DA Sander

[vanceman]

Who makes a good cheap DA sander. Also what different grits of paper will I need from start to finish.

[cdowns]

depends alot on the air available to run it//grits depends what you are working on

[vanceman]

I have a 5HP 60 Gal. IR Compressor. I am wanting to strip paint, body filler, prime, and paint. What are the basic grits used. I am not going to use this to make my living, any recommendations.

[BarryB]

I've bought the cheaper DA's only to end buying a better one.
I usually use 80 grit to strip paint, then 180 220 320, 400, 600 right before paint.

[Shane]

you can purchase a good DA or a cheap DA ... which one do ya want?

cheap - Harbor Freight
good - Hutchins

[WestButteTruck]

I bought a cheap HF sander, it works o.k. I'm already looking for a good random orbit sander like Shane provided the link for.

[vanceman]

what about this one http://www.tcpglobal.com/proautotools/#TCPSA7310

[vanceman]

Or this one http://www.tcpglobal.com/proautotool...mno=ING+IR311A

[WestButteTruck]

Not to hijack, since we are talking sanders, is there any advantage between an air or electric? Looked at an electric porter cable which has 12,000 rpms, 3/32 orbit diameter, etc. Work the same?

[Bugeyev8]

get a used National Detroit...most body shops use them so the parts are availible at most body shop supply, I have 3 of them and they work great

[Truckbert-CS]

I use an electric DeWalt DA. It has the holes in the pad to pull the dust away. I hook the shop vac to the sander and most of the dust stays in the shop vac.

TW

[BigDan3131]

Originally Posted by WestButteTruck

Not to hijack, since we are talking sanders, is there any advantage between an air or electric? Looked at an electric porter cable which has 12,000 rpms, 3/32 orbit diameter, etc. Work the same?

I only use my variable speed electric grinders for either striping off bondo or prepping for bedliner. The other I use strictly for my buffing. Most shops have a huge air supply so we use air tools and most air tools are lighter and or smaller than the electric versions thereby reducing the fatigue from everyday use.

[NevadaDVX]

Originally Posted by Bugeyev8

get a used National Detroit...most body shops use them so the parts are availible at most body shop supply, I have 3 of them and they work great

Good advice. I've had mine for at least 25 years.
Stay away from the CH ones from Walmart. I bought one because I needed an aggressive type DA in a pinch. The pad was junk, the first time I pulled a piece of stikit sandpaper off, it pulled the thing apart. So, I got a 3M pad for it.
Another thing that really pizzed me off was the counterweight really sticks out and nailed two of my fingertips bad enough it tore a chunk off them and blackened half of one fingernail. I'm left handed and keep my right hand on the housing with my fingers pointing in the direction of the oncoming weight. Maybe a righty wouldn't have the problem, but after two seriously painful, bloody episodes with it, it now resides in the dumpster.

[kev2809]

ive used my hf one for the stuff ive done so far and no problems here. no problems at all..

[LONGHAIR]

The main thing to look for is the size of the orbit....and many of the low-grade "cheapie" units don't even tell you that?

Not to sound snobbish, but you really shouldn't be stripping paint and doing 600 grit fine finishing with the same tool.
That Hutchins model that Shane linked is a nice piece, but I wouldn't even attempt to strip paint with it. IIRC the fine finish Hutchins has a 3/32" orbit.

A National Detroit "Red Cap" DA has a bigger 3/16" orbit and is far better for stripping and coarse work. These also have the ability to "Lock" into a more rotary grinding motion, which is helpful for striping.

Once you have it worked-out as far as what you need, the biggest difference in comparable models is in over-all quality of the parts. The bearings,motors and sanding pads are just plain better in the higher end brands. They are intended for heavy use by professionals.
Some of the higher end brands also have a line of lighter-weight models, which helps for extended use.
The cheap units will vibrate your hand as much as they oscillate the paper. The cheaper units are usually bigger air hogs too, but all of them are fairly big users.

As a general note, although not absolutely required, 6" sanders are for "Automotive" use and 5" models are for wood workers. I don't really have a clue as to why? but it just seems to have worked out like that. The reason for the caution is to make you aware of the differences in sandpaper.
5" papers are usually open coat and intended for wood. 6" paper could be either, it just depends upon your supplier/source. Take care to look at what you are buying.

[bad6772]

Jim I could not agree more...And to add my 2cent....Craftsman makes a great little D.A for the money..I had one for years...It was a body mans D.A with a large 9/16 orbit...For the money IMO (you get what you pay for) its hard to beat Dynabride..It has a 9/16 orbit and when turned up is very aggressive on most Paint and ll body work...When prepping for paint for the majority I block sand.,But I will and have used a D.A..(better known as round blocking in the collision game) and lol considered hacking...But none the less I have a Dynabride as well...Although its a painters D.A with roughly 3/8 ..7/16 movement...

Edit...and Jim...lol I have never figured out why most wood workers use a freakin 5'' D.A..My father was a wood worker and awhile could do metal and body work he had a 6'' D.A for that stuff...It cracked when he bought paper for both...(he was that off a penny pincher) so Jim I ask you..Why the heck do YOU WOOD workers use a 5'' D.A...And you do metal work too...So ya gotta know.lol

[steveinvegas]

Believe it or not a DA from Home Depot will get you by. They are a Husky brand ($60) and they will take a lot of abuse. I use both Hutchens and Dynabrade, but a Husky will get the job done. Oil it regularly and have a moisture trap.They will last longer. If you live in an area where noise could be a problem - you can also use a 5 or 6 inch electric orbital sander for a lot of the stripping ( Black&Decker/Dewalt etc.).Hope this helps.

[AuggieStyle]

if there is a finishmaster in your neck of the woods go in there and buy a SMART DA.........most good DA's the black handle is (5/16)agressive and for pre prime the grey handle pre paint (3/16) and chrome handle (3/32) post paint

[AuggieStyle]

and there is a diference in backing pads too