# Sanding a mirror surface



## spunwood (Aug 20, 2010)

Thanks. Something to think about.


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## DMIHOMECENTER (Mar 5, 2011)

Good review. I have a myriad of ROS, belt and 1/4 sheet sanders (PC, Dewalt, and Craftsman), but not a 1/2 sheet. I have been looking at a positively reviewed 2 amp 1/3 sheet Craftsman at $40, but I see this Bosch is 3.2 amps… pretty strong and is about $135 or so and has 19 customer reviews with all 5 stars (you don't see that too much).

Tell me… is it balanced and comfortable in use ? Is it heavy / tiring in use ?


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## gko (Jul 8, 2009)

Hi Dave, yes the sander is well balanced and very comfortable. Its so well balanced that I hold the center portion and just let the weight of the sander work the surface. A lot of sanders have a bias towards the handle or to one side. I grab the front and back and put some weight on it if I need to get rid of a lot of material.

I think the extra power is needed on a half sheet sander because there is a lot more area in contact with the wood. With the extra horse power it hardly bogs down with added pressure. I notice on other sanders if the rpms start dropping when you push harder the pigtails become deeper and bigger. Makes getting rid of them more work with the finer grits.

The weight seems perfect, feels light for the size of the machine but yet it has just enough weight that I normally just focus on moving it around instead of trying to keep the downward pressure even. It kind of makes sense that the larger the footprint the more evenly it will sand. It also has a relatively small swirl pattern for its size which hides the pigtails.

Grant


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## SchotterWoodworking (Feb 7, 2010)

I've loved every Bosch sander I've used (6"RO, 5"RO and 1/4 Finish). I've been eyeballing this one for a long time. Thanks for the great review. I might have to take the plunge too!


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## dhazelton (Feb 11, 2012)

I wanted one of those for a refinishing project but it seemed like overkill. The tool store had a 1/3 sheet Makita so I bought that and it was fine for my purposes. It actually has fewer amps than Makita's 1/4 sheet sander, so it's not really for heavy paint removal. It would probably shine with fine grit paper finish sanding between coats of varnish or shellac. Still would like the Bosch though….


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## gko (Jul 8, 2009)

On a glossier surface the little dips and hills are very noticeable and the 1/2 sheet minimizes them. I think the 1/3 sheet should do the job nearly as well. I tend to rub out my finish up to rottenstone and nearly back to glossy so the dips begin to appear. If I go for a more satin look then I just take out my Festool 6" ROS. Btw, I tilt my sander a bit so you don't end up with the edges causing a sanding line. The are more pronounced on these longer sanders.


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