Power Sanding Bowls

Don Wood

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I now use a Milwaukee Corded Close Quarter drill for power sanding. I’m developing arthritis in my hands and holding onto the drill is becoming more of an issue. What is everyone using and do you have any thoughts on a lighter/smaller diameter weight battery powered unit? Thx in advance.
 

trc65

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Recently, I've been using a Makita 18v cordless, mainly as the brushes on my angled corded drill need to be replaced. I can hold it with two hands and that helps. Two batteries are mandatory, and even in this cold weather, one is charged about the time the other dies. I would guess you'd want an 18 volt system, don't think a twelve would do it.

Another option might be one of the air random orbit sanders such as those sold by https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/random-orbital-sanders. I know Grex also has a line of similar sanders. Of course, you also need a compressor that has the capacity to drive them.
 

Maverick

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WoodturnersWonders, which Tim mentioned above, also has an electric angle sander that gets very high reviews. The specs do not give the weight, but I am sure you can contact them and they would be happy to provide you more info. I see several reviews that comment on the comfort of use. This is the one I plan to purchase at some point in the future.

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JonLanier

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I now use a Milwaukee Corded Close Quarter drill for power sanding. I’m developing arthritis in my hands and holding onto the drill is becoming more of an issue. What is everyone using and do you have any thoughts on a lighter/smaller diameter weight battery powered unit? Thx in advance.
I use my dad's quarter-inch Skill from the late 1960s. It's pretty light. Although in the summer it gets too hot, I'm going to need to replace it before too long. I'll keep an eye on here for alternatives.

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woodtickgreg

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WoodturnersWonders, which Tim mentioned above, also has an electric angle sander that gets very high reviews. The specs do not give the weight, but I am sure you can contact them and they would be happy to provide you more info. I see several reviews that comment on the comfort of use. This is the one I plan to purchase at some point in the future.

View attachment 235192

That's a copy of the millwaukee version, almost identical except blue instead of red, lol.
 

Maverick

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That's a copy of the millwaukee version, almost identical except blue instead of red, lol.
Yep the color red is mentioned in the details for the blue one.....here is the info on the blue one.... (and to be clear, I have no affiliation nor get any consideration for mentioning this sander).

Details
We searched high and low for a good quality 55-degree angle drill at a reasonable price. We all know there are some out there for over $125 that are decent, but that price is just too high. These drills, used for sanding, take a lot of abuse (because of sanding dust). The cheaper red ones we found just didn't hold up, and had a lot of plastic components. Enter the Woodturners Wonders Angle Drill. These drills were made especially for us and have some impressive components. Where most drills have plastic parts - ours are metal. We took one apart so you can see firsthand just how well these babies are put together. Steel gears, hefty double shaft bearings on the chuck, copper windings and heavy brushes.
Check out the specs below. If you're in the market for a new drill/sander this one will not disappoint. One-Year Warranty. Most competitors don't offer a warranty at all and are priced higher. We have a Better Product at a Better Price
 

DWasson

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I have that angled setup from woodturning wonders. The unit itself is fairly light and it works very well. I like it and am impressed with it.
 

Jonkou

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Been using these cheap light weights for over 10 yrs with no issues, just blow the dust out of them once in a while. Nice features are variable speed, reverse and lock on so no need hold it by the handle. Used mostly for initial sanding of medium to large bowls.

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barry richardson

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I had a red version of one that looked like the one maverick shows, that woodcraft used to sell, it lasted about a year, I was in a pinch so I bought this one from Harbor Freight, I've had it at least 3 years now and it is holding up fine, plenty of power, reversible with a keyless chuck. Doesn't get into quite as tight of spaces as the other style, but for 30 bucks, it serves my purposes...
angle sander.jpg
 
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Albert Kiebert

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WoodturnersWonders, which Tim mentioned above, also has an electric angle sander that gets very high reviews. The specs do not give the weight, but I am sure you can contact them and they would be happy to provide you more info. I see several reviews that comment on the comfort of use. This is the one I plan to purchase at some point in the future.

View attachment 235192
This is the one I use, light weight and has done a great job since I bought early this year
 

William Tanner

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Agree with Barry. I purchased the one on the left at Harbor Freight ten or eleven years ago and it worked great. Worked so well that I bought the one on the right just in case the first one flamed out. I used the first one until this summer and broke out the new one. The first one was just getting loose. My student went to Harbor Freight to get one and he was told they no longer carry this item. I guess that is why I bought the second one when I did.

Icon Guilio Marolongo has been a presenter at our club several times. He swears by the other sander that is pictured. Some of club members agree. Just an idea.

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David Hill

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Sanders???
I just bought/assembled a rolling cabinet from Sams—- got tired of tripping on cords & moving them around. Cabinet holds’em all, plus the spare sanding sheets. i even put my air sanders there. Life is good!!

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pvwoodcrafts

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Not to interfere with this post but I'm not seeing many Skilton sanding pads here. If you haven't tried them I highly reccomend you do if your not completely satisfied with how yours hold up.
 
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