Replies

1. 
   kreuzie | Jan 15, 2009 06:19am | #1

   Make sure you have a compressor with a very LARGE capacity. Pneumatic sanders gulp a bunch of air. Check the cfm requirements on the tool you intend to use.

   kreuzie

1. 
   mmur | Jan 15, 2009 06:25am | #2

   The comp. is 160psi

1. 
   FrankDrackman | Jan 15, 2009 06:36am | #4

   The PSI rating is nice to know but I believe that Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM), along with size of storage tank, are far more important in helping to determine if you have the volume to run a particular tool.

1. 
   mmur | Jan 16, 2009 05:31pm | #8

   Thanks for the advise on air sanders. I think I'll sick with the electric orbit sander I have

1. 
   dmdnk | Jan 17, 2009 08:27am | #10

   I've always loved my Dynabrade sanders but have recently had the opportunity (meaning busted compressor) to try out an electric RO sander.  It was a Dewalt (dw420?) I was impressed at how well it worked.  It's alot taller than an air sander, which took some getting used to, but it performed well.  The differences that I noticed were more about convenience than performance.  If you're looking at electric sanders, I would recommend checking it out.

   David

2. 
   philjohnwilliams | Jan 15, 2009 06:35am | #3

   The psi is not the main issue, it is the cubic feet per minute (cfm) Air sanders can eat as much as 10+cfm, so you need a compressor that can keep up.  A compressor that can put out something in the area of 18-20cfm would not be overkill to run an air sander (IMHO).

   All that said, I love air sanders. They have a lower center of gravity than electric sanders, which seems to make them easier to control and less tiring to use.  They also seem to last longer than their electric counterparts.  The shop I worked in ran their sanders 40+ hours a week and in five years I don't recall one ever needing service.  A drop or two of oil at the start of a shift and a quick cleaning at the end was all it took.

   -philjohnwilliams

3. 
   ring | Jan 15, 2009 09:06am | #5

   As others have said, it's important to have a compressor with lots of CFM to keep the sander going, and a big tank is also helpful. Air sanders have 2 great advantages:
   1. They are lightweight, since there's no motor involved.
   2. They are by far the most reliable tools, with practically zero repairs needed, even under continuous working conditions.

   I have 2 in the shop - a 6" Dynabrade which is an industry standard, and a 6" Mirka which is also very nice.

   David Ring

   http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e

4. 
   jako17 | Jan 15, 2009 05:15pm | #6

   I second david on Dynabrade just make sure you have enough c.f.m . All air sanders including in line ones are air hogs.

5. 
   thomland | Jan 16, 2009 05:53am | #7

   Air powered sanders are very efficient at what they do. You'll need a serious air compressor however to handle those tools.

    At lease 5 hp, 220Volt, with at least an 80 gal or larger tank. Especially if you are spraying finishes at the same time others are sanding.  More than a couple of sanders in operation will require an even larger compressor.

   I fell into that trap and my compressor would run so hard you could hardly touch the air tank without getting burned. The air then, being hot, would carry moisture, as a vapor, right through the water filters into the spray equipment where it would condense and revert to a liquid (water filters will remove water as a liquid but not as a vapor). This also happened at the sanding stations where the condensation would spray from the exhaust ports onto whatever was being sanded.

   The answer then was to invested more $$ and install an inline dryer to cool the air and condense the moisture before it got into the tools. 

   Now, here's my question:Unless you have a LARGE shop and enough work to justify the expense, why would you want to power a 5 inch dual action sander with a 5hp motor and other required equipment.

   Purchase new sanders every 6 months and throw the tired/broken ones away. You'll be way ahead cost wise in the longrun. 

    

6. 
   [email protected] | Jan 17, 2009 07:34am | #9

   I used to work in autobody shops, and have a good selection of air sanders.

   The problem I had with air sanders for wood working, was that I ended up with moisture in the tank and lines. Even with water traps and separators, and draining the tank every night.

   The water would condense at the exhaust of the sander and then drip onto the wood leaving a stain.

   I bought several electric sanders, and haven't looked back.