Power Sanding - what is your favorite drill?

[Damon McLaughlin]

I'm using an inexpensive Black and Decker drill to power sand with. It has a keyless chuck but it requires two hands to use. I would prefer a keyless chuck like the one that is on my cordless drill that requires only one had to tighten and loosen. I'm curious as to what you guys use to power sand with and your feedback on it.

[Tim Passmore]

Cheap Harbor Freight drill. I think I got it on sale for under $10 and it has served me well. I'm guessing over 200 bowls sanded to date.

[Bob Bergstrom]

I sand a lot. My hearing is already bad and the noise of a drill can be a contributing factor. I also have experienced soreness in my thumb joint when the drill is rotating against it. I have two Milwaukee close quarter drills. I bought them because all the gears are metal and now the bearings are in a metal frame. Most cheap drills have plastic gears and the rear bearing is housed in plastic. If you don’t abuse them they will work. I do some good size bowls so sanding can take awhile.

[John Keeton]

Interesting timing. My Neiko close quarter drill bought in 2010 just died and after researching the creek for recommendations, the Neiko and the Harbor Freight - https://m.harborfreight.com/38-in-variable-speed-reversible-close-quarters-drill-60610.html?utm_referrer=direct%2Fnot%20provided were the two most recommended so yesterday I bought the HF with a 20% coupon at $24. The keyless version is a bit
more money, but I prefer the keyed model.

I don’t power sand a lot - usually only open bowls and most of those are ogee. The Neiko gave me many years of service, but I thought I would try the HF. One can find the Neiko for $35-40.

I did take apart my Neiko to see if it could be revived and it does have metal gears. I don’t know about the newer models.

While there are those that recommended the higher end tools ($100+), there wasn’t much consistency of them outlasting the cheaper alternatives and certainly not 3-4 times as long. As to Bob’s concerns, they may be quieter, but I have no experience with the high end drills.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I use my brushless Dewalt cordless. I'm thinking the dust I create won't harm it...... The new LiIon batteries charge faster than you can use them so having the drill unavailable is no longer a problem.

[Randy Heinemann]

I’m a beginner but the Harbor Freight right angle VS was recommended by the instructor of a turning class I took. It works great. I wasn’t able to get it quite as cheap as others at the time but it still was about $35. I have not been sorry I bought it so far.

[Dave Bunge]

Another vote for the Harbor Freight right angle drill.

I bought one about 6 years ago and it's still going strong after sanding well over 100 bowls. I bought another one to have a back up. One has a keyed chuck, the other a keyless chuck. I greatly prefer the keyless chuck. I haven't had any trouble with the sanding mandrel slipping in the keyless chuck. There isn't, or at least shouldn't be, much torque involved when sanding to require a super tight grip in the chuck.

[John K Jordan]

I'm using an inexpensive Black and Decker drill to power sand with. It has a keyless chuck but it requires two hands to use. I would prefer a keyless chuck like the one that is on my cordless drill that requires only one had to tighten and loosen. I'm curious as to what you guys use to power sand with and your feedback on it.

David,

I have and used to get a lot of use from the Milwaukee close quarters drill - easy to hold and control. Will last forever if you keep the dust cleaned out of the inside.

However, I haven't had it out of the drawer for several years now. After hearing about it from Rudy Lopez I switched to a Grex random orbital sander. It takes the same sanding disks but is far superior to a rotating drill for several reasons - one it is much smaller and lighter weight and even easier to control. Two, makes a better scratch pattern than a rotating pad. Three, it works very well at a slow speed, much gentler, much less dust. Between the Grex and the hand scrapers I can sand with much finer paper. The platter I'm finishing now needed nothing coarser than 220 paper. I have mandrel and pads for 1" disks too plus long extensions that will reach to the bottom of a deep turning.

The down side: it needs an air compressor. I don't know the minimum (I have a pretty healthy compressor) but I do know it will operate at the slower speed I like with fairly low pressure. I ran it at about 40 psi the other day as a test. I plumbed air through my shop and have an outlet next to the lathe so it's handy.

374270

Also, it is not exactly cheap.

I also use an inexpensive random orbital palm sander I bought from Ken Rizza. I use it for larger surfaces. It does use more air than the Grex.

JKJ

[Sid Matheny]

I use the same HF drill John Keeton posted a link to and have used it a lot over the past 5 or 6 years. Still works like new.

[robert baccus]

A 3/8" corded drill with a 6" disc does most of my outside bowl and vase sanding on the lathe.. Inside the same drill with a 10" extension and 3" pad are helped by several HF air grinders with 2" pads. The corded drills give higher RPM's which I like. Still using a 15 year old Hitachi by the way.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

I’ve been using the cheaper HF close quarter drill posted by John Keaton for several years. Used to use the more expensive (by $10) HF close quarter drill because it had a keyless chuck. Problem is, $10 doesn’t buy a better drill. I’d pay for the extended warranty and just turn them in when they died for a new one.
The cheaper version has well outlasted it. I tend to sand at slow speed - both the lathe and the drill. everything, including the discs last a lot longer and it doesn’t seem to add to the time required to sand even larger bowls. The keyless chuck isn’t really important to me, I haven’t changed the backing pad/adapter since I put it on.
Getting a good cut and sheer scraping any problem spots before sanding reduces the time spent going through the grits...

