Orbital or belt sander??

sarnydee

I've recently bought a house and am wondering which is the best type of sander to use on the walls just to get a smooth finish before painting. They aren't really bad but they do need some sort of sander on them!!! Any advice would be much appreciated.

teddyco

Sarnydee:

I have used both a belt sander and an orbital sander to refinish furniture, and I would say that if you are going to sand wood get a belt and you can go right to finishing. An orbital sander leaves ripples since it works against the grain. You have faster belt changes on a belt sander and a more powerful motor.

As for doing just plaster walls, I am not sure if it really matters since paint covers anything, but the thing to remember is that you may want to use it one day for wood and then you'll want the power and performance of a belt sander.

basill

I tried to sand down a door before paint and some flat bannisters for varnish. My hand held orbital sander was rubbish at both of these jobs, took ages and constantly clogged the sandpaper.
I went out and bought a cheapo own brand belt sander and that works extremely well. I`d definitely recommend one for large areas. Be warned though you can rapidly dig a trench in the the wood if its not kept constantly moving!

B