Grinder & Sander

A grinder uses grinding wheels or grinding stones for many jobs, including cutting metal, polishing, and removing paint or rust. Grinders are overall more versatile and powerful than sanders and are made for rougher surfaces, with up to 11,000 rpm. You can mount larger discs and finish jobs faster. Sanders are used mainly in woodworking and smooth surfaces using a disc. Grinders can be used as sanders, but a sander will have a smoother finish. If you commonly work with soft wood that needs a smooth finish, it is worth it to get a sander in addition to a grinder.

You can choose between a pneumatic (air) grinder or sander or an electric one. There are advantages and disadvantages to each type.

Advantages of electric:

• Better for smaller jobs
• Last longer
• Cordless options
• Less complicated- just plug it in and use it

Advantages of air:

• More heavy duty
• Eliminate risk of shock
• Cheaper than electric
• Can run without electricity
• More interchangeable and work in variety of environments
• Lighter weight

Make sure you know what environment you are working in before you choose your grinder or sander, and carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of each type.

Bench grinder:

• stationary
• central motor with abrasive disc on each side
• two different abrasive discs can be used on the same machine

Die grinder:

• handheld
• has rotating spindle where a collet holds the cutting bit
• used for removing material
• can be angled or straight
• right angle grinder is made for spaces where straight grinder can’t reach
• pencil die grinders are small, narrow, and perfect for tight spaces

Disc sanders include orbital, random orbital, angle, and vertical sanders. These are all characterized by having a disc perform the smoothing. They differ in disc size and in the shape of the sander itself.

Orbital and random orbital sander:

• random orbital sander has additional back and forth movement
• ideal for smooth finish with no scratch marks
• perfect for large flat pieces
• good detail sander option
• good dust collection

Angle sander

• performs smoothing at an angle
• good maneuverability
• good abrasive visibility

Vertical sander

• performs vertically, good for working on benches
• good for high power

Besides a disc sander, the other most common type is a belt sander. Instead of a disc, belt sanders use a sanding belt and can be either handheld or stationary. There are other types of sanders as well such as sheet sanders and palm sanders.