How to use an orbital sander?

Frequently asked questions

Can an orbital sander be used for finishing?

A random orbital sander works great in finishing wood. However, the job is best done by a finishing sander.

Can you wet sand with an orbital sander?

You can use an orbital sander for wet sanding such that you are using an air-powered orbital palm sander. Using an electric orbital can be risky when the electricity touches water or the water touches moving parts. Makita BO5041K has double insulation for this purpose. Whatever you choose, always consider your safety.

Can you use an orbital sander to finish drywall?

Yes. You should extra precautions when using it on drywall. Use fine sandpaper with 150 to 180 grit for such meticulous jobs.

So, you wonder how to use an orbital sander?

According to Aaron Barnett of BangingToolbox: Orbital sanders are small and easy to use – making a great tool for detailing edges and smoothing flat surfaces.

If you don’t have any sort of power sander at all, I recommended that you get at least an orbital sander because of their relative ease of use and versatility.

Their small size means that the tool is not overly aggressive, allowing you to precisely control how much material you take off.

An electric sander can leave you with a flat surface and a first class-looking finish for your woodworking projects.

So how to use an orbital sander? Let’s take the steps one at a time.

Step 1: Secure the material to your workbench.

As with any project, it always helps to secure your workpiece on a workbench first to be able to effectively and efficiently work on shaping materials.

Depending on the size of the workpiece you want to sand, you can either use bench built-in clamps or purchase standalone vices to custom-fit irregular-sized pieces.

In rare instances, certain pieces won’t fit clamps or vices, if so, use nylon buckle straps to hold the paper down firmly in place.

Here’s how to mount woodworking vises.

Step 2: Set up a vacuum.

Sanding will always produce sawdust. Especially when you use power sanders.

To avoid having tons of small debris flying around, I recommended for you to set up a shop vacuum.

Your orbital sander should already have an attachment at the back end.

Of course, a tool-sized dust collector won’t be enough to account for an entire shop which is where you’ll need to either purchase a commercial model or build one yourself [1].

Step 3: Pick the right sandpaper grit.

If you’re wondering if an orbital sander can be used for finishing surfaces this depends on the grit used.

Grit determines how coarse or how fine the surface will be. Generally, you’ll want to go with lower-grit sandpaper (or in this case sanding sheets) if you aim to just remove large amounts of material.

Coarse grits are usually between 60-80 grit. General-purpose sanding grits are between 100-150.

Fine grits, that leave the smoothest surfaces, are usually 180-220 grit. Grits 320 above are for ultra-smooth, glass-like surface finishes.

Step 4: Attach the sandpaper.

Attaching sandpaper to your orbital sander is pretty straightforward. There are just different mediums at which the sandpaper attaches to the sanding disc.

All pads rely on a form of adhesion.

‘Hook and Loop’ sandpaper attaches like velcro, but makes use of microscopic hooks that latch onto the disc’s backing pad.

Pressure Sensitive Adhesive (PSA) or ‘Stick On’ sandpaper does exactly that. Sandpaper that attaches to a sanding attachment is often kept in place by locks, allowing for repeated, easy replacement. However, Velcro sanding sheets work the best.

Step 5: Set up your orbital sander speed.

Most orbital sanders nowadays have variable speeds, allowing users to easily select from a range of working speeds, depending on what is needed for the project.

There are usually 6-speed options available, marked by levels 1 – 6, indicating how high the sander sets the RPM.

Settings 3 – 6 are usually standard for any task.

Higher speeds let you finish faster, but also take away too much material if you’re not too careful by holding the sander stationary for too long.

Parts of DeWalt DCW210B orbital sander

Step 6: Wear your mask and goggles.

Always work with safety first in mind. Be reminded that power sanding will produce a lot of dust, and this dust can sometimes get into your eyes and/or nose, especially if you’re working without due protection.

Sawdust is highly irritating if alowed into your eyes or lungs, wood dust can cause coughing if inhaled [2].

