Dust free hand sanders

[opps]

Although I own 6 different festool sanders I decided to buy a Mirka hand sander this week.

I was worried about the noise of sanding peeing off the clients (they work from home and i am working in the hlalway).

I got this one from Axminster

http://www.axminster.co.uk/mirka-sanding-blocks-with-extraction-ax851921

I am only using it on the door frames. They seem to have been previously painted (badly) with waterbased eggshell which is a mare to sand flat. My festool paper (both Brilliant and Granat) is going blunt really quickly but the Abranet sheets seem to be happier dealing with the WB finish.

Prior to buying the Mirka, I had been holding the dust extractor hose in one hand and using a cork sanding block. The level of dust was noticeable. Now with the Mirka connected to my CT Midi dust extractor, the dust is (visually) negligible.

I am happy with it (thus far). I only purchased a 50 box of 120G paper, on reflection 80g might have been better.

I wish that they sold contoured versions, and ones that you can shape to match the molding, pretty much like my festool linear LS130 sander.

Nevertheless it is a great bit of kit and wayyyy cheaper than the Festool dust free sanding blocks. However, having previously used their Abranet sanding disks on my Rotex 150 ruined the £40ish backing pad, perhaps I should get an interface pad.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

 

[footprints]

Yes great tools I have this one. http://www.axminster.co.uk/mirka-handy-sanding-block-80-x-230mm-502673

Really good at dust extraction, but you must change the dust bag on the vac frequently or it will start smoking and die like my last Henry did!

 

[mattylad]

Is Opps a human\spider hybrid?? sander in each spiddy hand? what do you hold the 7th with?

Maybe you should post that as a review on the axminster site?

 

[opps]

I purchased the smaller block (70*125).

You might want to consider buying a Festool Midi dust extractor. They have a thermal cut out on the motor. To date I have only caused it to kick in once. I was sanding a lot of Toupret filler and forgot to tap the bag to release the dust stuck to the surface of it. If I know that I am about to sand lots of bag clogging filler, I scrunch up lots of toilet paper and suck it up in the hope that the dust will cling to it rather than the bag. Seems to help but far from scientific.

 

[SammyInnit]

I purchased the smaller block (70*125).

You might want to consider buying a Festool Midi dust extractor. They have a thermal cut out on the motor. To date I have only caused it to kick in once. I was sanding a lot of Toupret filler and forgot to tap the bag to release the dust stuck to the surface of it. If I know that I am about to sand lots of bag clogging filler, I scrunch up lots of toilet paper and suck it up in the hope that the dust will cling to it rather than the bag. Seems to help but far from scientific.

I've been looking for a decent extractor for a while. I have workshop extractors but they're not portable at all. I've looked at no end and currently the nilfisk look like the best bang for the buck. Comparable to the high-end festool CT you can get more for less so to speak. I know if you're on the festool platform it's already a very attractive machine.

 

[opps]

Is Opps a human\spider hybrid?? sander in each spiddy hand? what do you hold the 7th with?

If I could use 8 sanders simultaneously I would probably be able to pay for a pension fund and not have to hope that that in my dotage I will be able to steal £1000 phones from 5 year olds as I "zoom" past them on my mobility scooter...

 

[opps]

I've been looking for a decent extractor for a while. I have workshop extractors but they're not portable at all. I've looked at no end and currently the nilfisk look like the best bang for the buck. Comparable to the high-end festool CT you can get more for less so to speak. I know if you're on the festool platform it's already a very attractive machine.

Nilfisk make some very nice machines and also have the option of nice touches such as antistatic hoses. I know it might sound silly but having a hose that doesn't pick up all the crud on site (via static electricity) is a real bonus .