Orbital sanders vs square finish sanders

[Luke McFadden]

I'm just wanting to know why a person would use one or the other? Advantages, disadvantages?

I'm looking into getting a sander for working with canoe paddles for helping in the final stages of finishing.

Thanks SMC!

L

[Jamie Buxton]

The square finish sanders are orbital sanders. Orbital sanders move the sandpaper in a simple circular pattern. Random orbital sanders, which may be what you're thinking of, move the sandpaper in a random way. The random scratches are more difficult to see than the regular pattern of the orbital sanders. That's why random orbitals have pretty much driven orbitals out of the market.

I use random orbitals as my primary sanders. I still have one of those square finish sanders for the sole use of getting into internal corners, like the ones inside a drawer box.

[Matt Day]

There was an article in FWW a while back which dealt with something like this. Basically, ROS's are used for a majority of sanding while the square finish sanders are used for corners and things like legs since they are a little easier to control.

[Kyle Kraft]

I've also read that RO sanders require a little finesse when approaching and departing the workpiece to avoid swirl marks, whereas the 1/4 sheet palm units are more forgiving. Also read that the RO units can remove material faster. I'm still researching before I make my RO purchase.