Which sander to get and which vacuum

[Millcrete]

I make fiberglass molds for concrete sinks and I love the idea of the dust extraction considering Fiberglas can cause many respiratory problems. The molds are always irregular shapes never flat. Which sander do I need for this? I use a round ro sander now and it leaves so many lines and takes forever. Everytime I have to hand sand them out. Thinking the ro90 with soft pad  Also fiberglass leaves a very fine dust particle so do I need to buy the auto clean for this?

 

[Kev]

You want hepa and self cleaning bags - not auto-clean (don't get confused with the self cleaning bit - they are single use, throw away - they just don't clog). The RO90 with two interface pads does a great job of following contours ... plus the delta pad will be a bonus for you.

 

[Bob Marino]

  What Kev mentioned and get the Granat papers.

Bob

 

[Brice Burrell]

I think the RO90 would work the best for contours.   However, one of the larger Rotex sanders might be a better overall choice.  A couple of advantages the RO125/150 have over the 90 are the bigger sanding surfaces and better dust collection.  With the RO90 the dust collection is fairly good, with the RO125 or the 150 version the dust collection is very good.  My first choice would be the RO125 since it has a bigger sanding pad for efficient sanding yet still small enough to sand contours well with one or two interface pads as Kev mentioned.  

 

[leakyroof]

How big of a sink are you talking about. Normal 2-3 basin for houses?  If so, they're small, so the RO90 would be my first pick, followed by the ETS125 for really fine, and still fairly small, sanders.  CT-26 or 36 for Dust Extraction ,with the HEPA filters installed. Also, FESTOOL sells an assortment of hand sanding pads that hook up to one of their smaller, more flexible hoses to connect to the vac for dust free hand sanding[which you still might have to do even with one or two great power sanders if touch-ups are needed]

 

[Brice Burrell]

I forgot to mention Festool's 30 day no questions asked return policy.  You may already be aware this, if not, Festool offers you the chance to buy the tool, use it for 30 day, and if it doesn't fit your needs for any reason return it.  This applies to tools (sander and vac in your case) but not accessories so used boxes of sandpaper and interface pad(s) would not be able to be returned.  This policy is no bs, Festool really does want you to be satisfied with your purchase so don't be afraid to take advantage of the return policy if you aren't sold.

Also, I strongly recommend getting to a dealer to try a hands on demo of these tools if at all possible.  Very few dealers will have interface pads for you to try on a sander(s) but you'll still get a good idea of how the dust collection works and how the tools feel in your hands.  BTW, we've been talking about the interface pad, here's what we mean if you are unsure.

 

[semenza]

I make fiberglass molds for concrete sinks and I love the idea of the dust extraction considering Fiberglas can cause many respiratory problems. The molds are always irregular shapes never flat. Which sander do I need for this? I use a round ro sander now and it leaves so many lines and takes forever. Everytime I have to hand sand them out. Thinking the ro90 with soft pad  Also fiberglass leaves a very fine dust particle so do I need to buy the auto clean for this?

Welcome to the forum !  [smile]

What those guys said ^

Seth

 

[Millcrete]

Thank you I wasn't aware of the interface pads that would be absolutely perfect. The sinks vary with size from bathroom vanity to big kitchen sinks. Completely custom so they are contour city. ro90 sounds like the winner here due to its petite size and the delta pad will come in handy. Ro125 will a follower in future but for now imma give 90 a go. What r the ups and downs between the cts and mini and midi FACS?

 

[Bob Marino]

Thank you I wasn't aware of the interface pads that would be absolutely perfect. The sinks vary with size from bathroom vanity to big kitchen sinks. Completely custom so they are contour city. ro90 sounds like the winner here due to its petite size and the delta pad will come in handy. Ro125 will a follower in future but for now imma give 90 a go. What r the ups and downs between the cts and mini and midi FACS?

From Festool USA's site:

The CT MINI and CT MIDI are Festool's most portable mobile dust extractors. They are compact and light weight, but have enough capacity for common jobsite tasks. The CT MIDI is slightly larger in size, but offers increased capacity for heavier on-site use.

The MINI's  capacity - 2.6 gal vs MINI's 3.9 gal and the MIDI is 2" taller.

Bob

 

[Kev]

You'll be amazed at the rate of material removal you'll achieve with a 40 grit Granat abrasive in ROTEX mode. I honestly think the CT36 is the perfect price/volume compromise for fixed location work, but you can't beat a mini for the "out and about" jobs.