: I will be following this thread with great interest as I am about to build a
: S&G Mill Creek. I am completely confused as to which sander I should get.
: The New Kayak Shop recommends a ROS but says the 1/4 sheet does just as
: good a job but is just slower. A CLC rep told me the 1/4 sheet sander
: might not have enough muscle for the epoxy stage and that I might need the
: ROS for that part. But I was then told that the ROS might not do as good
: on the varnish stage. I am only going to buy one sander, want to be able
: to sand the epoxy easily but don't want to be so aggressive that I take
: epoxy, fiberglass, and wood along for the ride. Is a variable speed ROS
: (such as the Porter Cable VS333) a good compromise? Is it worth the extra
: cost?
: Thanks,
: Jenny

Hi Jenny

I don't know who told you that the 1/4 sheet sanders were any better in any way shape or form, but, I don't see it. I've used both and the 1/4 sheet was good when there was nothing better. The high speed was a better choice than the slower models, but, the ROS has totally replaced all other orbitals. It cuts better, and works faster and if you don't want to cut as much or as fast, you use a little lighter paper. ??? I don't know why anyone would use a variable speed ROS as the whole idea of that sander was to eliminate the swirl marks and it was done by most models by increasing speed, and using multiple orbits. Decreasing speed can only work to eliminate one of the advantages of the ROS. I've never used anything but a regular ROS ( one speed ) and never had any problems with finish on furniture and unlike boats, furniture is something everyone looks at very closely. IMHO... speed control on a ROS is a waste of hard earned money. ( like windshield wipers on your headlights ??? )
Yeh, they work, but, to what end.

A 1/4 sheet sander WILL work, is slower, but, stay away from the slower speed models. Make sure the rpm is up above 10,000 RPM. Anything slower and you will have swirl/scratches.

Stick with the single speed ROS and save some money. It will work as good as you will ever need on one of these boats.

Hope this helps.

Rehd