Sanding is a very important step in treating a surface, as it greatly affects the final result of the newly completed work. To perform this operation optimally, electric sanders can be used, but there are different types, among which orbital and random orbital sanders are the most easily confused by name.
Let's start with the ABCs, meaning what sanding practically consists of: this operation allows for the finishing of a surface, eliminating imperfections, perfecting the shape, and refining measurements to achieve an optimal result. The objects of sanding include metal, wood, ceramic, marble, and many other materials, making knowledge of this practice a versatile skill that can be applied in many fields, from carpentry to bodywork, and a constellation of hobbyist and domestic jobs.
The best way, in terms of practicality and speed, to perform sanding is to use an electric tool, the sander: instead of rubbing the surface to be leveled and finished by hand with an abrasive (stone, powder, or sandpaper), these tools have a motor that allows the abrasive to rotate (or move, in the case of belt sanders), achieving the desired result much more conveniently.
On the other hand, since you are holding an electric tool and not directly touching the surface with your hand, you must rely only on your eye and experience to avoid over-abrading, which could damage instead of refining the material.
Once this principle is understood, you can choose the most suitable sander: we have already mentioned the belt sander which, as its name suggests, operates by continuously moving a closed loop of abrasive paper and is ideal for working on large flat surfaces such as wooden boards, making them perfectly smooth in a short time, or for removing layers of materials like paint and enamel.
Other types of sanders use a pad, a surface to which the abrasive is attached and which rotates around an axis; among these machines we find delta sanders (where the pad has a triangular shape) or orbital and random orbital sanders, both with a round pad. Delta sanders allow for finer work and are ideal for working on edges and corners due to their shape.
But then, if orbital and random orbital sanders both have the same pad, what is the difference between the two tools? It can be said that the random orbital version is an upgrade of the orbital one, so let's start by describing the latter.
The orbital sander only moves around the axis of the abrasive paper and offers a compromise between the fineness of the delta model and the removal capacity of the belt sander, except when dealing with extensive abrasion like paint and enamel.
The random orbital sander implements both the rotation of the abrasive paper around its axis and its rotation around itself: therefore, despite having the same pad shape, the action is much more effective than the orbital model, allowing it to work easily on corners and curved surfaces, and managing to remove more material thanks to wider circles. In short, it combines all the virtues of other sanders, making it the most versatile version.
