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Grinding & Sanding

From a techniques point of view, grinding, rasping and sanding are similar operations.  In fact the Rasp is often considered the roughest of the sandpapers, preparing a tough or rough surface for subsequent sanding but it is also capable of some true grinding, like for removing thin-set mortar or grinding graffiti off of concrete.

What is unique about the oscillating tool is that it is capable of removing the toughest of thin set mortars and sanding wood down to a polished finish, but is not considered a tool for large surfaces.  In fact it is the compliment to other heavy duty material removal tools, getting into the corners, edges and other tight spaces that the larger tool cannot do -- or handling the small job that the other tools can't fit into -- like cleaning up for the replacement of a single tile.

Here technique and dust removal are key.  I have divided this video into 4 sections to make it easier to go to what you want to review:

1) Introduction plus Grinding/Rasp work; 2) Sandpaper grits; 3) Flat Sanding; 4) Profile Sanding.

 

Learning Curve 91


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Bill P. on January 02, 2015 12:42

Jon,
Just picked up my first oscillating tool, your series on using these tools here is invaluable, thanks so much. I've worked with air/power tools all my life and must admit I cringed several times when I saw blades being changed in and out with the tool still plugged into ac power. Admittingly, unplugging for every blade change/repositioning would interrupt the flow of your videos so I don't know if I have an answer for this but...safety first, always. Thanks again for the great series.

Hello Bill,
You are right about safety but the reality is that some of these blades just won't cut soft things, like skin because they oscillate, don't spin, and the skin just moves with the blade. That is why they are used in medicine for removing plaster casts. But then again, the E-Cut Japanese style teeth make a wicked weapon.
-- Jon

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