If you are a DIY type of guy, chances are you have been faced with seemingly countless hours of sanding a huge surface manually using sand paper. If you would take your DIY hobby to another level, however, then considering electronic sanding tools for your passion is not a bad thing at all. Before setting foot into your hardware store, know the three most common types of electronic sanding tools to help in your decision-making process.
Types of electronics sanding tools
- Belt Sander
Belt sanders are made for smoothing huge and really rough surfaces without spending too much of your time. Sanding belts are attached and move in a loop. This makes the smoothening process easier and more balanced. Aside from smoothening the surface, a belt sander is also a great choice for removing surface finishes (i.e. paint, varnish). It comes in hand-held or bench-mounted. Care should be observed in using belt sanders as wrong handling can damage your work surface.
- Orbital Sander
The most common and most user-friendly electric sanding tool is an orbital sander. By attaching sanding pads with the right size, one is on its way to a smoother surface. However, orbital sanders would not work as well with rougher and huge surfaces. Unlike belt sanders, using orbital sanders have a lesser risk of damaging your working surface.
- Random-Orbit Sander
People often confuse random-orbit sander with an orbital sander. The distinction lies in their pads. Random-orbit has square sanding pads while orbit sanders have round ones. A random-orbit sander lies in between the belt sander and the orbit sander when it comes to functionality. It won’t smoothen your surface as fast as a belt sander and would be slightly harder to control than an orbital sander. But, a random-orbit sander can give you that median finish that the belt and orbital sanders cannot give you.
With different electronic sanding tools available, your DIY projects won’t take as long and won’t be as hard to finish.