Replies

1. 
   DanH | Mar 15, 2004 03:46am | #1

   You can use a "profile sander" such as the one that Porter Cable makes.

1. 
   HeavyDuty | Mar 15, 2004 04:09am | #2

   Do you have any personal experience with profile sanders? I am just curious if it rounds off the moulding details.

1. 
   Fingrs | Mar 15, 2004 04:22am | #3

   I have the PC profile sander.  Bought it at a woodworking show a couple of years ago.  The only use it has gotten is by neighbors who are enamored with all my power tools...they think it's neat.  Me, I use good old sandpaper folded to meet whatever shape is needed.  I must admit, on one or two occasions I've used the little rubber attachments for the sander as profile sanding blocks...but without the sander!

1. 
   HeavyDuty | Mar 15, 2004 04:28am | #5

   So in other words the machine is eating too much wood too fast for your taste. I have always sanded by hand, found that to be therapeutic.

1. 
   Fingrs | Mar 15, 2004 04:37am | #6

   I'm not sure the machine is removing too much material...it simply makes a lot of noise and vibrates like crazy.  Plus, its sanding "stroke" is about 1/32 of an inch over the 2" length of the sanding surface.  Understand, I like sanders...must have a dozen of 'em.  My random orbits get the most use for flat surfaces, and the oscillating spindle sander is great for curves,  but for some reason (maybe therapeutic, as you suggest), hand sanding gives great, precision results without the noise. 

2. 
   CAGIV | Mar 16, 2004 04:34am | #20

   you got that right, the only good thing that came out of that profile sander I bought were the rubber attachments, they work great on their own, the sander blows.

2. 
   IMERC | Mar 15, 2004 04:24am | #4

   The PC and Ryobie profile sanders are junk. Waste of time, energy and money. Get the profile hand sanders, a lot less effort... 

   Those are the only two I have tried to use... 

                                         Here fishy fishy....

1. 
   ANDYBUILD | Mar 15, 2004 02:23pm | #10

   IMERC

           Totally agree. I own one with all the different shaped attachments. The sandpaper on it lasts two seconds and is expensive.

   seems good for someone building toys though.

   What a hunk a junk. Another hundred bucks down the tubes.

   BE well bro

                         andy"My life is my practice"

1. 
   goldhiller | Mar 15, 2004 04:17pm | #13

   I've got one of those PC profile sanders, too. Nice rubber blocks. <G>

   I get my sandpaper for that sander dirt-cheap from Sandpaper Inc of Illinois. Comes PSA in a big roll already cut to width.

   I know alot of folks here get their paper from Klingspor. They might offer paper for those too.

   Paper wrapped around the appropriately sized dowel rod works well for coves, too.

   Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.

2. 
   BossHog | Mar 15, 2004 04:30pm | #14

   I've never heard of "Sandpaper Inc of Illinois".

   A quick search didn't turn up a website or any contact info.

   Any chance you could help me out with that?They said it couldn't be done and I proved it.

3. 
   goldhiller | Mar 15, 2004 04:38pm | #15

   Sure can.

   http://www.sandpaperinc.com/

   Nice folks too. Real nice.

   Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.

4. 
   BossHog | Mar 15, 2004 04:51pm | #16

   Thanks for the link.

   Since they're in Illinois too, I'll check 'em out.Uncle Sam wants you...to bend over.

5. 
   DanH | Mar 16, 2004 12:18am | #18

   I've used the PC sander quite a bit, but more as a detail sander, sanding under the railing and around the railing posts on a deck. At the very least it takes a fair amount of abuse.

6. 
   goldhiller | Mar 16, 2004 04:18am | #19

   Have ya tried a Fein Multimaster for that sort of thing yet?

   Nice tool. Multiple uses too with all the available blades. I use the heck out of mine. The triangular sanding pad fits in some pretty tight places and doesn't mar the adjoining surfaces at all. Wish I could give their profile stuff a try out without purchase and investment in paper.......if that's different than what I use on the PC blocks.

   My brother has a fancy pneumatic reciprocating hand-held saw for detail work. Can't remember the make right now, but I wonder if a guy couldn't adapt it to some of those rubber profile blocks. The stroke is highly adjustable on the thing, as I remember, as is the speed. Cost around $700, I think. !!!

   Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.

2. 
   goldhiller | Mar 15, 2004 06:38am | #7

   Haven't used one so can't vouch for it one way or the other, but here's another...........

   http://www.feinus.com/newmultimaster/profile.htm

   Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.
1. 
   BungalowJeff | Mar 15, 2004 07:47am | #8

   Burned through the Crapsman profile sander my FIL picked up. Replaced it and burned through the second in less time. Paid the extra $ for the PC and finished the job, but steel wool pressed against the profile, or small folds of paper worked just as well....that's not a mistake, it's rustic

1. 
   IMERC | Mar 15, 2004 08:26am | #9

   Those little rubber profile sanding blocks are made to order. 

                                         Here fishy fishy....

3. 
   TrimButcher | Mar 15, 2004 03:27pm | #11

   Depends on the moulding profile, but I've occasionally used a 1/4 sheet finish sander with a sponge sanding pad attached.

   Regards,

   Tim Ruttan

4. 
   BossHog | Mar 15, 2004 03:44pm | #12

   A friend once told me he would form some "bondo", or body putty to the profile of molding and let it harden. Then he's stick a piece of regular sandpaper under it to sand moldings.

   I never tried it, but it sounds like it has possibilities.

   Q. How can you tell that a blonde sent you a fax?
   A. It has a stamp on it.

5. 
   WorkshopJon | Mar 15, 2004 05:55pm | #17

   "is there anyway to use a power sanding on molding, like door frame. I think the mouldings is called 357"

   Brownbag,

   Extruded polystyrene insulation board makes an excellent backer for sandpaper.  after a little use it will perfectly conform to any profile.  If you don't get what I'm getting at, I can post a pic.  Combined with an in-line sander, it should work well.  I've only used it by hand.

   Jon

6. 
   Fingrs | Mar 16, 2004 06:12am | #21

   Yo, dude,

   Have you thought about scraping the molding with a profile scraper and then hitting it with a couple of licks of sandpaper?  I don't know whether you're trying to strip an existing finish.