What mini sander and carving discs do you recommend for woodworking?

BigFella1956

G’day everyone, by way of background, I am a burgeoning woodworker at age 70. I turn and carve wood and my question is in 2 parts. Firstly, can anyone recommend what I will call a “mini” sander (up to 75 mm in diameter) or an attachment that has a flexible sanding pad which can sand corners more easily and effectively than my 125mm orbital sander? Secondly, can anyone likewise recommend carving discs (both coarse and fine) that I can use to remove material using my 100mm angle grinder? At the moment, I am lucky enough to have a few good burls that I will carve into bowls, platters and the like. Many thanks in advance.

JacobZ

Hi @BigFella1956,

The closest in diameter that I could find was this Bosch Professional 77mm Random Orbital Sander GEX 12V-77, which has a 77mm diameter sanding pad. Alternatively, there is this Makita 18V Brushless Sander And Polisher DPV300Z, which has a diameter for sanding of 50mm. 

Our friends at Tool Kit Depot also have this Milwaukee Random Orbital Sander 12V 75mm Skin Only - M12FSDR750, which fits your description perfectly and can be ordered online or through your local Bunnings' Special Orders desk.

There are also detail sanders which are designed for getting into corners and tighter spaces, and tools such as power files or rotary tools which might be useful.

In terms of carving discs for your angle grinder, the closest thing we have is this Ultra Tuff 100mm Wood Grinding Disc, although it does not come in different grits. There are also flap discs, which are essentially a series of sandpaper flaps on a disc. I have used them for basic woodcarving, and they work relatively well and come in a variety of grits for different levels of finishing.

If you are looking for some serious carving ability, I'd suggest you have a look at the brand Arbortech, which is available at Tool Kit Depot. Their Power Carving Unit and the associated Turboplane and Industrial Woodcarver are about the best tools I've ever seen for wood carving. They are a considerable investment, but it is worth a look if you are interested.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob