3 Orbital Sander Tips

Getting the most out of your orbital finishing sander

Hello and welcome to Joe Shows How! In this week’s video, I share three quick tips for using an orbital finishing sander. By the way, if you don’t own this versatile sander, consider getting one. It’s affordable, safe to use, and is my favorite power sander. I use mine all the time on nearly every home-improvement and woodworking project.

Here, are the three tips:

Protect the Paper—The sander has two spring-loaded clamps—one in the front, another in the rear—that hold the sandpaper tightly against the sanding pad. Therefore, the sandpaper edges at the front and rear are neatly tucked under the clamps. However, on each side of the sander, the edges of the sandpaper are exposed, and susceptible to catching on a splinter and tearing. So, when sanding close to the edge of a board or piece of plywood, be sure to lead with the front or rear of the tool, which will protect the exposed edges of the sandpaper.

Round Over Sharp Edges—One of the most common uses of an orbital finishing sander is to knock off (round over) sharp edges of boards. However, you can save a considerable amount of time and sandpaper by first using a block plane to remove most of the wood. Then, finish rounding over and smoothing the edge with the orbital sander.

Stack the Sheets—The final tip is to put multiple sheets of sandpaper onto the sander. That way, when one sheet wears out or rips, you can simply tear it off to expose a fresh piece of sandpaper, and keep on sanding. This will save you from having to continuously stop to install a new piece of sandpaper.

I hope you find these tips useful next time you’re using your orbital finishing sander. And stay tuned to the end of the video for a Bonus Tip on how vibration-absorbing gloves can greatly reduce fatigue and soreness. Thanks for watching!