Expert: Jamie Yocono - 3/20/2009

Question
QUESTION: HI,

I am remodeling my kitchen.  I am going to build all the cabinets for the kitchen, quite a few, nearly 40 ln ft of lowers, plus uppers.  I am using 5ply - A finish Oak plywood for the cabinets.  

I have not done alot of finish work before.  I have a Bosch belt sander, and a Rockwell pad sander.  I assume neither of those will be appropriate for sanding the cabinets I am building.  

I think a Random Orbit sander will be a good choice, What do you think?
I bought a Ridgid 5" last night, and it seems nice, it's going to be atleast a month before I am ready to sand and finish the cabinets and I just want to figure out if the Ridgid 5" ROS is going to be a good sander for this or if I should think about something else.

I saw a Ridgid 6", for about double the money, I don't mind if it is worth it.  I saw the Bosch also, but it was about $300.

Do you think the Ridgid 5" will work well for my cabinets or should I consider a different sander?

Thanks very much
Jamie


ANSWER: Hello,

It's just my opinion, but I would worry about two things using a ROS on plywood. First, if you use too coarse of a grit, you can leave some wicked swirl marks. I just did this last week, so it's fresh in my mind. So swirl marks are a worry. If you get them, the second thing to worry about is sanding through your top veneer to get them out. Plywood veneer is so thin, it's a constant worry. For that reason, I tend to only use my pad sander on plywood.

I'm not too partial to Ridgid tools, they're a little too "light duty" for me. But I've heard good things about them. I would add that a 6" ROS has a lot more sanding surface than a 5" one, so I've always heard that if you can  buy a 6" model, you should. It will cut down on your sanding time.

Last thing - I used Bosch ROS for years, loved them. They are quiet, have decent dust pick-up, and not a lot of vibration. But I recently had to replace a couple of sanders and went with Milwaukee. Wow, what a nice tool. I had read a ROS tool review and the Milwaukees were recommended. I understand why! So If I had my choice, I would probably rate them (first to last choice): Milwaukee, Bosch, then Ridgid last.

I'm not saying the Ridgid won't hold up, but it's not my favorite choice. Will you be able to buy parts for it down the line?

Good luck,

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: HI;
Thanks very much for your prompt response.  So would using my pad sander for everything with the plywood be better / safer than a ROS with a fine grit? In other words, would I only run into trouble on the plywood with a ROS if I run it with too heavy of a grit?

My pad sander seems a bit hard to control, it is a old one, made by Rockwell, back when they made real tools, with lots of power.  It has no speed control.  Would a more modern, less powerful or perhaps pad sander with speed control be a better choice?

My dad and I have been involved with construction and remodeling for many years, and have tended to buy the big brand name tools that are really tough, Makita, Milwaukee, Bosch, Hilte, etc.  

The only thing that got me interested in the Ridgid line is that they now have a Lifetime warranty included free, on all there power tools (including free battery replacement on tools that use them).  So to answer your questions about parts, It is suppose to be a they fix it or replace it for life at no charge.

I did some checking online and it looks like the 5" Bosch or Milwaukee can be purchased for around $60-$70, same cost as the Ridgid, but they have the standard warranty.  6" Bosch runs in the upper $200's.  I don't see a 6" Milwaukee.

I am going to test the Ridgid a bit more today, but will definitely keep your comments about the Milwaukee and Bosch in mind.  They do let you return the Ridgid tools for up to 90 days for your not happy with there performance.  (maybe ridgid is really desperate to see there tools).

I apologize for being so long winded.

I just read over your site, your work is very impressive, top quality.  It all looks very nice.  Those table joints look very nice to me.  While I have not done alot of this work myself, I can recognize quality production, and your work looks first rate.  :-)

Thanks again,
Jamie

Answer
Jamie,

Thanks for your nice words about my site and my work. :)

It's ironic; I am in the market to buy about a half dozen sanders for a small woodworking school I am trying to get started. So when I read your words about Ridgid having a lifetime warranty, I checked out their site to see more. I downloaded their PDF on warranty information, and I didn't see where it says they give you a lifetime warranty. If the price is about the same on a Milwaukee or a Ridgid, there isn't any way I would buy a Ridgid.

I have about a half dozen odds and ends tools (mostly routers) in my shop right now that I am trying to figure what to do with them. I can't get parts for half of them, and the others have just not held up over the years. So once again, my advice - buy a well known, well established brand. Period.

A new pad sander will do much better on your plywood than a ROS, because there won't be any swirls involved. Swirls are a pain to eliminate, so a pad sander is a better choice, as it won't give you swirls. My two sanders of choice are both Milwaukee, they just "feel" better in my hand, which is small. I suggest you go to the hardware store, and pick up each sander, checking it's weight and grip.

So my advice - sell that old Rockwell pad sander on eBay and buy a nice new Milwaukee. Sand your plywood with that, and you'll be a happy camper. You can do 90% of your sanding with that pad sander and your ROS, and every now and then you'll need a belt sander for some heavy stuff. But that's a whole other beast.

Good luck! Isn't woodworking great? They say a boat is a hole in the water where you toss your money. I say the same thing about my woodshop.

Jamie in Vegas