Air Sander

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Goodland, Kansas
Ok slipped away from the wife while Christmas shopping. Have been thinking for awhile about getting a air sander. Looked at the Grex but it said it takes 8 cfm which my compressor won't handle. Mine is a 1.6 hp, 33 gal tank and says 5 cfm at 90 psi. I think that would be closer to 4 cfm at 90 psi. A bigger compressor is out of the question mostly because of size (small shop) and money. Anyway saw a Ingersoll Rand 301 air sander that said it takes 3 cfm to run at full tilt which I think could be lived with. It has a 1/4" collet which would take my sanding pads. Does anyone use a air sander or have any recommendations on one that would work on my compressor?
 
Bernie, I call my Grex the "magic scratch eraser". By the time I included the 5 hp 20 cfm compressor to go with it, it's about the second most expensive tool in my shop, but it has been worth it to me. I also have a 3" Metabo electric ROS, but there are some things that just need the smaller 2" disks and the deeper reach of the Grex. I don't know if this one's any good, but at least it uses the smaller disks:

http://www.harborfreight.com/air-angle-sander-93629.html

As far as I can tell, though, it's only an orbital sander, not a random orbital sander. That'd make a big difference in the finish quality. The Apprentice sander Bill linked to is a random orbital sander, although I suspect the 4 cfm spec is kind of optimistic. (The Grex specs used to also say something like 3 or 4 cfm.) I also use a right-angle drill along the lines of the one Bart linked to, but here again, that's essentially an orbital sander, not a random orbital sander.
 
Thanks guys I appreciate the info. I called Grex and also got some info from Vince. So I think I am going to bite the bullet and order it. Vince has the best price. A friend told me the same thing Vince did. He said use the angle drill for the heavier grits 80 to 220 and then use the Grex from 280, 320, 400, 600. My buddy said it definitely gives him excellent surface. My buddy told me the same thing Grex did that if you turn the speed/air down with the adjustment to around 8,000 he thought it would be fine for woodturning. Guess we will see. So guess after getting the go ahead from the LOML of 44 yrs this month (gloat) and she said if the compressor doesn't do it we would talk about it. I guess I will order it with Vince's Cera-Max pink discs. He seems thinks that will give me a superior surface. Wooohoooo
 
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Thanks Tim. It is amazing to go back to my high school reunions and find very few who have weathered the years.

Back when I was in the Marine Corps, and of course, getting transferred around frequently, we'd often run into old aquaintances. Often, when asking "How's the wife (or husband)" the answer would be something like "She/he's fine - but it's not the same one as I had the last time I saw you..." Happened a lot.:eek:
 
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