Sander for intarsia

[TIMBERTODD]

Hi all,
I am wanting to do some intarsia and am wondering what type of sanders I will need. I have a 1" belt sander with a 6" disc on the side. I also have various electric hand sanders.
Thanks Todd

[groverd]

When i first started i had a Dremel, a palm sander, and stacks of sandpaper. . . as time went by i just started amassing more and more. The big difference, for me at least, is the inflatables, spindle sanders etc just make the work a lot faster. I still have a Dremel i use all the time though. . . wouldn't be without it.

[Janette]

I think the best answer is ...what ever you have on hand!

1. for the wish list
For me, the most useful sander is the flex drum sander (from Judy Gayle Roberts). I have a rough and a smoother one. For years I attached to my drill press. A few months ago, I got a jet sanding/buffing machine so I can put one on either end of it and don't have to switch back and forrth any more.they are also inexpensive.

2. mop sander. I did without one of these for years. Now I use it after using the above 2. This step softens the edges and shines up the pieces.

3. Oscillating spindle sander. Never thought I'd need one of these...until I got one. Great for quickly roughing out areas where you want to remove material fast. Also great for making pieces concave (where the flex drum is great for making rounded). AND..works for squaring up pieces. I think overall- it's the most versatile sander I have - but still need flex drums.

4. plain old sandpaper. Used...by hand...on each and every piece after shaping to soften edges and make sure pieces align h eight wise with each other. there are some things ya just need to do by hand to get the detail.


So...overall...I would start with 1., get 2 if you like (just nice, not necessary), 3. when you get serious about intarsia and 4. from the start.

So there ya go.

[jigsue]

Todd

I use a Dremel for most things, in fact I have just worn my first one out (and it was only 11 years old). It has proven to be worth every penny. I have also got the router attachment and it is the least scary router ever. I do have a home made sanding mop, a Sandvic hand sander (brilliant, but unfortunately out of production) and loads of sandpaper (I use Abranet - a brilliant sanding cloth-type material)

There's lots of stuff out there, cost is usually the driving factor, but as you build up your gear, every new piece of kit makes you wonder what you did without it.

Good Luck

Sue

[TIMBERTODD]

Thanks for everyones input. I didn't even think about using my dremel.
Todd