The Best Spindle Sanders

It is no secret that not all of woodworking involves sanding straight edges or lines. So what do you do when you need to create curves, arcs or contours? This is where spindle sanders come in. These tools consist of a rotating drum and a sandpaper sleeve. They are great for jobs that require more precision. Unfortunately, there are many features that make it difficult to choose a model that is right for you. This post reviews the best spindle sanders on the market and highlights key factors to consider when making your purchase.

Best spindle sanders reviewed

1. WEN 6510

This spindle sander from WEN is built with mobility and quickness in mind. It is the best spindle sanding tool on the market and will help you create odd shapes and smoothen them. Swapping the drums and plates in and out is quite easy while its lightweight construction makes it easy to move around. It is powered by a quiet ½ HP 3.5 Amp motor that can achieves up to 2000 rotations and 58 oscillations per minute. The packaging allows for up to six sanding sleeve attachment sizes for a wide range of curves to match your needs. Its onboard storage is incredible as it makes it easy for you to organize your table inserts, spindles and spindle washers. It features a dust port that allows you to attach the dust extractor, thus reducing pollution. Our main concern is that it’s a little too small for some jobs.

2. Jet 708404 JBOS-5

This benchtop spindle sander boasts a ½ HP motor with plenty of power, even for the experienced professionals. It comes with a 5.5-inch table that serves as a sanding platform. The side to side as well as up and down oscillating movement helps with giving the smooth finish you want. The table tilts up to 45 degrees and works with the 1-inch spindle to give you a smooth finish each time. This platform is constructed with cast iron, which is known for its durability. Another notable feature is the in-built dust collection system that hooks up to a vacuuming system, thus reducing dust. The package includes five spindles including a 0.25-inch, 0.5-inch, 5/8-inch, 1.5-inch and 2-inch spindles. It can also work with a 3-inch spindle, but that’s not included.

3. Delta Woodworking 31-483 Heavy Duty Bench Spindle Sander

This heavy duty spindle sander is strong enough to handle all of your woodworking needs and has a lot going for it. For starters, it is powered by a 115V motor with enough power to rotate at 29 oscillations per minute, which is equivalent to 1725 RPM. This is more than enough power to smoothen any arcs, contours or corners. The steel frame within which it’s enclosed goes a long a way towards helping minimize the vibrations. A large bevel scale teams with positive stops at 90 degrees to deliver enhanced convenience and accuracy. If you are worried about too sanding dust polluting your work environment, you will certainly love the large dust port. The onboard storage is great, although storing the three differently sized washers can prove a challenge at times.

4. Grizzly G0739

This oscillating spindle sander comes from a reputable brand and while it’s not the best rated, it is still worth considering. The fact that it doesn’t require a learning curve and is easy to use makes it an excellent option for the average user. It comes with a ½ HP motor that produces up to 2000 RPM’s at 58 oscillations per minute. The six spindles have varying diameters, thus offering you plenty of options out of the box. It only weighs 37 pounds and comes with a cast iron table that ensures stability while working as well as longevity. This is one of the most versatile spindle sanders you will find on the market. The only concern is that the dust port is a little too small compared to what you find on other models on this list.

5. Shop Fox W1831 Oscillating Spindle Sander

This is a spindle sander that both hobbyists and professional woodworkers will find useful. The powerful motor delivers up to 58 oscillations per minute, helping you smoothen the roughest corners and contours with efficiency. It comes with six sanding sleeves with varying diameters and as such, there is no limit as to what you can do. The onboard storage is quite incredible and allows you to organize your sanding sleeves, spindles, table inserts as well as washers. The built-in 1 to ½ inch dust port is a welcome feature that helps you keep workshop tidy. The machine is safe to use and will serve you for years to come.

6. Powertec OS100

What makes this spindle sander unique is that it offers a large work surface. In addition, it comes with a variety of sanding sleeves as well as drums, and the onboard storage ensures that you keep your tools organized. The package includes five drum washers, five sanding drums, six table inserts as well as six sanding sleeves. It’s heavy weight makes portability as little more difficult compared to other models. The tradeoff is that you get an extremely tough and durable machine. It is powered by a 2/5 HP motor that can produce up to 1725 rotations per minute. This makes it an ideal machine for small to medium jobs at home.

Factors to consider when purchasing a spindle sander

The spindle sander is an essential tool for woodworking and with dozens of manufacturers offering these machines, choosing something that’s right for you can prove a daunting task. So how do you know which model to buy? Which features should you look for in a spindle sander?

Regular vs. oscillating spindle sander

Spindle sanders come in two main types i.e. regular and oscillating spindle sanders. The latter comes with a drum that moves up and down, which makes it smoothen small areas with better precision. The main advantage of regular spindle sanders is that they offer improved portability.

Portable vs. benchtop spindle sanders

The benchtop spindle sander was the most popular spindle sander until a few decades ago when handheld sanders that allow for portability hit the market. Standalone floor models are also available. Portable models are best suited for someone who doesn’t have a lot of space and handles small to medium jobs. Benchjtop spindle sanders, on the other hand, are preferred by professional woodworkers.

Number of oscillations per minute

It’s important that you remember that a smoother finish is accomplished with a higher number of oscillations per minute. Other advantages of more oscillations are that they ensure a consistent scratch pattern on the wood and prevent the abrasive sleeve from getting clogged with dust. Keep is that the high the number of oscillations per minute, the more a machine will cost.

Conclusion

There are more than 15 manufacturers of spindle sanders and the hundreds of options on the market make it so hard to separate the grain from the chaff. That said, we hope that this review helps you find a spindle sander that meets your needs.

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This page about Spindle Sander was composed by V. Tobies and published by Alternative.me.
It was last updated on 2024-05-06 08:27:16 and has been viewed 2615 times.