Makita R/A drill for interior sanding?

[Mike Haydon]

I have a battery operated Makita right angle drill I hope to use for sanding bowls on the lathe. Seeking recommendations for sanding pads? arbor?

Forgive the terminology, respond to what I MEANT to say =0)

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

Kent Weakly (www.turnawoodbowl.com) has an article on this: Recommended Sanding Equipment. I started using some of the Mirka mesh pads. Expensive, but they last a long time.

 

[Chris Lawrence]

I like the blue discs from vinces woodenwonders https://vinceswoodnwonders.com/product/blueflex-velcro-backed-discs/ They are oversized and he sells foam interface pads with rounded edges for them to sand out insides of bowls. Besides the discs you would need a backup pad and I would recommend rounded and flat interface pads.

 

[Wally Crawford]

I have been very please with the green wave discs from Woodturners Wonders. They seem to last a long time and are both wavy and oversized to work on the interior of bowls.

 

[Paul M. Kaplowitz]

I tried them all over the years and Mirka is the best I found. They are sold by Steve at Turningwood.

 

[robo hippy]

Out of all the discs I have tried, the blue ones from Vince seem to best deal for price and durability, and I prefer the over sized discs. I can get several bowls out of one set of discs. I do prefer an angle drill to a right angle drill, and use the Milwaukee angle drills. There are cheap ones available, but I prefer one that is worth having rebuilt from time to time rather than toss it away. Slow sanding speeds on both lathe and drill. It is a traction thing. Too fast and you send dust everywhere, but don't move too far. Slower speeds give your abrasives time to dig in and cut, and don't generate heat. I did try a battery version of an angle drill, and the battery didn't last for one bowl. I think the plug in variety is far better.

robo hippy

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

I Use Mirka Gold from Turningwood.com . To make it easier to change grits I use the Roloc system sold by Wood Turners Wonders. Ken at Wonders has both round and hex mandrels for the roloc. The blue in the picture came from an estate but not to my taste.

 

[Darryn Achall]

The mirka mesh discs are a bit more expensive. They last so long and save me some time. I believe they are cost effective in the long run. I also like the result.

 

[Rusty Nesmith]

Woodturners Wonders has some great sanding kits. I bought this kit there.

 

[Steve Chaplin]

For the arbor and pads using Woodturners Wonders Roloc system with a foam interface pad, like Rusty showed above.

My use by grit:

• 80-120 Mirka Abranet mesh - are great at lower grits, the mesh doesn't clog easily can be knocked to loosen any sawdust in the mesh, last a long time.
• 150, 180, 240, 320 - 3 3/8" Vince's green flex disc. Similar to the blue a little more aggressive at these grits than the blue
• 400 and up - 3 3/8" Vince's blue flex disc.
• I also use some Mirka Gold for non-power sanding. It is the best but expensive and does not come in 3" oversized which I prefer for power sanding.
• Mirka Abranet 500-4000 - for rubbing out finish, after 4000 use a compound. Pneumatic random orbital used instead of drill

 

[Dave Hulett]

I have been very please with the green wave discs from Woodturners Wonders. They seem to last a long time and are both wavy and oversized to work on the interior of bowls.

I haven't had such luck. I had gotten low on a number of grits so I ordered a bunch over a year ago.. but I am about to chuck $50 worth. they won't stay on a pad. I have plenty of pads to try them with as well as Klingspor disc's to compare to. Now I will say that the ones I bought were lower grits 80,100,120 (what I needed at the time) but the backing just doesn't have the holding power. I thought perhaps they would be suited to higher grits but I'm going back to Klingspor.

 

[Curt Fuller]

I love Vince's Wooden Wonder blue discs and his interface pads. But as for that Makita drill, I'd say save it for more dignified work. Sanding ruins drills regardless of how good they are. You can go through 5 or 6 harbor freight right angle drills for what that one Makita costs.