…man I only have 1 sander/polisher and is a Makita, but Makita made in Japan (there re made in USA and Brasil too)
I have been using for 19 years and still worx perfect
only change brushes
in all these years I only aircleaned it may be 6 times!! and throw away (to the floor for ex.) several times…
Howzit reverb, Love those Makitas, I blow the dust out before every sanding job since the fiberglass dust can damage the motor windings, just don’t do it with the grinder running, amazing how much dust come out of the casing.I also blow out the trigger and the rheostat.Aloha,Kokua
…yeah Kokua
now Im starting to take care more…
very nice tool
Im very satisfied
do you have been using the new makitas? with the variable speeds?
Howzit reverb, I have 2 of the variable speed Makitas, MDL# 9207SPC Aloha,Kokua
Well, after 19 boards sanded with a old pawnshop craftsman 1/3 sheet finish sander and elbow grease, today I walked into my local harbor freight to get a shop vac. What do I see there but an entire pallet of variable-speed 7" sander/polishers for only $18.99 each!
Seeing as how I’m looking at glassing and sanding 7 boards in the next few weeks, I thought it prudent to take this small and inexpensive step towards streamlining my production, if only just a bit. Now just to order a flexpad.
I’ve never sanded with one of these suckers before… Maybe time for a new thread.
You’re in for a suprize !
Take your time,the sander can remove material faster than you can see it coming.Make sure that you change you paper frequently,especially if you buy cheaper stuff.If you don’t change the paper frequently,the paper will bald,and rather than sanding ,it will heat up the area and then blistering,browning delam…what I refer to as a cookdown.
In a short time you’ll master the beast and can’t believe how long it use to take you to sand the same board.
My HF sander polisher came w/ a soft pad/medium pad set-up using velco type tech.These pads are good enough to do the job,not the best but it will work.
Also I bought the smaller variable speedster.A 6.5 amp or something like that.The larger 11 amp seemed to be overkill for surfies,but still useable.If you bought the lighter/smaller one like mine,then you got it with the hoop handle,I particularly didn’t like it so I converted it over to a standard side handle.Try the hoop job and if you like it great,if not get back to me if you can’t figure out how to convert it.Herb
If anyone is in the market for a Milwaukee variable speed sander/polisher, I found one on craigslist.
Having used a HF sander for the last 3 years (approx 25 boards) I have the opinion that it has made my sanding really hard work. I have had to adapt to the low quality of the machine in order to get my work done. I don’t think it is well balanced and it is very noisy. The rotation seems to get looser. But I have to admit, for 25 bucks it sure has taken alot of abuse. It finally died the other day and I had to get another one because I was low on cash. It turns out you can’t get the one that goes from speed 1-8. They have a new one which is a 2 speed. I am not sure of the exact RPM’s but from the feel of it I think the speeds are bad for sanding surfboards. Too fast and too slow. Sanding is alot like surfing. You need to anticipate, feel, and be aware of your surroundings. You need to be able to adjust your speed to suite the conditions. Everyone does it a little different. I think you get what you pay for with the HF sander. It’s not a good habit to get into, and when it breaks you will need to learn to use another.
Dane,
You needed to change out a few things ,like the grease in the gearhead. Mine are well balanced and no more noisy than any other sanders I own. My first HF sander is almost 10 years old and still running.Herb
Ok, I will read up on grease. I guess I could wire up a new dial for the speed and get rid of the switch. I am willing to try that considering I still have the one I just purchased.
I wanted a cheap sander polisher and found this one for use 3-6 times a year:
http://www.ekitchenandhome.com/copo7invasps.html
$49
Features:
I wanted a cheap sander polisher and found this one for use 3-6 times a year:http://www.ekitchenandhome.com/copo7invasps.html $49
Seeing your post and being curious I did a quick search after I saw that it was a Coleman brand. The first hit for PMB7284 Coleman that comes up in Google I found a bit cheaper price at http://www.cssauction.com/product/___19/coleman-7-inch-variable-speed-sander-polisher.html $35.00 for one unit or $28.00 for four of them for those interested.
