Which sand paper grit to start with after planer?

[rljatl]

I have two sanders, an old Porter Cable 333 RO and a Makita BO5021K VS RO.

1. Which Festool sander would you recommend as the best complement to these two sanders for furniture building purposes? 

2. What would you recommend as the best sander for boards straight out of a planer?  I want a sander that will keep them flat or even flatten boards that I have not run through a planer, if that is possible.

3. What grit progression do you use when sanding a board (heart pine) directly out of a planer to make it ready for finishing?

TIA.

Edited: Changed the title of this thread as it is more about what sander and what grit to start with after planing as opposed to which new sander.  [wink]

 

[semenza]

For dealing with boards from the planer or boards that are still rough, the Rotex 150 plus the hard pad. But if you are looking to expand over all sanding capabilities then RO90, DTS400 or maybe LS130.

Seth

 

[SS Teach]

Welcome to FOG. Once you use Festool sanders with a dust extractor and Festool paper your other sanders won't get much use. A friend of mine sanded a rough redwood board with his Ro 125 with the soft pad. Then he tried my Ro 150 with a hard pad. You could feel undulations on the side sanded with the soft pad, flat as could be on the side using the hard pad. Once you decide on a sander you will need a sandpaper systainer full of paper. Check out Bob Marino, he has a sandpaper guide that will help you determine which papers are best for the various situations you can run into.

 

[SS Teach]

Oops missed the part where you had over 500 posts. I'll offer a politicians apology, "to any one I might have offended".

 

[guitar_ed]

Hi,

I haven't worked with pine, mostly maple & walnut, but straight from the planer.  I have a RO-125, and I start with 120, stepping thru the grits to 400.  I use the hard pad.

Hope this helps.  Now to watch the SJ Sharks play on National TV.  And likely lose

edg

 

[rljatl]

Thanks for the comments so far. 

 

[w802h]

I'm interested in this as well.  I've noticed figured woods are subject to tearout in my planer, but don't have space for a drum sander.  I haven't used an RS2, but wonder if that might be the best option for flat!  The Rotex will of course remove stock faster.  The ETS is my go to for boards out of a planer, however.  Can anyone compare the 6" hard pad to the RS2?

 

[rljatl]

The finish right out of the planer is pretty good.  That's why I am concerned about making it worse if I start with too coarse of a grit.  Is 120 the appropriate grit to start with and then go through a standard progression?

Is the Rotex with a hard pad is the best sander for this use?

 

[rljatl]

For dealing with boards from the planer or boards that are still rough, the Rotex 150 plus the hard pad. But if you are looking to expand over all sanding capabilities then RO90, DTS400 or maybe LS130.

Seth

Thanks Seth.  I will probably end up with at least two Festool sanders.  One to complement the PC and Makita RO sanders that I already have (RO90, DTS400, LS130...or?) and probably the Rotex 150 for it's versatility and to keep boards flat.

 

[SittingElf]

Not knowing what planer you are using, and what the boards look like as they come through, I can give you some results of my own testing which might help.

I have a Hammer A3 jointer/planer, and I have done some tests on the approximate grit level coming directly off the Silent Partner cutterhead on various types of wood.  For the most part, most come off jointing and planing with the smoothness equivalent of between an 80-100 grit level. Some even better...none worse.

So, if your planer matches that level, I would think that you could generally start with 100-120 grit without an issue. No sense in being redundant and matching smoothness with a lower grit....unless you just want to.

Cheers,
Frank

 

[rljatl]

Thanks Frank.  That helps.  The planer is a friend's Shop Fox 15" or 20" planer.  The finish on heart pine feels smooth, although I can feel very slight ridges from the growth rings.  So, sounds like the consensus is that 120 grit on a Rotex with a hard pad would be good to start with right after planing.

 

[PA floor guy]

Honestly, the best thing you can do is throw those other sanders in a shelf somewhere. And buy all new festool sanders.  I would get an ets125, a dts400, and a RO150.  That is the ultimate set up. But the RO90 is my favorite little go to guy

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

I sand with 150 right out of the planer.  Sometimes 120.