Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
New application for Festool....
Barry Irby
I bought a Festool RoteX sander at auction. I really like it, very powerful and over priced.
In the on going saga of changing the conveyor belt on my Performax over and over, I needed something to sit on. The Performax is mounted on a roll around cabinet about knee high. I ended up using the Systainer for the Rotex sander.
So now it has a new capability. I guess it a Fes-stool.
Re: New application for Festool....
John K Jordan
>>>I needed something to sit on. ... I ended up using the Systainer for the Rotex sander... Fes-stool
This guy I know in Italy has a lot of Fes-stools then. This was just one section of his tool storage area:
JKJ
Re: New application for Festool....
jesse cloud
Which model of the Rotex did you get? They come in a few different sizes.
The big one can really be a beast until you figure out how to time it - has to do with speed and intensity of the vacuum. Then it can sculpt a Maloof rocker or buff the wax on your car. Very versatile.
Lots of info on it at www.festoolownersgroup.com
BTW, Festool wants to sell you big boxes of sandpaper, but many of the dealers will sell a few sheets at a time. Also, there are several other brands that will work on them, especially the ones with holes scattered all over the disk.
Good find. Congrats!
Re: New application for Festool....
Barry Irby
It's a 150 model. 6" disks and it is a beast. I like it, it gets the job done.
Which of the sand papers do you prefer? I have some red and some white. Garnet and aluminum oxide, I think. Getting to be time to buy some replacements.
Re: New application for Festool....
jesse cloud
I have the same machine.
If you are buying Festool paper, Bob Marino sells 10 piece packages which is a great way to try something new. Granat is the general purpose line for sanding wood. Others are aimed at taking out old paint, buffing finishes, etc. Give Bob a call or send an email and he will school you and then some.
I've heard good things about 3M paper, too.
The paper is a little on the pricey side, but it lasts way longer than big box stuff.
Re: New application for Festool....
William Duffield
I have an RO150 and an RO90. They're both very versatile and reliable sanders. When I'm not using the overhead boom with dust collection hose and power cord for another Festool, my RO90 hangs on it, just to the side of my work bench and table saw, ready for immediate use.
Festool publishes extensive advise on choice of sandpapers. If I understand their specs, in spite of the names they assign them, they all use Aluminum Oxide abrasive.
An older Festool document can be found on the Jamestown Distributers website.
https://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/pdfs/Festool/Festool_abrasives_brochure.pdf
This document does not cover their latest line of abrasives, called Granat. These are a bit more expensive than their other lines, but are more versatile. It seems that they were designed to be used by unskilled labor who can't read and comprehend more than one design parameter (e.g., grit) at a time. They are excellent papers, but if you are sanding bare wood only, the Rubin papers are more economical.