Delta Sander

[Iain]

Got a delta sander with all those little attachments for getting into louvres etc. What frightened me was the price od the sanding fingers, $9.00 for a pack of 6, shock horror.
Solution: I find that my 6" discs of the ROS tend to get ratty around the edge and the centres remain OK, take one ratty disc, apply to finger attachment on sander and with an opening and shutting motion with wifes sewing scissors (while she is out of course) trim to shape the attachment.
Boom Boom. About $1.00 for a 6" (or 5") sanding disc, reborn and saved several bucks.

[John Saxton]

Iain, they don't get you when you buy the appliance/tool...only when you chase accessories.
Buy a new pad for the Festo 150 Rotex $70 bucks ...thanks mate ..see you next time.
I would reckon more is spent after market than in the purchase ..and it's what keeps these companies in business.
Tooling is built around the consumer with obvious results in that have a look in any tool shop and look at the accessory racks that abound.
Cheers

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Johnno

[Iain]

Gills Tools in Coburg make their own accessory range at about half the cost, he gets my business.
Have you worn out a pad already? or just wanted a different density.

[Shane Watson]

Heck the backing pad on my festo sander has been in continual use for the past 5yrs & only recently is it starting to show signs of falling apart yet it still won't give up. Its not a rotex though.
I can't recommend festo sanders highly enough & if a backing pad is going to cost me $70 I doubt I will complain too much. But it does sound high eh!
Although I have another brand new Festo sander waiting paitently in its systainer box until the other festo dies (dosn't look like happening for some time). I got use to the makita, metabo, rupes (etc) sanders dieing on me after a good 8-12mths heavy use so I always had a back-up waiting to take over, hasn't happened with the Festo yet.

Love ya tip Iain. I have one of them metabo detail sanders & have always just bought the replacment sanding triangles, but only because I couldn't be bothered doing what you do Besides I don't use it very often. I bought it for one job (repolising 500 chairs! ) and I don't think its ever been used on anything else.

Cheers!

[Iain]

Shane, pretty sure the pads are the same for all the 6" sanders, could be wrong though. One thing I found is that if you keep going with a torn disc you get a nice smooth patch on the velcro therefor needing a new pad. I discovered this in time and avoided any cost.
The other thing I bought was a medium density foam pad that goes over the existing pad and allows you to contour sand. Only problem is aligning the hole on a 1" thick pad, bugger of a job (or for Stoppers BUGGAR) and if you are slightly out the damned thing goes beserk in your hand.
But as they say, with patience and perserverance you can stretch a bullants bum over a doorknob.

[soundman]

sounds like you need to find a good abrasive supplier that does shape manufacturing
there are a couple arround.
all applied abrasives in brisbane is one they cut shapes to order in volume may be one near you
by the way the best price I've had so far on 6" punched disks velcro backed is about 60c each in split box quantity
perhaps there is someone good near you

[Iain]

Theres plenty around but volume is not an issue, I am only a woodworking hobbyist who hates crap tools.
I was only using the $1 figure figuretively.
Shaping pads is not a difficult job and I can buy sheet with velcro backing, I am merely suggesting a means of saving a few hard earned $$$$$ and reusing the remains of an otherwise OK disc that has passed its use by date on a ROS.
And JOhn S, I got a Bosch 180 delta sander in a kit for $110.00, this is a sander, standard pad, extended pad, finger sander and contoured finger sander, 12 sanding sheets and a box. The pads as an accessory for this are about $30.00 each and there is not much of them, sort of makes the Festo look cheap doesn't it?

[This message has been edited by Iain (edited 29 April 2002).]

[John Saxton]

Everything is of comparitive value according to how the Manufacturer sees his product placed within a market whether a specific "niche" market, or a widely based market aimed at predominately the hobbyists/home hanyman.
Good promotion,market research dictate this.
I have a Detail Sander a Ryobi with numerous pads and profiles...the little machine in itself is reasonable ...what lets it down are it's accessories ie,the velcro that are adhesed to their pads with a weak glue which I'm going to attempt to change if I can ...if not it will be sold off at the next trash & treasure.
Cheers

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Johnno

[soundman]

Always worth saving a dollar. If the time is worth it.
Some times its a case of , need but cant get, bugger it make one. good tip mate.