What Festool sanders are appropriate for detailed Pine window jambs?

Henrik R / Pingvinlakrits said:
EDITED WHOLE POST - SHOULD NOT WRITE "STRAIGHT OUT OF BED":

I have done window restorations for many years - and mostly in that material.  :)
I would take a more simplistic approach as a few others have mentioned too.

Based on the shape and condition I would go sanding block, 180/240 (max) grit paper (depending on type of paint/finish) and make a few custom blocks for the smaller trim pieces. Seems like they mostly only need matting down. A sharp, smallish triangle scraper for digging out dirt in the corners and a small straight scraper for the running lenghts. A triangle scraper for the running lengths tends to sometimes dig in on the sides - not pretty.

For sanding the RTS400 or DTS400 would be my choice. Nothing else.

By the looks of it I am not even sure I would have used a sander.  [eek]

On windows in worse shape I use scrapers, sanding block, RTS400, EHL65 planer and RAS115.
Occasionally a speed heater.

That's all I need unless I need to rebuild old windows. I have been contemplating a DTS400 or similar and that is why I eventually bought a RO90 which I did regret in the end, for some of the reasons mentioned earlier in the thread.

Be careful with the scraper - don't put scars in the wood - use it sparingly. By the looks of it it won't see much use.

Save those $$$, don't buy gear you don't really need.
To the OP, this is probably some of the best advice so far. Good luck with your project!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
PnW Painter - thanks! :)

Alex said:
People mention hand sanding in this thread. If you only want to refinish that window, hand sanding should be enough, because it still looks like it's in perfect shape.

But with wood you often see that the grain pops up over time because it's a living material that keeps moving. Over here people often ask me to sand that grain as smooth as glass. Other people may like the rustique look of the grain. It all comes down to preferences.

I would not sand it smooth as glass - you want something for the paint/finish to "grab", smooth as glass makes it harder to make a good paint job when you work with brushes, not easier. It does not improve the final look or feel, it just makes it harder to achieve.

I started doing "smooth as glass" when doing old window restorations and was "told off" by the master painter to ease down on the grit. It made sense after seeing the end result.
 
Because those windows are almost in perfect shape, I'd be afraid to use any aggressive sander on them. As others have said, making some sanding blocks that help you get in corners and do some of shallow profiles would prevent damage to the wood from happening. If you want to use a power sander, I agree that using something like the RTS or DTS 400 would be good. It would allow you to get into corners and not be aggressive. I wouldn't start with grits too coarse to avoid damage unless there are more defects than your pictures show. When I was first starting out in woodworking and doing some remodeling in my own home, I always wanted to get the job done as fast as possible and used coarse grits and aggressive sanders; sometimes making the situation worse. I have more patience now and think that, with wood that looks as good as your windows do, finer grits and less aggressive sanders or hand sanding would your best choice.
 
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