Choosing a Sander

How to choose a sander? For a perfect finish to your DIY, it is essential to properly prepare the support. The electric sander proves an effective tool for all surfaces and allows to accelerate the long and tedious work of hand sanding. Sander, orbital sander, angle grinder... This article guides you to find the sander suited to your needs and budget.

Sander operation

All sanders have the same operating principle, namely a sheet or abrasive belt adapted to the work material and the desired finish, set in a tray or pad with a self gripping velcro system. The latest models of electric sanders are equipped with a variable that adjusts the plate sanding speed depending on the material and the rate required for the work to be performed, either a rough or a clean finish.

The sanders types

* Eccentric sander: rather suitable for small curved surfaces. It allows high accuracy sanding and is ideal for wood and moldings. It can also be used for polishing of painted or varnished surfaces.

* Vibrant sander: it has a large tray for a quick finish sanding on flat surfaces. It is ideal, for example, to prepare a wall before a paint application.

* Angle grinder: it is used, as its name indicates, for the angles but also for small surfaces.

* Electric lime: it is used for irregular surfaces. It is equipped with a long thin arms and allows fine filing (eg grooves) and can adjust or correct a cut.

* Belt sanders: it is used for large surfaces, eg parquet, or also for rough raw wood.

Some models are suitable for suction of dust built to work properly. Generated dust is recovered directly through an integrated suction system which sends either in a paper or cloth bag or in a removable transparent tank or housing for controlling the filling level. 

Aspiration is permitted through holes in the plate and abrasive sheets, which must be perfectly aligned.

The sander abrasive

The choice of abrasive is based on several criteria: the type of material to be ground, the grinding step and the desired finish.

* sandpaper is used to sand the wood and paint. * corundum paper is used for sanding wood, paint and plastic. * canvas corundum and emery cloth are used for grinding metals. 

* anti-fouling paper is used for sanding softwood, varnish and plaster. * reversible frame is used for sanding plaster and interior coatings.

Popular sander brands: Black & Decker, Bosch, Makita, Metabo...