# 1/4 Sheet Finish Sander



## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

I am looking to buy a 1/4 sheet finish sander. I do not currently own one.

I have looked at a lot of them online (PC, Ridgid, Milw, Makita, etc.) and a common trait I am seeing in a large number of reviews has to due with the fact that there are problems with a lot of the sanders keeping the sanpaper on the pads. 

Can you all give me your input on a decent sander to buy? I am not looking for anything really high end at all. Just something to get the job done in the 50 to 100 dollar range. 

Thanks


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Tom5151 said:


> I am looking to buy a 1/4 sheet finish sander. I do not currently own one.
> 
> I have looked at a lot of them online (PC, Ridgid, Milw, Makita, etc.) and a common trait I am seeing in a large number of reviews has to due with the fact that there are problems with a lot of the sanders keeping the sanpaper on the pads.
> 
> ...


I have several, but wind up using a ROS. The hassle of cutting up sheets, and having to clip them in took all the fun out of sanding (if you call it that).










 







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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

Tom5151 said:


> I am looking to buy a 1/4 sheet finish sander. I do not currently own one.
> 
> I have looked at a lot of them online (PC, Ridgid, Milw, Makita, etc.) and a common trait I am seeing in a large number of reviews has to due with the fact that there are problems with a lot of the sanders keeping the sanpaper on the pads.
> 
> ...


Hi Tom - the first thing I look for in one is that it doesn't have an aluminum plate. I had a Skil once with aluminum and it left black marks on everything. 
I have a Bosch now that works pretty well and the paper loading is the best I've seen. I'm like cman though in that I only use it where I can't get with the ROS. Given that kind of usage I went to the reconditioned market and picked up this one:
http://www.cpotools.com/factory-rec...h-sheetloc/bshr1297dk-rt,default,pd.html?cgid=
:smile:


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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

Thanks for the input thus far. I am probably leaning more towards getting one (haven't purchased a new tool in a long time...lol) .......this is helpful.......I may end up finding what you guys have in terms of not using it much which is why I don't want to spend a lot.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

The square cornered finish sander doesn't really get right into the corners as you might expect. With the pad and the mounting it's sorta rounded. If I do use one I keep two loose pieces of 1/32" mica and slide them into the corner (vertically). That way when the sander gets to the two walls of the corner it doesn't make chatter marks. You could also use a scraper in the corner. That works pretty good.










 







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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

cabinetman said:


> The square cornered finish sander doesn't really get right into the corners as you might expect. With the pad and the mounting it's sorta rounded. If I do use one I keep two loose pieces of 1/32" mica and slide them into the corner (vertically). That way when the sander gets to the two walls of the corner it doesn't make chatter marks. You could also use a scraper in the corner. That works pretty good.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yeah I wondered about that very thing. I can see where it would get into the corners better than a ROS but wasn't exactly sure how much better. From what you are saying it sounds like there is still a bit of manual work to do which I expected there would be.


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## CJWillie (Oct 31, 2011)

Of all the 1/4 sheet sanders that I have used, I keep going back to the Porter-Cable. I have one that is over 20 years old and still going strong. It also leaves the least amount of swirl marks that can ruin a project. I use my ROS more but a 1/4 sheet sander does come in handy!


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Tom, I've been using the same Makita 1/4 sheet sander since I was painting houses back in the mid 80's. I've replaced the bushings twice and the bearing once. One new felt pad (dropped it on a sharp corner and tore it up) too. Thing still works like a champ.


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## MastersHand (Nov 28, 2010)

CJWillie said:


> Of all the 1/4 sheet sanders that I have used, I keep going back to the Porter-Cable. I have one that is over 20 years old and still going strong. It also leaves the least amount of swirl marks that can ruin a project. I use my ROS more but a 1/4 sheet sander does come in handy!


Def Agree the Porter Cable has always been reliable . Any other I have tried don't oscillate correctly and leave swirls

Sent from my iPhone using Wood Forum


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## CJWillie (Oct 31, 2011)

Tom5151 said:


> I have looked at a lot of them online (PC, Ridgid, Milw, Makita, etc.) and a common trait I am seeing in a large number of reviews has to due with the fact that there are problems with a lot of the sanders keeping the sanpaper on the pads.