[Jay Mullins]

I have used the HF right angle drill motor for quite a while with no issues. At the time of purchase I bought a two year extended warranty, but the drill has out-lasted the warranty and still going strong.

Jay Mullins

[Roger Chandler]

I got 2 new HF right angle drills back in September. My previous one started making a good bit of noise after 3 years of heavy usage, and I took it apart, used high temp grease to lubricate the gears, and put it back together....the grease helped it, but I gave it to a beginner just getting into turning. I was actually quite surprised at the hardened metal gears, and other components that were pretty substantial for such an affordable [cheap :rolleyes:] tool. At any rate, I also got the two year extended warranty on the two new ones, and got a 25% off coupon to use, so I did pretty well. My old one was blue, the new ones are burgundy in color, and are the keyless chuck types [magnesium models]

[Damon McLaughlin]

Thanks for the input. It seems that the HF close quarter drill is very popular and I'll take a look at it the next time I'm in town. My Black and Decker is still going strong but its big and sometimes inconvenient to hold.

JKJ, thanks for the info the pneumatic sander. The specs state it needs 8cfm, my compressor is rated at 2.4cfm which is probably fine for slow speed sanding. But my compressor is quite small and would probably have to cycle quite frequently. I do though like the idea of an orbital sander. Just a note, the Kobalt Quiet Tech 4.3 gallon compressor is very quiet. I have a small 12 x 16 shop and most times I can't hear it running. I would highly recommend it for someone looking for a small compressor.

[Bill Blasic]

For $8 more I'd go with the one with the Magnesium gear housing and rear drill plate. Plus a keyless chuck. I have had the precursor to the current one for over 8 years and it is still running like brand new.

[William C Rogers]

I use the HF model. I also prefer the key type. One thing I have done is plug it into a router speed control so I can lock it on, but limit it to about 50% power. May not be good for the drill, but have been using it like that for over a year.

[John K Jordan]

JKJ, thanks for the info the pneumatic sander. The specs state it needs 8cfm, my compressor is rated at 2.4cfm which is probably fine for slow speed sanding. But my compressor is quite small and would probably have to cycle quite frequently. I do though like the idea of an orbital sander. Just a note, the Kobalt Quiet Tech 4.3 gallon compressor is very quiet. I have a small 12 x 16 shop and most times I can't hear it running. I would highly recommend it for someone looking for a small compressor.

David,

Yes, that compressor might not work. I'll leave you my compressor in my will for when I kick off. You'll just have to come and get it. In fact, you can have the whole shop since the compressor is in a closet with sound insulation. The commute might be an issue.

I'll look up the Quiet compressor. I have a couple of small compressors around the farm and the one at the barn is annoyingly loud.

I wish someone made an small handheld electric ROS that would take the small disks.

JKJ

[David Gilbert]

I used an angle drill for quite a while and it worked OK but had two big problems. First, my hands hurt from holding it while sanding. The second was the noise that it made. I replaced my sump pump and used the old motor to drive a flex shaft that I bought from Garrett Wade. It hangs from a large dowel so I can slide it over to the lathe. I initially hung it from the rafters with a French cleat. Worked great if everyone in the house wanted to hear the motor run. A bungie cord works much better to insulate the noise. The motor runs at 1750 RPM so I run my lathe at its slowest speed. Works well although the 3" disks do put a lot of stress on the flex line.

Cheers,
David

[Reed Gray]

I think I have 4 angle drills, two were Sioux and two were Milwaukee. They were from the days when Sioux made the Milwaukee brand. I figure I get 400 to maybe 500 bowls from them before the bearings are shot, and then I get them rebuilt. I did get one $30 angle drill, but it wasn't Harbor Freight. I got maybe 50 bowls out of it before the speed trigger went dead.

Terminology... There are 2 different styles out there. Some are 'close quarter' and some are 'angle' drills where the chuck comes off the drill body at an angle maybe 20 degrees off of the 'right angle'. The right angle drills are okay for the outside, but don't fit on the inside of a lot of bowls, especially if they are deeper. The standard pistol grip drills will work, but do require two hands to hold.

I have thought about putting a flex shaft on a Milwaukee Hole Hog..... That should be able to hold up well, but I think they are 2 speed rather than variable speed... Still haven't found the ideal set up for lots of sanding. One thing for sure, I want variable speed from maybe as low as 50, to no higher than 600 rpm. Abrasives cut better at slower speeds...

