What Is an Oscillating Sander?

Description

• Oscillating sanders are also called random orbital sanders because they vibrate the sandpaper, moving the sanding grits in small random circles. Depending on the grit of sandpaper used, this action wears the surface down while leaving a pattern of randomly-placed circles rather than the long scratch marks that you would leave if you sanded the surface by hand. Oscillating sanders do not have to be handheld. Floor refinishers use large ones for sanding floors. An oscillating sander can have a square, rectangular, circular or triangular sanding pad, and it can be electric or powered by compressed air.

Features

• Most oscillating sanders fit comfortably in the palm of your hand or have an easy-to-grip handle on one end. While touching a vibrating sanding pad may be uncomfortable, doing so isn't dangerous, and oscillating sanders are safe to use on flat, vertical or overhead surfaces. Older designs usually incorporated a square or rectangular sanding pad, but contemporary finish sanders have a round or triangular pad that makes reaching into corners easier. Because oscillating sanders are easy to control, you can use them to round edges, sand inside coves and detail trim as well as smooth a flat surface.

Using an Oscillating Sander

• While you can easily ruin a piece of wood by using a belt or disc sander incorrectly, the same isn't true with an oscillating sander. Plug in the machine, hold it in your hand and turn it on. The vibrations create a gyroscopic effect that give it a peculiar movement, but when you lay the pad on a wooden surface, the wood absorbs the vibrations and the machine becomes easier to control. Apply considerable downward force to a flat surface if needed, and tilt the machine to use the edges of the paper to sand out difficult spots.

Considerations

• You'll get the best results with your oscillating sander if you use the appropriate grit of sandpaper for the job you're doing. Coarse grits from 50 to 100 are best for sanding off stains and finishes and knocking down wood grain. Grits from 120 to 220 will produce a fine, polished surface on raw wood while finer grits should be reserved for preparing finishes for another coat. Use a belt or disc sander if you need to remove more than about 1/8 inch from the surface of the wood; then use the oscillating sander to sand away the scratch marks.