The Secret to Flawless Orbital Sanding

The Secret to Flawless Orbital Sanding

Whether you’re working on furniture, flooring or any other type of woodworking project, orbital sanders are invaluable tools that can help you achieve a flawless finish. These machines come in a variety of different sizes and styles, allowing you to choose an ideal product for the specific materials and finishes you specialize in. Industrial orbital sanders can also be outfitted with a selection of heads, enabling even greater customization and fostering faster production rates and a consistent finish. However, with so many orbital sanding solutions to choose from, it can be difficult for many woodworkers to determine which of these machines will work best for their production needs and constraints, especially if it’s their first time investing in one of these products. That’s where we come in.

At Timesavers, we’ve spent the past 70+ years manufacturing industry-leading woodworking solutions for woodworkers across the nation. Our wood sanders leverage optimized designs and the most durable components in existence, delivering outstanding power, performance and longevity. Our team also understands the many challenges that modern woodworkers face when selecting and utilizing their sanders, which is why we offer all of the support and counsel our customers need to find and use the right machines for their unique applications. No matter how demanding or specific your production requirements are, Timesavers aspires to set you up with a long-term, efficient and affordable sanding solution that positions you for success. That’s why we’ll be walking you through the differences between handheld and industrial orbital sanders to empower you with the knowledge needed to find the perfect orbital sander and maximize its production potential.

Handheld Orbital Sanders

If you jump online and search for orbital sanders, odds are good that you’ll see a massive variety of handheld machines. These compact solutions aren’t as powerful as belt sanders (making them a poor choice for leveling uneven wood surfaces or altering the shape of a board), but they do excel at smoothing moderately rough surfaces that don’t need to be calibrated. Moreover, handheld orbital sanders are incredibly effective as finish sanders. Because these machines simultaneously spin in circles while vibrating back and forth, they don’t leave noticeable streaks in the wood, resulting in a nice, smooth finish. This unique feature makes handheld orbital sanders very useful for small sections of wood flooring and cabinets. Pair this perk with their dust collection capacity and portability, and it’s not hard to see why many small to mid-sized woodworking shops employ handheld orbital sanders for their applications.

Despite the benefits of handheld orbital sanders and orbital sander sandpaper, they aren’t necessarily the best finishing solutions for your needs. These machines sacrifice power and size for high portability, meaning that they simply don’t have the horsepower or surface area to consistently finish large stretches of flooring, furniture or other big projects. They’re perfect for small-scale projects and detail work, but lack the strength and durability to handle long production runs for operations like cabinet, millwork or furniture production. Consequently, you should think of handheld orbital sanders as tools for finishing small wood pieces and key sections of larger ones.

Industrial Orbital Sanders

Unlike their compact cousins, industrial orbital sanders are incredibly powerful machines that are designed to finish large wood pieces during long production cycles. They excel at removing the cross-grain scratches left behind by wide belt sanders, preventing them from showing through once the wood is stained. Also, bear in mind that industrial orbital sanders are significantly more customizable than handheld orbital sanders, allowing you to use a combination of different head variants and machine options to suit your materials and desired finish types. Here’s a rundown on some of our industrial orbital sanders to give you a better understanding of your options:

The 2300 Series

The 2300 Series Orbital is a compact, resilient machine that combines a dual motion orbital head design with a “quick change” abrasive feature, making it easy to swap out abrasive belts for different production runs. Thanks to these features and a variety of head types (including combination, single pad orbital and brush), this solution is an excellent choice for small to mid-sized cabinet, millwork and furniture plants.

The 3300 Series (Single Pad)

Our 3300 Series Single Pad Orbital uses a combination of up to four drum, orbital or combination heads to optimize the efficiency and profitability of your production processes. This machine is designed to perform and excel in medium to large-sized cabinet, furniture and millwork production lines.

The 3300 Series (Twin Pad)

The 3300 Series Twin Pad Orbital is the fastest feed-through orbital machine we produce, utilizing up to four combination, brush or orbital heads to sand almost any type of wood imaginable. Its power, speed and operator-friendly control features make the Twin Pad Orbital a perfect choice for almost any orbital sanding application.

The 5300 Series

The 5300 Series Twin Pad Orbital is the most powerful orbital sander we’ve ever manufactured. This massive machine uses heavy, highly durable parts and twin 5” orbital pads powered by independent 7.5 HP motors to finish even the toughest types of wood. This combination of raw strength and resilience make the 5300 Series ideal for prolonged use in medium to large-sized cabinet, millwork or furniture plants.

Contact Timesavers Today

Not sure about which orbital sanding machines or techniques you should use to optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of your production processes? Then be sure to call or message Timesavers. You can also send us a message if you’re interested in learning more about us or some of our top-quality woodworking solutions. We’re here to provide you with any additional support or resources you need to achieve the best results for your woodworking project.