Orbital Air Sander
by JASON MILLER
For any sanding or polishing jobs that require an excellent finish, on almost any surface, an orbital air sander is the tool that you need. Orbital sanders have quickly become the tool of choice for anyone wanting to either prepare a surface for painting, or alternatively, to get a superb finish afterwards.
An orbital air sander is a flexible and easy to use air tool, which is considered essential for professional auto body repair jobs, and is also the kind of equipment that every hobbyist will want to have in their toolkit in order to ensure that they can do a great job.
An orbital air sander features a sanding pad that moves in a random manner around a specific center point. It is this random movement that is the key to the success of the air tool. Rather than with traditional sanding devices such as a belt sander, where the tool leaves a mark on the surface and can lead to an uneven finish, with a random orbital air sander, the finish is even over a much wider area, meaning that the finish that you can expect is much better and smoother.
The combination of a circular and random action of the sanding disc on an orbital air sander means that it is able to sand in any direction, cover a larger area relatively quickly, and avoid concentrating too much sanding action on one area. This means that the finish will be more even than with a belt sander or even old style orbital devices that did not have a random aspect to their movement.
You can add different sanding discs to an orbital air sander to ensure that it is properly set up for a huge variety of different jobs. From heavy duty sanding paper for tough jobs through to buffing cloths in order to get a final polished finish at the end of the job. With most orbital air sanders, changing the disc takes just a few seconds, allowing you to get a variety of jobs done a lot quicker.
Perhaps the most immediately obvious application that an orbital air sander can be used for is in preparing an area of auto body for painting. You would start off with a fairly rough grade of abrasive paper in order to strip back the paint and leave bare metal. Within a couple of seconds, it is possible to change to a finer abrasive in order to smooth the metal out and get it ready for paint. After each coat of paint, an even finer abrasive can be used in order to get a great finish, before the disc on the orbital air sander is changed for the final time and replaced with a buffing cloth to get the perfect finish.
Pretty much every power tool manufacturer produces their own version of the orbital air sander, and they range in price from basic inexpensive models that are useful for anyone wanting to do small jobs around the house right up to high quality professional air tools that are designed for the professional auto body shop, and will provide reliable service for years.
For less than $100, you can get a hardwearing but fairly basic orbital air sander such as the Astro Pneumatic AST3022, a 6 inch finishing palm sander. This device is great for small jobs, and hobbyist use, and has enough power to cut through tough paint and give a smooth finish.
At the other end of the market are tools like the Hutchins HUT8660. This high power orbital air sander features a high speed disk that spins at around 1000 SPM, and yet despite its powerful motor the air tool is lightweight enough to allow you to work at full power for many hours at a time. The Hutchins tool also features a vacuum, which will draw away the dust when it has been removed, in order to ensure the best possible finish when you sand.
There are many jobs that an orbital air sander is ideal for, both in a professional workshop, and also around the home. It is one of the most versatile tools in any workman��s arsenal, and can be used in many different ways making it one of the most useful and handy tools you could have.
