Edge sander AND/OR Oscillating Spindle Sander?

[gordy haycock]

Just setting up a hobby wood shop to make toys, rocking horses, etc. for the grandkids and to do woodworking projects with my boys. Who knows what else I will find to do with the new tools. I have acquired a PM 2800b drill press, a Laguna 18" bandsaw, a Minimax FS Smart - 12" inch combo jointer/planer, a Hammer B3 winner sliding saw, an older USA made Delta shaper (never used), and a laguna DC.

I also recently purchased a used Supermax 37x2 sander and I would like to add an oscillating spindle sander. My thought was I could just make a jig for the OSC and use it both as a spindle sander and as a quasi edge sander.

What do you guys/gals recommend I do with the spindle/edge sander? Footprint of equipment isn't an issue. I'm just not sure I would use the edge sander that much.

Thanks

[Mike Chalmers]

How big an Spindle sander do you want? If 4" is big enough, I heartily recommend the Ridgid Spindle and edge sander combo. I had one, but 4" wasn't enough for my bandsaw boxes, so I got the full version of each. The Ridgid worked very well. In fact, if it wasn't for the capacity limitation, i would have stayed with it.

[Bruce Page]

I think if I were making full size rocking horses with their thick legs and body parts I would want a full fledged edge sander. Most edge sanders have end drums that you can use for inside curves.

[glenn bradley]

What Bruce said. I found the edge sander many times more useful than I ever would have imagined.

[Kent Adams]

Just setting up a hobby wood shop to make toys, rocking horses, etc. for the grandkids and to do woodworking projects with my boys. Who knows what else I will find to do with the new tools. I have acquired a PM 2800b drill press, a Laguna 18" bandsaw, a Minimax FS Smart - 12" inch combo jointer/planer, a Hammer B3 winner sliding saw, an older USA made Delta shaper (never used), and a laguna DC.

I also recently purchased a used Supermax 37x2 sander and I would like to add an oscillating spindle sander. My thought was I could just make a jig for the OSC and use it both as a spindle sander and as a quasi edge sander.

What do you guys/gals recommend I do with the spindle/edge sander? Footprint of equipment isn't an issue. I'm just not sure I would use the edge sander that much.

Thanks

That's some seriously expensive equipment for a starting hobby workshop.

[Mike Heidrick]

An amazing oes is made by vega. Uses a steel i-beam as a platen and it is graphite coated and 48" long. Machine uses 138" belts. The motors are marathon and a separate baldor one for oscilation if you choose that model. You can add tables at the end for round sanding (not spindle) and on the back. The back can be left flexible or a wooden platen can be added. It is made in decatur IL. Price is somewhere just north of $2k plus any options.

For oss (spindle) I like floor modle import ones like the grizzly. I think jet just released a fancier one but grizzly may be a price leader on new.

[Cary Falk]

I have a Grizzly 1071 OSS and a Jet 6x89 OES. I won't give either up.

[gordy haycock]

That's some seriously expensive equipment for a starting hobby workshop.

I am hoping I can get my boys and grandsons interested in woodworking and can pass the equipment on to them with I get off this big ball. I have bought all of it used, except for the drill press. Even paying retail for that, I am sitting at 52% of current retail value combined for all the equipment. I couldn't pass up some of the deals I have received. I've found over the years that you pretty much get what you pay for. Plus, I scoured this site and others to find out what was top notch equipment before I went looking. This site has been invaluable.

[Steve Kohn]

I have a Grizzly 1071 OSS and a Jet 6x89 OES. I won't give either up.

I also have the Grizz 1071 OSS and the PM version of the Jet edge sander. I found I use the edge sander more that the OSS. I would never give up either.

Since you have been buying used equipment I'd suggest you look for an edge sander that has a 3 phase motor. With a frequency drive you can then make it variable speed. That minimizes burning.

[John C Bush]

I have the Griz 1140 edge sander and a Griz 1071 OSS. Both are good machines for my use. I would recommend, and plan to upgrade to, an edge sander with a long platen and the oscillating feature would save belt burn. I will likely get a Griz(showroom is 1 12 hr drive). Been looking for used but don't show up often, usually monster machines too big for my needs. I had a PM edge sander-also a nice machine- but the table adjustments on the Griz are easier to use. The OSS works great but I rarely use the smaller spindles. The larger sleeves can be spendy and were hard to remove without destroying them until I tried a suggestion from a member here to toss the spindle in the freezer for a few hrs and the sleeves will slide off easily. I rub down the rubber spindle with talcum powder and that seems to help as well. The large table is nice to support large pieces as well. Sanders are more "kid friendly" for your grandkids too.
The edge sander gets a lot more use than the OSS but I would still recommend the larger 1071 over the Rigid, and be sure to get an edge sander with a long platen. JCB

[Jim Andrew]

Wow, you have found some good tools. Most of mine had to purchase new, as there is hardly any turnover of good used machines in my part of Kansas. I bought a 6x89 edge sander on closeout from Wilke machinery, find it to be a very handy machine. Used to sand edges with a hand held belt sander, but now just put doors, all kinds of panels on the edge sander just for a second or 2. Takes off saw marks, planer marks etc, and if you are routering the edges, makes your router cut smoother if you sand it first. And I use the end pulley for sanding round shapes. Mine has a little table on the end for that purpose.

[gordy haycock]

Has anyone used or seen the Rikon 50-250 edge sander? I talked to Rikon about them. They tried making a commercial edge sander but it didn't catch on so they are discontinuing and discounting them. They said there were no known problems with them. It is a 6"x108" with a 30+" platen. It looks like a decent deal at $1299.

[Rick Fisher]

Edge sander all the way.. You will use it 10x more than you ever suspected .. As Bruce said, most edge sanders have access to the back of the rubber wheel for inside curves..

[Martin Wasner]

I have both. The spindle sander is handy, but for my needs not as useful as the edge sander.

[glenn bradley]

Has anyone used or seen the Rikon 50-250 edge sander? I talked to Rikon about them. They tried making a commercial edge sander but it didn't catch on so they are discontinuing and discounting them. They said there were no known problems with them. It is a 6"x108" with a 30+" platen. It looks like a decent deal at $1299.

If you are at that price point and the tool is discontinued, I would just grab a Jet OES-80CS. Its not the best beast out there but, at about a grand it is a nice tool. If you want something more in the neighborhood of the other prime tools you mention, the Vega is a workhorse. Having owned an oscillating edge sander for awhile, if I had my wishes it would be for slower speed, screw adjustments for the table raising/tilting and screw adjustments for the platen tilt. Non of that is required but, if I was designing one . . .