Oh yea, I want the sander to mount on an articulated arm so I don't have to hold it.

robo hippy

[Bob Bergstrom]

I think I have 4 angle drills, two were Sioux and two were Milwaukee. They were from the days when Sioux made the Milwaukee brand. I figure I get 400 to maybe 500 bowls from them before the bearings are shot, and then I get them rebuilt. I did get one $30 angle drill, but it wasn't Harbor Freight. I got maybe 50 bowls out of it before the speed trigger went dead.

Terminology... There are 2 different styles out there. Some are 'close quarter' and some are 'angle' drills where the chuck comes off the drill body at an angle maybe 20 degrees off of the 'right angle'. The right angle drills are okay for the outside, but don't fit on the inside of a lot of bowls, especially if they are deeper. The standard pistol grip drills will work, but do require two hands to hold.

I have thought about putting a flex shaft on a Milwaukee Hole Hog..... That should be able to hold up well, but I think they are 2 speed rather than variable speed... Still haven't found the ideal set up for lots of sanding. One thing for sure, I want variable speed from maybe as low as 50, to no higher than 600 rpm. Abrasives cut better at slower speeds...

Oh yea, I want the sander to mount on an articulated arm so I don't have to hold it.

robo hippy
i really think there is a market now for 3 phase motors with controller hooked to a flex shaft. The prices on a 1 hp 3 phase and controller have dropped quite a bit. Put the motor and controller on a platform on the ways with a lazy Susan bearing so it can swivel. A piece of scrap wood attach to the bottom between the ways so it can slide forward and backward. Flex shaft with a hexagon quick change chuck. Mandrel with a hexagonal shaft and thing it should work well. Set the speed and sand!

[Roger Chandler]

i really think there is a market now for 3 phase motors with controller hooked to a flex shaft. The prices on a 1 hp 3 phase and controller have dropped quite a bit. Put the motor and controller on a platform on the ways with a lazy Susan bearing so it can swivel. A piece of scrap wood attach to the bottom between the ways so it can slide forward and backward. Flex shaft with a hexagon quick change chuck. Mandrel with a hexagonal shaft and thing it should work well. Set the speed and sand!Wow Bob.....that is insightful. Sounds like the best sanding solution I have heard of!

[Dave Ogren]

I think the key to sander life is cleaning it. At every time I change the grit I blow out the sander. This only takes about 10 or 15 seconds.

[Bill Dindner]

I have an Milwaukee 18v Fuel Cordless Drill I use, it’s just the one I have lying around that I don’t care what happens to it.

[Olaf Vogel]

The Dewalt DW849X is the best I’ve ever found.
powerful and won’t over heat. Good handles to control the pad, locking trigger.
speed control to get the right rpms

[Reed Gray]

I think this has possibilities:

https://continentalterrazzosupply.com/flex-shaft.htm

robo hippy

[Tom Hamilton D'ville, GA]

Another option is a drill press with a flexible drive shaft. I'm using a Harbour Freight floor model and the flex shaft from Lee Valley with keyed chuck. Quiet, lightweight, and easy to use.

Merry Christmas, Tom

[Reed Gray]

Oh Tom, you shouldn't have suggested that...... So, the new Nova DVR drill press with a flex shaft........ I have been wanting an excuse to buy one...

robo hippy

[Olaf Vogel]

I think this has possibilities:

https://continentalterrazzosupply.com/flex-shaft.htm

robo hippy


Did you check pricing? You might get sticker shock. :(
These were common, 50 years ago, but now only for specialty trades and use overseas.
High quality, but in the $3k range last I called around.

Which is why I went used, like this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Heavy-Duty-Flex-Shaft-Machine-powerhead-only-3-4hp-baldor/222127566069?epid=1971105002&hash=item33b7d5acf5:g:B0EAAOSwMHdXQ3Dy

Finding a decent 90d head is challenge as well.

[Reed Gray]

Well, the Nova DVR drill press would be considerably cheaper..... I did send them an e-mail...

robo hippy

[Damon McLaughlin]

Couldn't you connect a flex shaft to a variable speed midi lathe?
Our local woodcraft has a Nova DVR drill press, looks pretty stout.

[Olaf Vogel]

Couldn't you connect a flex shaft to a variable speed midi lathe?
Our local woodcraft has a Nova DVR drill press, looks pretty stout.

Any 1 PH motor, with some pulleys and a belt, or
a 3 Ph motor with a tiny VFD.

So 1hp motor local - $50
Delta VFD off eBay - $70
Flexshaft - ?

[Greg Just]

another vote for HF. I had the keyed version for many years and after it died I opted for the keyless and I much prefer the keyed version as it holds the bits much better.

[Reed Gray]

I did forget that I had considered mounting a flex shaft onto a minl lathe. That type of motor should work well. It would have a variable speed that should work, and do well with non stop use.

I did get a response back from Teknatool and it can best be summed up as 'Hmm, we never thought of that...' The DVR motor would be over kill, but I couldn't wear it out. If, well, when I get the DVR drill, if it was on wheels, I could move it to the turning room...... Now to find flex shaft sources, heavier than the Fordham set up... The quest continues...

robo hippy