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An orbital sander is very important in shops. This is a helpful tool to have a smooth and scratch-free finish into any projects. This is true whether you are working on plastic, wood, or metal. Indeed, this tool can be used for various applications.
The orbital sander is a sander that moves the sanding tool in a circle as it spins. It does this while moving the entire pad in an oval orbit around the center of the sanders. With the sander, it keeps the sanding particles to contact the same section of the wood over and over. Thus, this results in a smoother surface.
In this article, we will discuss some tips on how to use the orbital sander.
Use the Orbital Sander Slowly
If you are used to belting sander or hand sanding, using an orbital sander can take some shift of perspective. You have to take note that the use of random orbital sanders is designed to be used extremely slowly.
For some, the work can feel slow and tedious, but that is just normal. This slow speed is needed to let the random oscillations do the thing it is designed to do. With this, it can reduce the swirl patterns on the surface. This can also provide a uniform and smooth surface on any project that you have.
Furthermore, the orbital sanders are made to operate with little pressure. When you press down on the sander, the RPM is slowed down. This leads to the sander being less efficient. This can also decrease the lifespan of the motor. The sander must have only its weight and your arm’s weight as you use it.
Keep Sanding Pad at All Times
Indeed, an orbital sander is an efficient tool. If you tip it on its side, it will have a low spot in the finish of the furniture piece. If ever this happens, it will be hard to recover your piece.
This is the reason why it is very important to have a minimum of two-thirds of your sanding paper at all times. This is true especially when you are sanding to the edge of the piece. Failure to do this will give you a rounded over effect on the edges.
Measure How Far You are in the Sanding Process
If you are having difficulties in determining how far you are with the sanding process, there is a simple trick that you can try. This will help you see where you have sanded and where else you need to sand.
You can use a pencil to mark a wave line on your piece when using an orbital sander. Keep on adding marks and sanding the piece until the whole surface is even and flat. Do this until all the pencil marks are gone.
Park the Sander before Starting
Place the orbital sander on your work before you begin. If the starter is running before setting it down, it will dig into your piece and leave scratches. Lift it with the motor running and but turn it off before you begin sanding in other areas. Look for resting place for your sander so you don’t have to wait for it to stop spinning.
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