The hand held Rotary Sander is specially designed & manufactured in Australia for use on the woodturning lathe.

The Kit (shown above) consists of a 75mm "VELCRO" faced sanding head, attached to a machined shaft which is attached to a right angle hand piece housing two sealed bearings. It has simple and concise instructions, and comes with 10 Velour backed 75mm diameter sanding discs in the following grades, 80, 120, 180, 240 and 320.

For face plate use, attach the work piece to the chuck, start the lathe so that the item to be sanded rotates at a moderate speed, as dictated by the size of the work. Select the lowest grit number and place sanding disc on the "VELCRO" face sanding head, as sanding progresses, proceed by using the finer grits in sequence.

To make the sanding pad rotate, it is simply a matter of placing the disk in contact with the revolving work and slightly tilting the pad on to the surface of the wood as it spins. Slight compression of the foam head combined with variations of the contact angle will result in the desired sanding effect.

One main advantage is that the velour discs do not wear out as fast, compared to power sanding. another advantage is that you do not leave scratches in the surface of the turned object because the surface is sanded by the generated speed of the lathe, not the controlled speed of the power tools. The speed of the sander head and work surface are matched. It is important to note that the direction of the rotating head can be changed simply by contacting the surface of the rotating work at a different angle it can also be used as a hand held non-rotating sanding pad.

The instructions are simple and concise, and extra velour discs can be replaced at any time at a minimal charge.

Clicking on any of these photos will show an enlarged view with more detailed information

Rotary Sanding inside a bowl not much larger than the sander.

Rotary Sanding the outer rim of the same bowl

Rotary Sanding outside of bowl with course grit to remove tool marks

Rotary Sanding outside of platter to remove tool marks

Rotary Sanding to bead without destroying the lines of platter

Rotary Sanding the inside curve and flat of platter

Rotary Sanding to the bead on platter expanded shot.

Removing velour backed abrasive paper from the Sanding head

Finished items (bowl & Platter) & Rotary Sander Kit

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Question:
Are there conditions where you do not recommend using the Rotary Sander?
Answer:
The Rotary Sander was primarily designed for use on bowls to take the place of a power sander. However it can be used with success for virtually all turned work including spindle turning. The limitations of the tool are pretty obvious once you start using it. For instance you wouldn't try to sand the grooves of a honey dipper, miniatures are out of the question as are beads, coves and other intricate details where there is a physical mismatch between the turned item and the shape and size of the sander. The minimum size bowl you could do successfully is approx 3½" wide x 2" deep (90mm wide x 50mm deep).

In short the limitations for this sander are virtually the same as for a power sander.

Question:
Is it best to use the Rotary Sander on hardwoods or softwoods?
Answer:
The Rotary Sander is equally effective on both hardwood and softwood, if however the sander contact angle is very steep a texturing effect can occur on some softwoods. This effect occurs because the disc is able to protrude into the softer area between the growth rings which is sanded away much quicker. Unless a textured effect is required this can be eliminated quite easily by adopting a flatter sanding angle.

Question:
Is the result as good on smaller diameter rounds as on larger bowls and platters?
Answer:
Yes the result is as good on smaller items, the sander of course has to fit into the item. Smaller items will however take longer to sand unless the lathe speed is increased. The sanding action and the speed with which the work is done is completely dependant on the timber going past the sanding disc. For instance if the sander is placed on the outer rim of a 300mm (12 inch) platter spinning at 1,000 rpm the sanding head will be running at between 900 and 9,000 rpm depending upon how the head is applied to the surface. Whilst at the centre of the same platter spinning at the same speed the head will only run at approx. 300 rpm or less.

Question:
I already own a power sanding disc which I use in a drill. Why should I buy a Rotary Sander?
Answer:
1/ Unlike power sanders the Rotary Sander does not need an outside power source to make it run it is driven entirely by the piece of work you will be sanding.
2/ The Rotary Sander is light weight comfortable to hold and designed for easy of use. Power sanders by comparison are extremely heavy and cumbersome and takes a lot more to control during the sanding process.
3/ Power sanders are rather hard on the abrasive discs because they are fighting against the flow of the timber being sanded. The Rotary Sander on the other hand is very gentle on the abrasive discs because the sander works in complete harmony with the spinning work-piece.
4/ The Rotary Sander only has 1 moving part, the head, which is attached to the comfortable handle via 2 sealed bearings eliminating the need for service and maintenance.
5/ The rotational direction of the head is easily reversed by changing the way the head is applied to the work, this will more than double the grit life of the abrasive discs.
6/ The unique, heavy duty, closed cell foam on the head, is one of the great benefits of the Rotary Sander. This foam compresses when the head is placed in contact with the spinning work. It is this compression action which allows the abrasive to be kept in smooth, flowing contact with both the internal and external curves of the turned item whilst the sanding is in progress.
7/ To our knowledge pretty well all turners who own both a power sander and a Rotary Sander, agree that the Rotary Sander is by far the better of the two tools to use.

Question:
What is the difference between conventional hand sanding and using a Rotary Sander?
Answer:
Conventional hand sanding is slower, uses more paper, always leaves a pattern of sanding marks on the timber, can burnish or burn the sanded surface, does not make the most of the abrasive paper and is liable to burn your fingers.

Rotary Sanding is much faster, uses far less abrasive paper, does not leave any sanding pattern on the surface of the work piece, it is virtually impossible to burn the timber, uses the paper to its full extent making it extremely economical and because you never come into physical contact with the work piece it is impossible to burn your fingers.

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