Bowl Sander

[Ken Salisbury]

I saw a small 90° corded drill motor type sander on DIY Network the other day and wonder if anyone knows a source. It was small and looked rather easy to use. I have both 2" and 3" round, flexible pads which I can use in a drill motor, however the drills I have are somewhat cumbersome for that application.

[Matt Meiser]

Ken is this what you are talking about?
http://www.tools-for-woodworking.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=47

[Ken Salisbury]

Ken is this what you are talking about?
http://www.tools-for-woodworking.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=47


BINGO - Thats it -- Thanks !!!!

[Matt Meiser]

Milwaukee makes an almost identical one as well, at least they did a few years ago. Sears stocked it at that time.

[Brad Knabel]

The last time I was at Sears I noticed that Craftsman makes one that's considerably lighter and for my smaller hands had a better grip. It's got a 3.2 amp motor vs the 3.5 on the Sioux and I would hazard a guess that it's not as durable as the Sioux or Milwaukee. But, it might be worth a look for light duty sanding at least.

[Andy London]

I have two of the Sioux and they are just amazing......I can't imagine sanding on the lathe without them.

[John Shuk]

I bought mine at WWW.UBID.COM . I got the Milwaukee. I think the MIL. and the Sioux are the same with a different lable. Just go there and search for Milwaukee. I got mine for about $50.00 shipped which was unusually low but I was persistant. The stuff they sell is factory reconditioned. They don't always have them but they usually do. This doesn't link to a particular auction just the site so it should meet the TOS.
John

[Jim Becker]

I use the Souix drill. (Bought from Coastal Tools) It's also available in Milwaukee livery...same tool, different color...Souix makes them both. Wonderful for power sanding!

[Ed Lang]

I bought a unit that looks like that on the bay for $11.50. I know, cheap but it works great and at that price I can afford to try and see how long it will run. Looks just like the others..


Good luck in finding your choice.

[Jim Becker]

One thing....be sure to blow the thing out with air frequently to insure long life. Fine dust will affect the cooling of the tool, etc., if it collects inside and on the windings.

[Gilbert Vega]

I saw a small 90° corded drill motor type sander on DIY Network the other day and wonder if anyone knows a source. It was small and looked rather easy to use. I have both 2" and 3" round, flexible pads which I can use in a drill motor, however the drills I have are somewhat cumbersome for that application.
How about this?
link (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0006BBYNK/qid=1111542623/sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i2_xgl60/002-8517096-7001628?v=glance&s=home-garden&n=507846)

[Dominic Greco]

I saw a small 90° corded drill motor type sander on DIY Network the other day and wonder if anyone knows a source. It was small and looked rather easy to use. I have both 2" and 3" round, flexible pads which I can use in a drill motor, however the drills I have are somewhat cumbersome for that application.

Ken,
I use a Milwaukee close quarters drill which is pretty much the same thing as the Sioux drill. Since I'm always on the lookout for a bargain, I heard of a gent on Ebay who was selling them new (!), in the box, complete with warranty for $60. So I looked into it and bough one as soon as one came up for bid. So far I've been using it for just over 2 years with no problems. I'll say this much, it's a heck of a lot more comfortable to use than a regular drill!

I bought the 2" & 3" Velcro sanding pads from Packard Woodworks as well as the soft and hard foam backing pads that stop the heat generated from getting to the Velcro pad and destroying it. Another nice thing to buy is the 3" extension that will allow you sand into the bottom of some deeper turnings.

HOWEVER, I refuse (!) to pay $20 for those Velcro backed "wave discs" anymore! I found a much better and economical alternative. If you go to Industrial Abrasives.com (http://commerce.riverweb.com:8002/shop.html) and buy a 1 meter x 1 yard sheet of Velcro backed sandpaper (from 100 grit all the way up to 600), you pay $15.00 per sheet! Do you have any idea how many 2" squares you can get from a sheet that is 1 meter x 1 yard? A LOT, that how many! :>) I bought a set of 100, 150, 220, 320, 400 and 600 grit sheets about 1-1/2 years ago and still have enough to last me another year!

I just cut then up with a razor knife and a straight edge. I leave the corners on and they act just like the "wave discs" do. When the sandpaper gets clogged up, I clean it using a crepe rubber cleaning pad I mounted near the lathe.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions

[Dominic Greco]

How about this?
link (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0006BBYNK/qid=1111542623/sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i2_xgl60/002-8517096-7001628?v=glance&s=home-garden&n=507846)

Hey Ken!
That's the same drill I'm using! And at about $30 LESS than I paid for it!

Now THATS a deal!

[Ken Salisbury]

Hey Ken!
That's the same drill I'm using! And at about $30 LESS than I paid for it!

Now THATS a deal!

THANKS GUYS --- JUST ORDERED IT ! ! !

[John Shuk]

Just watch out cause I don't think that is a Milwaukee. Keep us posted on the quality to expense Ken.

[Charlie Plesums]

Is there something special about the Sioux sander, or is it just a good size variable speed drill that happens to work well sanding bowls?

If I didn't want to get another drill at this time, could I just get the sanding pads, like this Highland Hardware bowl sanding kit
http://www.tools-for-woodworking.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=3264

or like the Wave 2 inch ($35) and wave 3 inch ($40)?

It hurts to spend more on sanding pads than on a good bowl gouge. It this really the way to go?

[Cecil Arnold]

You guys are getting expensive, I was just looking in the Packard cat. and thought that the Soux (sp?) would be a nice addition, but too much to spend on another drill, no matter what, but at the price who could refuse. Thanks for the information.

[Jim Becker]

Is there something special about the Sioux sander, or is it just a good size variable speed drill that happens to work well sanding bowls?

The Sioux (and nearly identical Milwaukee which is made by Sioux) are angle head, variable speed corded drills that are easy to manuver into and around turnings.

[Fred Ray]

I've got both a Sioux and a milwaukee. Can't tell a bit of difference except the color. I'm told the are both made by Sioux in North Carolina. I paid full price for the Sioux from Packard 2 years ago. Got the Milwaukee brand spanking new at a flea market in South Carolina for $60 minus the original box. Use both a lot. Both are great. Be aware that the Sioux (I'm not sure about the Milwaukee) comes in two speeds - 0-1300 and 0-2500 RPM. My Sioux is the higher speed. I like the lower speed much better for most bowl sanding. Even though both are variable speed, it's just easier to stay at a slow speed when full open goes slower.