I'm just curious......WHY???? Delta Bench Random Orbital Sander

[Mike Langford]

I'm just curious.....WHY?.....was this tool made?????
http://asheville.craigslist.org/tls/1209995456.html

It's a Delta Bench Random Orbital Sander (31-750?) :rolleyes:

[Joe Hardesty]

Because, sometimes it's more efficient, easier, and safer to take the item to the tool. Especially good for small items.

I know a guy who mounted his ROS upside down using an inner tube for just this purpose.

[Bruce Page]

I haven't seen that one before. Must not have been a big seller. :rolleyes:

[glenn bradley]

Haven't seen it before either but have seen a couple books where the author put his sander upside down in a wheelbarrow innertube to get the same basic effect. I didn't know they were commercially available and I certainly wouldn't pay $100 for one ;-)

[Ron Jones near Indy]

I haven't seen those for quite a while. It seems I saw them at Lowes several years ago for a few months and then they disappeared from the shelves. Apparently not a big seller. I don't remember the price.

[David Keller NC]

I'm just curious.....WHY?.....was this tool made?????
http://asheville.craigslist.org/tls/1209995456.html

It's a Delta Bench Random Orbital Sander (31-750?) :rolleyes:

Because the world will never run out of idiots that are willing to pony up the bucks to buy a new (and useless) power tool. Heck, it's similar with hand tools. The Jackson handsaw with "laser guide" is an excellent example.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

To make this chick smile
http://www.woodshopdemos.com/dbos1.htm

And these people happy
http://www.epinions.com/reviews/Delta_Bench_Random_Orbital_Sander_31_750

and this guy nearly ecstatic
http://www.thisoldworkshop.com/delta-robs-review.htm

Yah I looked at it and said huh?
But apparently some folks like it.

[Jason Beam]

Because the world will never run out of idiots that are willing to pony up the bucks to buy a new (and useless) power tool. Heck, it's similar with hand tools. The Jackson handsaw with "laser guide" is an excellent example.

We are real good at making people with more cents than sense, huh? :P

[Peter Quinn]

Why was it made? Two words. Stupidity.





Hey, that's only one word! Proves my point, must be its contagious.

[Chris Tsutsui]

People buy that because they don't want to wrap a scrap piece of wood with sand paper and use their hands.

Soon there will be a machine that measures and cuts your wood and the days of the tape measure and table saw will be over.

Oh wait, that's right... My friend was laid off from his cabinet shop and replaced by a CNC machine. :(

[Perry Holbrook]

Looks like once again I'm in the minority, and from the tone of the replies, looks like I'm not very smart either.

A couple of years ago I posted here to see if anyone knew if such a machine existed and came up dry. So I decided to purchase a 1/4 sheet detail sander and mounted it upside down. That works well but has no dust collection.

These machines are probably not needed in many shops, but if you are cranking out production of small items like I do, they are perfect for breaking (softening) edges. Much faster and more comfortable than trying to hold the item in one hand and the sander in the other.

Perry
(minority of one and not very smart)

[Ed Sallee]

I couldn't agree with what Perry said any more.

I've clamped my ROS upside a time or two..... Not sure if I'd buy the machine, but the application is useful.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I dunno about being useless, they make absolutely huge table sanders..... Same idea. Just really big.

No, I wouldn't buy one either. I'll just flip my ROS over. That idea DOES make sense. No cost. Now where is my wheelbarrow......

[David Keller NC]

Looks like once again I'm in the minority, and from the tone of the replies, looks like I'm not very smart either.

A couple of years ago I posted here to see if anyone knew if such a machine existed and came up dry. So I decided to purchase a 1/4 sheet detail sander and mounted it upside down. That works well but has no dust collection.

These machines are probably not needed in many shops, but if you are cranking out production of small items like I do, they are perfect for breaking (softening) edges. Much faster and more comfortable than trying to hold the item in one hand and the sander in the other.

Perry
(minority of one and not very smart)

So why wouldn't you use a small disc sander? They're the cats meow for model makers, and there's lots of brands and models out there. According to the review from "This Old Workshop",

"Without a doubt the least pleasant feature of the Delta ROBS, and I am assuming any tool of this type is the hand fatigue rate caused by the high rate of vibration. I found my hands buzzing and sore by the end of a five-hour session with my new ROBS."

[Julian Nicks]

Wow, are there a bunch of crass people on this forum!

The reason a disc sander might not be the ticket for some is that a disc sander will leave sanding marks just as a belt sander would. The large disc and fence would seem to make it superior to a random orbit sander (ros for you smart folks)in an innertube. If you want to have that kind of attitude, then you could say that a tablesaw is useless because you can mount a circ saw upside down to achieve the same effect.

[Carlos Alden]

and this guy nearly ecstatic
http://www.thisoldworkshop.com/delta-robs-review.htm



First line from that review:

"Delta began making tools out of a one-car garage in 1919, and the Delta Random orbital Bench Sander (Model 31-750) is no exception. It is without a doubt a tool."

Now THAT'S objectivity in a review.

Carlos

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Wow, how are we being crass? Just turning a ROS ( random orbit sander ) upside down is being crass? I fail to see your point. It would work, IMO.

Turning a circular saw upside down won't work The foot is WAY to small to cut a sheet of plywood, and you'd have to jury rig some sort of fence.

[Joe Hardesty]

Wow, how are we being crass?

Perhaps you didn't read the whole thread:


"Because the world will never run out of idiots"


"We are real good at making people with more cents than sense, huh?"


"Why was it made? Two words. Stupidity."

Those sure sound like crass comments to me.

[Chris Padilla]

Geeez, I didn't think I'd have to consider MODERATING a thread on this power tool but c'mon, Folks, chill a bit.

It is a tool...it may not be for everyone...and it can certainly have its applications...and it could have great dust collection if you mount a Festool upside down like that to use! :D

I actually thought about mounting a ROS on its SIDE to use as a cheap disc sander since I don't have one of those (nor space for it)....

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Some people have a knack for the obvious.

[Rick Potter]

I guess I am the only person here who actually has one. Why?? Let me tell you.

A few years back, I took a tour of the WOOD magazine shop. Chuck Hedlund, who, at the time, was the head project builder for the magazine, graciously gave me the tour. He showed me all the equipment, and projects they were currently working on. At one point, he opened one of those flip up tool stands, built into a cabinet, that they were currently featuring. Inside was one of the Delta benchtop orbital sanders.

I asked him what good they were, as it looked pretty silly to me. His answer was...."Surprisingly, this is a tool we use quite often, and it works very well".

I went home and bought one. It does work well for small parts, and is much more aggressive than it appears. In all honesty, I do not use it too much, but then, I don't make a lot of small parts. It would be great for scroll saw fret work, or toy makers. The dust collection is very good.

Sooo........I guess the answer to the question depends on who you ask, and what he does with it.

Rick Potter

PS: That is Chuck Hedlund on page 56 of the July issue of WOOD.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Ah. I apologize.

[sean m. titmas]

I'm just curious.....WHY?.....was this tool made?????:rolleyes:

because people will buy anything.