Replies

1. 
   Frozen | Dec 14, 2006 12:12am | #1

   In an informal poll/thread a while back this tool was voted the biggest disappointment/waste of money among several choices. The Ryobi detail sander (a poor substitute for the Fein multimaster) was a contender, but fewer people had bought them.

   It's possible that a power tool exists that can sand profiles efficiently, but I doubt it.

   “Expectation strolls through the spacious fields of Time towards Opportunity.”
   Umberto Eco, The Island of the Day Before
2. 
   billballeza | Dec 14, 2006 01:15am | #2

   I hope you're not talking about the PC 330.. which I just ordered. Yikes!

1. 
   cheerycherry | Dec 14, 2006 02:03am | #3

   Sorry, at work right now, and don't remember the model number. It is about three years old. I dont think they make more than one, but could be wrong.   Marc

1. 
   Ron01960 | Dec 14, 2006 03:31am | #4

   I have one and I find I can use the profiles by hand much better than when its in the machine (tool).  They make two, one is variable speed,

   I'm sure you could by one from the many frustrated non users here.

    

   Ron

1. 
   johnlill | Dec 14, 2006 06:42pm | #9

   I had the Porter Cable profile sander - did a lousy job. I recently purchased the Fein Multimaster. Expensive but a WONDERFUL tool! It is very aggressive and yet does not make your hand feel like it will fall off :)

   John L

2. 
   billballeza | Dec 14, 2006 05:47am | #5

   I looked up PC profile sander on the net and that's not the orbital palm sander (PC 330) I've ordered.

   I also have a De Walt ROS which does a fantastic job.. but have decided to get the PC for rounding over curves on the bandsaw boxes I've started making.

1. 
   cheerycherry | Dec 14, 2006 04:36pm | #6

   Glad to here it. I would not recommend getting the profile sander. Or any profile sander, unless someone weighs in on this line and has had some great success. I just dont think they work very well.   Marc

1. 
   oldusty | Dec 14, 2006 05:42pm | #7

   Hi cheery ,

                I believe the tools you all are speaking of may actually be called "detail sanders " a profile sander can be a machine such as made by Whirlwind that utilizes a wheel usually crepe or abrasive that is shaped to sand certain profiles , moldings and edge details . I have an old Rodgers combo edge / profile sander machine that uses a thin sanding belt to bend to fit the different profiles needed .On the machine I have you make a  mold of the opposite of the profile you want to sand , then engage the profile shoe that holds the desired mold .

                                 dusty

2. 
   cheerycherry | Dec 14, 2006 06:10pm | #8

   You are right. Actually the PC tool is called a profiler, but in reality they are detail sanders, small hand held tools to get into nooks and corners and tight areas. These are the ones that i am referring to.  Thanks for the clarification. Marc

3. 
   Stanleysander | Dec 02, 2014 11:16am | #17

   And the technology changes again...

   That's all true.  But Oldusty's machine with it's belt-sander/block setup is outdated too...

   Modern dedicated sanding machines have replace the belt/block setups with precision sanding wheels like those produced at Turbosand which can sand complicated profiles & moldings.  They're easier to setup & use and provide a superior finish.  The sanded parts are more consistent than you can ever achieve with a block or a hand-held sander.  There's a version from Germany that's more expensive, but we prefer the USA manufactured Turbosand products for all of our raised-panels, door-edges, finger-pulls, and even some of the routed parts....

3. 
   mudman | Dec 14, 2006 09:42pm | #10

   As you know the only detail snder out there that is worth a damn is the Multimaster. The PC has been declared as junk by about everyone. I have been waiting to get a multimaster far a long time. Last weekend I went to a wwing show and Fein had a booth with several multimasters set up, including their comercial model. I have to say that I was very unimpressed. I have been useing "tadpoles" with high quality adhesive paper for years now, and I am positive that the multimaster was not faster. I couldnt believe what I was seeing because I was convinced that this was the tool that would end the hours and often days spent hand sanding. I messed with it for 30 minutes trying different grits and profiles, but it was definately not faster. The paper loaded up too fast to sand effeciently and it noticably wore the ends of the paper more than the middle, I supose this was due to the arc-like movement of the head. It also buzzed like crazy. I know it was more hand numbing than any other sander in my shop, except maybe the orbital sander I never use.

   I would still like to have one but I dont think that I would use it as a profile sander.

   Pardon my spelling,

   Mike

   Make sure that your next project is beyond your skill and requires tools you don't have. You won't regret it.

4. 
   jackplane | Dec 14, 2006 10:11pm | #11

   The B&D sander is crud. The vibrations will give you wrist pain. The fein I used once was smooth and worked very well.

   But you're spending a lot of money for a single purpose tool that works, by nature, slowly.  I think it's more efficient to sand parts other ways unless your work is specifically to refinish/rehab furniture.

    

1. 
   Frozen | Dec 14, 2006 11:11pm | #12

   Just to be clear, the Multimaster is not a profile sander, although the PC profile sander does have an attachment that makes it behave in a manner similar (but much inferior to) the Multimaster. The profile sander has a set of rubber profile shapes (like the tadpoles mentioned above), which fit in a slot on the base of the machine. The rubber profile shapes oscillate along the axis of the profile. The sandpaper is adhesive backed, but doesn't stick very well. The sanding action requires that the sander be held exactly parallel to the profile, otherwise the oscillating motion causes the sander to scoot forward or backward. It has been unused and collecting dust in my shop for years. I think I will put it out of its misery tonight. “Expectation strolls through the spacious fields of Time towards Opportunity.”
   Umberto Eco, The Island of the Day Before

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Dec 15, 2006 07:36am | #13

   The Fein MultiMaster does have an attachment that accepts a variety of profile sanding platens (the tadpoles).    

1. 
   Frozen | Dec 15, 2006 03:56pm | #14

   Ah - enlightenment. My knowledge of the multimaster is through my brother's unit, which did not come with this attachment. “Expectation strolls through the spacious fields of Time towards Opportunity.”
   Umberto Eco, The Island of the Day Before

5. 
   cynwyd | Dec 15, 2006 07:47pm | #15

   I bought a number of boxes at deep discount of the PC profiles for hand sanding, which I'm pleased with. A profile sander line called tadpole (Lee Valley?) is also good.

   The PC sander never looked credible, a rare miss by PC.

1. 
   BilWil | Dec 16, 2006 01:39am | #16

   Festool has a profile sander that works very well, at least for me.  I use it to sand custom crown and custom mold.  Of course I didn't have to pay for it, the boss bought it.