Avoid this hazard and the risk by always wearing the proper protective lung and facial protecive equipment.

Step 7: Start sanding.

Before you actually go ham on your workpiece, make sure to mark and layout your work lines, especially if you’re to make turns or make irregular shapes along the way of sanding.

Our recommended practice is to have your sander ‘parked’ on the end before turning the motor on as doing so reduces the chances of skidding or the sander digging in too quickly on the material. 

Step 8: Clean the surface and check for smoothness.

Oftentimes, unless you’ve already been doing DIY for years and have mastered your technique, you’ll require more than 1 pass before you arrive at the desired surface smoothness approved by us at least!

Make sure to check the surface after each pass to ensure that there aren’t any discrepancies with regard to evenness and that there are no wood fibers left exposed. Slowly run your fingers across the surface to check for any ‘off’ spots. 

Step 9: Apply a coat of finish.

A nice stain finish or some wood varnish adds loads to a piece’s aesthetic and durability. Especially if you intend to have your piece be part of an external project, finish coating is necessary to ensure that everything fares better against the elements.

A finish seals the workpiece and prevents moisture from the outside that could ruin the integrity of wood from within via rot and decay. 

Check this comparison of lacquer and polyurethane coats.

Orbital sanding tips and tricks

• Consider all sanding options and tools that can do the job.
• Go SLOW with your passes to avoid leaving behind swirl marks on the workpiece.
• Don’t press down on the sander, instead, let the weight of your hand rest and simply nudge the tool along.
• Overlap passes – covers more ground and is fairly useful on larger pieces. 
• Avoid tipping by grabbing the tool around the lower neck.
• Recommended finishing is by hand.
• Prioritize using your orbital sander on smaller pieces and for detailing the edges and corners of larger pieces, such as doors and wooden bed frames.
• Moreover, you may also need to know how to use an orbital sander to remove paint get more information here.

Consider a finishing sander for exposed timber.

Exposed Timber, or anything that refers to any exposed wood that isn’t painted like wooden furniture, or an exposed wooden beam or truss, is better handled with a finishing sander.

A finishing sander is basically a type of orbital sander, but with a wide, rectangular sanding pad and that uses a back and forth motion that goes with the wood grain.

A finishing sander will allow you to cover more area of exposed wooden pieces, and leave no swirls on the wood grain leading to more consistent surfaces. After the initial orbital sander is used.

When to use a file sander?

A file sander is a type of power sander that works like a file; instead of a flat sanding base, a file sander makes use of a narrow, elongated belt so as to be able to smooth out tight areas or aggressively sand certain spots on a workpiece.

Consider using a file sander in detailed gaps and spaces, or shape certain parts prior to finishing. Alternatively, you can also use file sanders to somewhat ‘rout’ areas of a workpiece.

When to use a belt sander?

Belt sanders are extremely powerful sanders commonly used to sand rough surfaces.

If you’re working with raw lumber and intend to process the material yourself, you can do initial sand-downs using a belt sander after milling and running lengths through a thickness planer.

Belt sanders are also useful for scribing and rough flattening.

Belt sanders are often used during the initial phases of preparing wood stocks and pre-processed timber. But make sure to wear earmuffs and eye protection!

A must-have sander

Orbital sanders are the main tool to sand with when woodworking.

There are many kinds of power sanders, and orbital sanders stand out to be the most notable type of sander, mainly for the surprising combination of portability and power.

Orbital sanders can be small but are certainly not weak. 

With a little bit of patience (and a lot of creativity), you can take on any job with just an orbital sander, just be sure to have a ton of sandpaper ready. 

Not everyone has the eye to see a flatter reality, but you can make your woodworking surfaces flat in no time.

You can use an orbital sander on any wood cabinets and all types of wood surfaces!

And for kids, an orbital sander is the perfect first power tool to add to start their collection with!