I was convinced my orbital sander was fine for every job for 10 years

Then a guy in my Milwaukee training class last month pointed out the swirls on a 'finished' panel I brought in. What's your go-to sander for final prep now?

4 comments

4 Comments

hayden_craig951mo ago

Oh man, I feel your pain. I had the same rude awakening when a buddy pointed out my "smooth" finish was actually just a very consistent pattern of tiny circles. I finally switched to a Mirka Deros and it's been night and day. The dust extraction alone saves me so much cleanup time, and I swear the variable speed control is the only reason my last project didn't look like a crime scene. Definitely worth the splurge if you're doing any detailed work before paint.

gavin2281mo ago

Switched to a random orbital, my ego still has swirls.

baker.holly1mo ago

Yeah, I gave up on chasing perfect paint years ago. My old truck has a whole galaxy of swirls under a layer of dust, and honestly, it just looks like it's been used.

susan_adams1mo ago

Whole galaxy of swirls" is such a good way to put it, @baker.holly. I mean, my daily driver looks like someone took steel wool to it in certain light. But you're right, it just shows it's not a garage queen. I spent a whole weekend once trying to get a perfect finish on my hood and it looked great for like, two days. Then a bird did its thing or some pollen settled and it was back to looking lived in. Idk, maybe it's just me but I'd rather just drive the thing.