows the saddle from the side after sanding.
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Fig. 5 (below) shows the saddle from the back after sanding.

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Gary Laroff
Portland, Oregon

 

[PA floor guy]

Great job.  Did you consider a RAS to do the sculpting work.

 

[GaryLaroff]

I considered a RAS but "forgot" to buy one during the recent recon sale.  I should have bought one as I have been eying them for years.  I also have a Rotex RO-125, but chose to use the smaller pad RO90.

Gary

 

[MrToolJunkie]

Awesome!  The seat came out real nice...I am getting ready to start on some Maloof inspired low-back dining chairs and bought the RO90 for this purpose to follow the RAS after initial sculpting...looks like it will be just the ticket.  Cannot wait to start the project if/when this bathroom remodel gets done...

Scot

 

[PaulMarcel]

That looks great; the RAS would have been faster, no doubt, but it looks like that seat is so small the RO-90 was better suited for it.  It seems everybody I know is sculpting/shaping a project this holiday!

 

[Kev]

I instantly thought bike saddle and felt very uncomfortable  [big grin]

Lovely piece of work!!