Howzit oceanrider, The coleman co of today is not the same as it was. Used to be an American co but now it’s from Asia. I bought one of their cordless drills on a whim because it was so cheap and guess what, you get what you pay for. The drill is a piece of s#*t. After years of board building and doing construction I find that quality tools are the best way to go. A friend of mine who is just getting started in the construction businee bought a bunch of ryobie (spelling)tools and I told him that those tools are for the home hobbiest and he will end up replacing them with construction grade tools before to long. Aloha,Kokua
Kokua, I hear ya. You kind of get tricked into thinking that the brand name is synonymous with quality. I’ve got a Coleman camp stove and lantern that are over 30yrs old that belonged to my father and have been used on numerous surf trips and are still going strong. But they were completely made in America.
I’ve got an American made Milwaukee sander/polisher that is over 25yrs old, not used constantly but used a ton. But some of the best tools I have, and friends have are Makita but the ones that are made in Japan.
The Makita you recommend for a sander/polisher is still made in Japan. I’ve not used them personally but have a friend that uses them nearly every day…good tool for sure. Makita’s made in Japan are quality.
Howzit oceanrider, Makita also has a factory in the US, wonder what tools they make there. Yeah I must say that even if the Makita grinders are made in Japan they are a really good tool. One of mine is over 10 years old and only changed the brushs and the cord,my newer one is 7years old and never had to do anything to it yet. Aloha,Kokua
okey dokey; got me a Harbour Freight Polisher/Sander for $29 dollars.
I’m aware of the obligatory 'grease the gears…
This should be enough to resurface a board bottom and apply 1 layer of 2oz glass.
However, the package comes with some screws, handles and such
but includes two wierd pieces that are not covered by any instruction booklet.
Sort of 2 of these: chiclet sized piece of metal with a wire protruding, the wire is covered or encased by a loosely
wound spring, the spring and wire end in a thin metal endcap…Can’t figure out what this is for???
Yeah, but when a Volvo breaks you’re really screwed, they’re a pain in the rear to work on. I’m currently doing an engine swap on a 94 960, and in looking at it, I can see now way to replace the starter without dropping the tranny. INSANE! Everything is really crammed in there.
We just got the new motor in Thursday.
On the tools, I think DeWalt is decent, Makita, Milwalkee, Bosch are good. Black and Decker is only for occasional use. We have a DeWalt drill that works great, and seems to be made well, but time will tell.
Volvo Theory. Huh? Right, Volvo Theory. Look, Volvos have this reputation for lasting forever, and I think I know why. See, when Joe Shmoe buys a Volvo, he figures he spent a bunch of money for a car that’ll last a long time, so he suddenly becomes a maintainance freak and really does the upkeep right. And yes, it does last a long time. But hey, if you did that kind of maintainance that regular, hell, you could make a Yugo go forever. Take care of your gear.
Howzit Otis, I don’t own a H.F. tool but from your decription I’d say those are a set of brushes for the motor.Aloha,Kokua
Don’t do it! Harbor Freight powere tools suck! They don’t last, and in the long run, you are better off spending the $$$$ for a Milwakee.
OK, not quite OT, but… I need to do some ding repairs for the first time in quite a while, and decided to pick up a power sanding tool of some kind. Since this tool is solely for ding repair (I don’t plan to use it for board building), I thought that it would be nice to find something battery-powered that I can take to the beach and use there, if necessary (I don’t like 12V -110V inverters). It also seemed like a good idea to get the cord out of the way. As far as I can tell, ain’t no battery-powered sander/grinders, per se. However, I did find a Hitachi VS 18V right angle drill on sale for $25. I also found a 5" backing plate to fit it that accommodates the stick-on variety of sanding disc. RPM is 300-600, which is a little bit in the low side, but might be sufficient as long as I don’t need to do any finish buffing. Next step is to find a universal side handle I can attach. Used to be able to find these for conventional drills, but evidently they have gone out of style. I’ll rig something with handle, tapped flat nut, and a couple of hose clamps if I can’t find a commercial product. Next priority (after some testing to make sure this will work at all) is to find a way to adapt a hook & loop system - looks like a much better selection of discs for that format. This may be a stupid idea and a colossal waste of effort, but I really like the idea of portability in this type of tool. I also like to follow my own path :-> I’ll make a report of success or folly when I know more…
-Samiam