Moulding Sander Opinions, Please

[Brian Backner]

Hi all,

In a current thread on drum sanders, the "V-sander" from Stockroom Supply is mentioned as one possibility. Going to their website, I noted another product - their molding sander:

stockroomsupply.com/Moulding_Sander.php

I'm in the process of renovating my old house (1926) and have a lot of molding to replicate. As I need to make upwards of 800 feet of molding in widths from 4.5 to 7", and given that it is all to be painted, I've chosen to make it all from 1" and 1-1/4" thick MDF (ever try to carry a 4x12' sheet of 1.25" MDF? Man, was that HEAVY!).

The samples I ran came out with crisp edges but, predictably, a lot of "fuzz" got raised when primed. Sanding removed that, and with two topcoats of paint and a sanding in between those, the MDF moldings are indistinguishable from the existing pine ones. However, I think I and SWMBO would go bonkers hand sanding that much molding.

So, some questions for you all:

Has anyone ever used a molding sander on primed MDF molding? If so, what grit(s) to give the best finish with the least amount of profile modification/damage?

Has anyone used the above referenced molding sander from Stockroom Supply? I know there are really good molding sanders available, but this is going to be a one time shot for me and I don't want to spend a fortune.

Thanx,

Brian
Taxachusetts

[fRED mCnEILL]

When I made our molding from MDF we first gave it a coat of shellac to "tame" the fuzzy stuff, then a quick hand sanding and a coat of paint. I Think this molding sander should probably do the job. I have a sanding "mop" made by the same company (same idea only not nearly as wide) and although it does work its not very aggresive but probably will work on the MDF/shellac.

Fred

[Bryan Cowing]

I have the drill press version. I find the sandpaper doesn't last very long. I bought it to sand RP oak. I went back to hand sanding the profile.

[Brian Backner]

Fred,

I found that shellac raised more fuzz than an alkyd primer, so I plan to use alkyd primer and top coat.

Bryan,

If I didn't have 800+ feet to sand, I wouldn't even be thinking about this.

Given the amount of hours it would save in the long run, I think I may get one and give it a try (even if it doesn't work, there's no such thing a wasted tool purchase in my book). I suspect that either 180 or 220 grit would be the way to go as I'm not interested in sanding the molding per say - just leveling the finish and removing the fuzzies. I will give them a call tomorrow and see if they have any customers doing the same thing.

Brian

[Craig Harnitchek]

I purchased the S/S molding sander. We were trying to de-nib birch following a water based sealer but lost too much crispness in the profile to make for a practical application. The owner of the company offered a few suggestions but we abandoned the effort after wasting about two days of tinkering. Your results could be different depending on the depth and complexity of your profile plus MDF is fairly easy to de-nib. If it doesn’t work out you might want to consider shaping wheels.

Good luck