Hand Held Bowl Sander and Disk Review

[Christopher K. Hartley]

I thought this might be helpful to the new folks. I now wish I had known of it earlier in my spinny experience.

What:

A.] 2" Hand Bowl Sander from Woodcraft
B.] 2" New Wave Velcro Sanding Disks
[Click for Picture] (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=77935&d=1198676005)


Prior Method: Hand sanded; Power sanded with electric drill. Used various types of sand paper. and grits up to 600.

Performance: Excellent for the following reasons




Fast - less than 1/2 the time spent sanding
Disks cut nicely
Two passes per grit at most to get job done
Quick pad changes and easy alignment with pad tabs
Quality Job

no sanding rings left
very smooth
Cooler operation, less heat generated
Tabs easily sand corners
Less Sand Paper Used

Disks don't load easily
less time needed against bowl for less disk wear
Easy Handling

not heavy and awkward like drill motor
adjustable head for different positions
Wide Grit Selection

Grits from 60 to 800
Trade-offs:
While there is a small learning curve to get a proper feel for the tool, Other than that, I have found no disadvantages at all. I would recommend this tool as a must have for every new turner. Hope this helps someone.:)

[Jerry Pittman]

If is is the same tool I got from Woodcraft about a year ago, it is very handy but I feel that it has a design flaw. The steel shaft goes through, and rotates in, a hole in a steel block and consequently wears badly. Everybody knows that dissimilar metals will last better that similar metals in such a setting. For a couple bucks more, they could have put in a couple bearings and made a great tool instead of a mediocre one. The instructions say to oil the shaft lightly. I know what lightly means but you still get black specks of dirty, metal particle ridden oil thrown out onto your project eventually. Mine basically seized in the block more than once.
I called Woodcraft corporate customer service about it and was transferred to a tech support person who agreed that you can't lubricate steel-on-steel with 'light' oiling for very long and the design wasn't appropriate for what it was supposed to do.
YMMV
Jerry

[Ben Gastfriend]

Thanks. I've been thinking about either picking one up or making one. Are there bearings in that thing?

Thanks for the review; you just about convinced me!



(MY 150th POST)

[Mike Peace]

I have one and like it a lot once I figured out how to use it. I found that the key is power sanding when needed with 80 and/or 120 grit before switching to the inertia sander. Here is some feedback I got on this tool from an earlier post.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=651533#post651533

[robert hainstock]

Steel on steel, Bad design. PSI has sme tool, same
problem(s). :eek:
Bob

[robert hainstock]

So what do you do now?

[John Taylor]

HI

I have had a few different makes of these sanders and had problems with all of them because of the problems Jerry mentioned. Most of them only lasted a few weeks before giving problems.

I now use the Vicmark one HERE (http://www.vicmarc.com/default.asp?contentID=547) it has double sealed bearings on the shaft so runs very smooth and easily, and best of all doesnt need oiling so no dirty marks on the wood.

I would recomend this sander without reservation.

john

[Bernie Weishapl]

I got the one at Woodcraft. Didn't take long and it was in the trash but got the 3" holder for my angle drill and use the wavey disc's. Works good. About one pass or two per grit as Chris said.

[Bob Hallowell]

Chris,
I went through 2 of them. 1 month each til they were trash. I am looking at the one at monster tool now.

Bob

[Allen Neighbors]

I made mine with Dowel Rod, 1/4x20 allthread, and rollerblade wheels. Contact cemented some rubber from flip/flop sandals as pads. Contact cement sticks the velcro, also. They work well. Wouldn't trade 'em for anything else.
You can make them as large or as small a diameter as you desire. Just hold them on an angle against a 50 grit belt sander, 'til they get to the right size. Used Rollerblades (8 wheels) cost about $3-$6 a pair at a flea market.
I've never used the wavy disks... but I've heard they are really worth the buy!
Since this pic was taken, I've made enough to go from 80 through 400 grit, plus a few extra that are smaller diameter.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=69730

[EDDIE GLAZE]

I Had One Wore The Shaft Out On The Pad. Trashed It, Bought A Porter Cable Angle Air Grinder ,1/4 And 3/16 Collet Use It With Air Or Without Air Had It For 3 Years Still Going Strong. I Use It Mostly Without Air. Happy New Years Everybody.

[Bob Hallowell]

Just got an email back from Randy at monster-tool talking about his sander which is only around $30 also


Bob,

I use a combination of two bearings, an oilite bearing the the shaft spins on and a ball bearing that the shaft sets on in the bottom of the hole. This combination keeps the shaft from gaulding.


Randy

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Ouch!!:confused::o

[Gordon Seto]

Chris,
I went through 2 of them. 1 month each til they were trash. I am looking at the one at monster tool now.

Bob

Instead of trashing, they should be returned to Woodcraft. Woodcraft has a satisfaction guarantee policy. I am not advocating to misuse the return privilege, those are legitimate returns.
If they can get away with selling junk, we are going to get junks in the future.

Gordon

[Jack Savona]

I was dissatisfied with the performance of my Woodcraft generic sander and returned it to Woodcraft. Bought their Sorby sandmaster and have been very pleased with it for the past two years. Use it a lot.

[Dave Noon]

I received a Sorby Sandmaster for Xmas and was swithering on whether to keep it or exchange it for something else. SWMBO wasn't sure when she bought it so said if I don't need to swap it.
I currently use an electric drill with a similar head to the Sorby. I also have the wave discs.
Is the Sorby worth keeping?
Dave

[Bill Wyko]

Chris, does yours have the sealed bearing in the front of it? I got one and it has a bearing. As far as the books go, those 2 books are what got me doing this in the beginning. Both are the best books i've come across so far. One other thing I like about the sander is that I remove the shaft and put the sander in my drill press and use it to clean up the bottom of a turning. I like mine so far but I haven't had it very long either.

[Bob Hallowell]

Chris,
My wife had ordered me one for my birthday and the website showed one with a bigger shaft that looks like it might have some bearings, but that's not the one that showed up. it was the old style one that everyone was talking bad about. I called woodcraft and the looked at the pic on there website and said it was different than what they had at there warehouse. I decided to keep it and try my luck again and that one went in a month also.

That was 6 months ago and maybe you got one of the new ones.

Mine looked like the second pic which is the same as CSUSA sales under the aprentice brand and the first pic is what wood craft has had on their site for awhile but not the one they had when my wife ordered 6 months ago.

Bob
ps. sorry if we were to harsh but I feel as I threw $60 away on those things

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Thanks for all the great input everyone. I still want to stress for the new folks that this is a far superior way of sanding than the way I started out. :)

[EDDIE GLAZE]

I Agree, It`s Superior. I Also Hand Sand. Explation, Hand Sand With 120 Grit, Power Sand With 150 Grit, Hand Sand 180 Grit, Etc. Doing It This Way When All The Hand Sanding Lines Are Gone From Power Sanding Then I Go To The Next Grit & Hand Sand. Etc. Simler To Polishig Injection Moulds.