I used to sand everything by hand until a chair project broke me

For years I thought hand sanding gave me more control, especially on curved legs. Then I took on a set of six dining chairs from a 1920s estate sale, all with detailed turnings. After two full days of sanding just one chair with 150-grit paper, my fingers were raw and I was only halfway done. I finally bought a basic rotary tool with a sanding drum attachment for about $60, and it cut the time for each chair down to under an hour. Has anyone else made a switch from a stubborn hand-tool habit to a power tool that saved a project?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_tyler1mo ago

Didn't a woodworking podcast say that's exactly when you should buy the tool?

josephmurray1mo ago

Totally, I used to wait but that changed my mind.

margaretrivera3d ago

Agreed, I was the same way until a project forced my hand.