oldman_pottering Posted January 22, 2022 Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 Looking to buy a spindle sander and I'm not sure what way to jump. I think the added benefit of the belt sander combo could be handy but looking at the machine it seems that the belt sander part does not have a lot of surface area to work with. Spindle sander option only comes with a cast iron top and the combo unit only comes with plastic. Wondering if the spindle sander only and the addition of a seperate disc sander might be a better way to go ? Anyone with experience with either / or ? Recommendations and opinions welcome Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted January 22, 2022 Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 I have a Ridgid spindle / belt sander of the same format as that Triton. It is a very useful machine for small-ish work and small workspace, but you are correct. The platten is not very large, and the belt is short enough that it clogs with spoil quickly. A belt 'eraser' is an essential accessory. I rarely use the spindles, as they are difficult to keep tight on the rubber core, and clog up even more rapidly than the belt. For a hobby volume of work, its a pretty good arrangement, but maybe not for larger tasks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldman_pottering Posted January 22, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 On 1/22/2022 at 3:50 PM, wtnhighlander said: I have a Ridgid spindle / belt sander of the same format as that Triton. It is a very useful machine for small-ish work and small workspace, but you are correct. The platten is not very large, and the belt is short enough that it clogs with spoil quickly. A belt 'eraser' is an essential accessory. I rarely use the spindles, as they are difficult to keep tight on the rubber core, and clog up even more rapidly than the belt. For a hobby volume of work, its a pretty good arrangement, but maybe not for larger tasks. Thanks wtn that's interesting about the spindles not staying tight as the spindle part is the main reason I wanted one. I only do small hobby work, kids toys, bandsaw boxes etc and the spindle sanding would be helpful, I just wasn't sure about needing the belt option. I will have to have a rethink about the whole deal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonPacific Posted January 22, 2022 Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 The combo (I have the rigid model as well) is handy if you are extremely tight on space, but if you think you'll ever upgrade to a dedicated edge or disc sander, I think you'll be better off with the dedicated spindle sander. The deck on the combo unit is also prone to deflection and bowing in my experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted January 22, 2022 Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 I have the Rigid combo and like the belt feature. I've not used the spindles, yet. I don't consider it to be a precision machine but it is useful (I do smaller objects, too). The built in dust collection is not great, but I don't know that any other sander does that well, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnG Posted January 22, 2022 Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 I also have the Ridgid Combo unit. I haven’t had any trouble with the spindle coming loose, but agree with everything else. I use the belt 75% of the time. I will say that the belt sander has drawn more blood than everything else in the shop combined. It’s probably bad form, but it’s very prone to launching small pieces across the shop at about mach 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted January 22, 2022 Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 To clarify my statement, I do a lot of my shop work in the cooler winter months, when the rubber spindle 'sleeve spacer'(?) isn't as flexible. That contributes to slippage quite a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldman_pottering Posted January 22, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 On 1/22/2022 at 7:56 PM, BonPacific said: The combo (I have the rigid model as well) is handy if you are extremely tight on space, but if you think you'll ever upgrade to a dedicated edge or disc sander, I think you'll be better off with the dedicated spindle sander. The deck on the combo unit is also prone to deflection and bowing in my experience. I plan on getting a dedicated disc sander so I will go with the spindle only option Thanks On 1/23/2022 at 1:20 AM, Mark J said: I have the Rigid combo and like the belt feature. I've not used the spindles, yet. I don't consider it to be a precision machine but it is useful (I do smaller objects, too). The built in dust collection is not great, but I don't know that any other sander does that well, either. Thanks Mark On 1/23/2022 at 1:58 AM, JohnG said: I also have the Ridgid Combo unit. I haven’t had any trouble with the spindle coming loose, but agree with everything else. I use the belt 75% of the time. I will say that the belt sander has drawn more blood than everything else in the shop combined. It’s probably bad form, but it’s very prone to launching small pieces across the shop at about mach 2. Sounds nasty On 1/23/2022 at 3:15 AM, wtnhighlander said: To clarify my statement, I do a lot of my shop work in the cooler winter months, when the rubber spindle 'sleeve spacer'(?) isn't as flexible. That contributes to slippage quite a lot. We don't get real cold here in winter, sometimes down to 0c (32f) overnight to 14c (57f) during the day but I'll take that into consideration thanks 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted January 22, 2022 Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 I have a Ridgid dedicated spindle sander and a combo belt/disc sander, mounted on a rotating table, so just the footprint of one machine. On the occasion where my spindle sanding sleeve slips on the rubber roller, I find that wrapping each end of the roller with a round or two of blue tape, helps considerably. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.