Powered Sanders I Use For Making Toys And Scroll Saw Projects

Klingspor Sanding Mop Mounted On A Drill Press

 

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• Shopsmith 6" Belt Sander - Useful for curved edges and flat surfaces that I want to remove material quickly. The best tool I have for sanding wheels to size.
• Shopsmith Disc Sander - Sometimes used for making wheels. Although this is not a powered operation, these are use full for sanding small flat parts.
  
• Delta 1" belt sander - It does a great job on outside edges and can be used for some inside curves. I also have the Shopsmith version, which does the same thing and lets me do inside sanding. 
• Klingspor Sanding Mop - Expensive, but worth the cost. Removes most fuzzies and leaves a silky smooth surface.
• Klingspor Mac Mop - Similar to a sanding mop but a bit more aggressive. 
• Ridgid Spindle Sander - Great for sanding inside curves as small as a 1/2 inch radius. It also has an oscillating belt sander. 
• Random Orbital Sanders - I use these for sanding flat surfaces, such as prepping wood for the scroll saw and sanding puzzles. I have four sanders, one Hitachi, and three Bauer random orbit sanders. I have this many sanders, so I don't have to change the sandpaper for each grit. I have the Bauer sanders because the dut port is round.
• Quarter Sheet Palm Sander - I only have this because I have a huge stack of 80-grit sandpaper that fits this. I would not recommend buying one.
• Grizzly Flex Shaft Rotary Tool - I use this with an assortment of drum and flap sanders for sanding inside curves. You can do this with a held rotary tool like a Dremel, but this is lots better. If it ever dies, I will probably buy a Foredom. 

When it comes to woodworking, using power sanding tools is a huge time-saver and can make the job much easier. However, it's crucial to remember that there will come a point where hand sanding is necessary for certain tasks.

Even though power sanders are efficient and fast, they are not always able to achieve the level of precision and smoothness that hand sanding can. When it comes to creating high-quality wood projects, especially intricate ones like toys, hand sanding is an essential step.

I've found that to truly ensure a top-notch finish and texture, incorporating hand sanding into the process is a must. It allows for more control and precision, resulting in a polished final product that's both visually appealing and safe for handling.

So, while power sanding tools are incredibly useful and time-saving, don't forget the importance of hand sanding when it comes to the finer details of your woodworking projects. Em
bracing this technique will undoubtedly elevate the quality of your creations.These are only the power sanding tools. At some point, you will need to resort to hand sanding. To make a quality toy, you must hand sand.

DIY Scroll Saw Sander

DIY Scroll Saw Sander Mounted ON AN Excalibur EX21 Scroll Saw

Scroll saw sanding blades are made by several companies, and you can find them many places. They are a bit pricy and don't fit some scroll saws without modification. These are very easy to make.

All you need to make a sander for your scroll saw is an old saw blade, a piece of cloth-backed sandpaper, and some carpet tape. Cut two strips of sandpaper about 1/4-inch wide. Put carpet tape on the back and make a sandwich with an old scroll saw blade in the center.

I tried paper-backed sandpaper.  It didn't hold up well. I have also tried various glues to hold them together, and nothing works as good as the carpet tape.

You will not get square edges sanding with this method. There will always be a slight curve.

Replacing My Old Sanders Harbor Freight Sanders

Bauer 2.8 Amp, 5 in. Random Orbital Palm Sander

I just ordered two of these. I needed two more random orbital sanders because changing sandpaper wears out the loops on the back of my sandpaper before the grit wears out. Price was one of the reasons I purchased this one. I can buy two of these for the price of one of the sanders I was considering and three in some cases. However, the big deal for me was the dust port. It's round and fits my existing system. I'm getting rid of sanders that either do not have a dust port or they have some weird shape that I can't hook up to my shop vac. Most of my corded tools are Hitachi, and I would have liked to have two more Hitachi sanders, but I have been sitting on a waiting list to get Hitachi sanders at a reasonable price for months. I usually buy refurbished. A coupon turned up for the Bauer sanders for $25, so I'm going to give them a try.

I also purchased one of these for $20. I have several hundred 1/4-Sheets of sandpaper leftover from a project that didn't use near as much paper as I bought. I want to use it up, and the 1/4-sheet sanders I have either do not have a dust collection port or have ports with weird shapes that I can't connect to my vac.

Bauer 2.2 Amp 1/4 Sheet Heavy-Duty Palm Finishing Sander

I've used Harbor Freight sanders in the past that cost less than $10. The cost was so low that I could have done the project and thrown them in the trash and still come out ahead. The sandpaper was more expensive than the sander. I never had an issue with any Harbor Freight sander other than dust collection, which is why I am getting rid of them now. At one time I did all of my sandings outdoors and dust collection was not an issue.


 What do I use them for? Primarily I use these sanders for prepping wood for making toys. I use a lot of reclaimed wood and construction lumber. Most of this wood has dents, dings and other defects that need to be smoothed before I apply patterns and cut them on my scroll saw. If it is bad I start with 80 grit and work my way up to 220. This removes any milling marks dings or those nasty purple stamps and sprays paint that Home Depot loves to put on their cull lumber. The wood is smooth clean so the patterns stick well and it slides around the saw without hanging.