I have never had a problem with the PC holding sandpaper of any grit. I run everything from 60 grit to micron paper and they all stay put. I worked in several cabinet shops and most use PC's, and for good reason, they are the best. They stand up to a lot of abuse and keep going. They do the job well and pricewise they are a lot cheaper than a lot of the higher end imports and work as well. Most of my power hand tools are PC, and over 20 years old (bought new), and work as well today as when I bought them. If I have to replace any of them, PC is the first tools I will look at. Hopefully they are as good today as they were back then.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

I have a "Tool Shop" brand 1/4 sheet sander that I picked up at Menards about 10 yrs ago. It has worked well and I have no complaints other than the clips that hold the paper on are not the best. I've used a Makita and a few others with far superior mechanisms for holding the paper on. My cheapo sander uses metal spring clips, but the Makita has a metal bar that clamps the paper on either end. (Okay, I am admittedly not describing either very well.)


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## tvman44 (Dec 8, 2011)

I bought a couple of B&D 1/4 sheet palm sanders about 20 years ago and love them, one has a felt pad the other has a rubber pad. One of them got borrowed by one of our sons and is never to be seen again so I will have to buy another, I like having 2 of them.


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

The orbital sanders leave marks much more so than random orbit sanders. They don't have a dust collection feature, transfer more vibration to the user and are much slower getting the job done. I have both the 1/4 and 1/2 sheet Rockwell sanders and never use them anymore, they are obsolete.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Hammer1 said:


> The orbital sanders leave marks much more so than random orbit sanders. They don't have a dust collection feature, transfer more vibration to the user and are much slower getting the job done. I have both the 1/4 and 1/2 sheet Rockwell sanders and never use them anymore, they are obsolete.


A 1/2 sheet sander sounds pretty darn big. Maybe it is a 1/3 sheet?










 







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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

cabinetman said:


> A 1/2 sheet sander sounds pretty darn big. Maybe it is a 1/3 sheet?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks again for all the tips guys. Have to decided to put the purchase on hold until I have a true need for the sheet sander....I should be abe to get by with ROS and hand sanding for now...


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

I was given a Makita years ago that was less than 6 months old, I know why the original owner avoided the question when I tried giving it back to him, repeatedly... Now I know Ryobi isn't known for top shelf stuff, and the reviews I see on Home Depots site for the sander are awful. But honestly, I have had mine now for 3 years, used on wood, metal, drywall you name it, and it has held up fine. It's easy to change paper over, holds nice and firm, doesn't have pieces falling off like the Makita did... 

For what it's worth, I also have a ROS, that I use a LOT more... The quarter sheet machine tends to sit a lot...


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## JohnK007 (Nov 14, 2009)

I've got a Porter Cable and a Skil that I got at an industrial auction. I use the PC more than the Skil. Had to replace the pad tho. Neither would replace my ROS.


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## MastersHand (Nov 28, 2010)

Today I am more confident that the Porter Cable is the Best 1/4 sheet sander. Finisher brought in a Brand new Makita. Prepped a panel and when stain went on SWIRLS (Frustrating) Took it out hit it with the Porter Cable reapplied stain perfect. I don't get it. They don't Oscillate correctly

Sent from my iPhone using Wood Forum


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

cabinetman said:


> A 1/2 sheet sander sounds pretty darn big. Maybe it is a 1/3 sheet?
> 
> I said it had been a long time since I used mine, LOL. It probably is 1/3 sheet, I'm not even sure where mine is. It is a 505. The big difference on the Rockwell/PC orbital sanders is the orbit speed which I think was 10,000 OPM. This was far greater than other similar sanders. They are still not random orbit and that's what makes the difference in leaving marks. Mostly I remember eating dust from those old sanders.


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## Cliff (Feb 5, 2012)

I have two PC Speed Bloks
I like them rather well. 
The older one is close to 30 some odd years old and was made much more heavily than the newer one. 

There are some really good sanders out there but you pay a fair penny foe the better ones. I've seen 'em for as much as $300


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## gstanfield (Dec 23, 2011)

Can't say anything for the newer ones, but I have two Makita 1/4 sheet sanders bought in the mid 80's and they are both still going strong. I think I replaced some bearings or something back in the 90's but nothing since then. They don't get used as much as the RO anymore so I guess they'll last forever!


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