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Cast iron forever. This was the best price, ($249) I could find for this cast iron, beginner's beauty. Go for it. Ps: mine operates very smoothly with no grunts or groans others have experienced. Did I mention I LOVE cast iron.it will never change shape because cast iron is inherantly stable.did I spell that right. Who cares, you get the point.
Sounds like Delta needs to remedy the stripping gear problem before it would be recommendable to buy. I used this Delta spindle sander for about 4 working sessions only to have it quit oscillating also. Seemed great until this happened.
The table was totally square to the spindle and needed no shimming, the oscillating function worked fine and it operates very quiet and vibration-free. I need to get things square most of the time. We both build guitars, and a tool like this is invaluable.My sander arrived without any problem, set up in minutes and was just fine right out of the box. There is no tendancy for it to move at all, so I don't know what the issue was with the other reviews. I was skeptical about getting this tool after reading all the negative reviews about how flimsy it was and how many broken gear/actuator arms people had encountered.
I ordered from Amazon, got it for $199 no tax, with the spindle set included. Not only that, they didn't have it in stock and would need to order it.so please be prepared to wait two to three weeks. The large, round table is ideal for what I need to do, and the fact that it's fixed (non-tilt) is a big plus for me. I've already tried this on hardwood (maple, indian rosewood, ebony) and as long as I don't force anything, I've had great results.I called a local tool store and was give a $250 price plus tax, and the sander didn't include the extra spindle set (they wanted another fifty bucks if I remember right). While the base is plastic, the table is cast iron and had quite a heft to it. I probably will never sand anything taller than 3", and even then it would be to remove (for example) bandsaw teeth marks or to get the contour of a curve shaped just right. I don't find this to be true at all. In my case, it's used for delicate trimming and smoothing.
I'm glad to say a friend of mine who owns one (a slightly older model, but to my eye exactly the same unit) talked me into getting it. I can always make a jig to get an angle, but not having to take the time to re-square the table (and hope it doesn't go out of adjustment) is great and a time saver.I think some of the problems with the broken oscillating function in other reviews might be because people are trying to hog off more wood than the unit is designed to handle. Took four working days to get here.I'm very satisfied so far, and based on what I've experienced with my sander and the Delta unit owned by my buddy (six years and counting) I don't anticipate any major problems. Someone mentioned that the unit is light weight and could walk off a benchtop if not secured. I've run the sander sitting on top of a portable shop table and it stays put just fine.
Plus it produces a much better finish. The BOSS sander has cut the sanding time by 300%. I fabricate wooden chairs, ottomans and tables which my wife adds custom graphics. Before I used a drill press and a home built drum to sand the curved surfaces of the chair parts.
I especially enjoy putting a square edge on plywood prior to edge banding.now I have no gaps along the edge. For the weekend or hobby woodworker this tool is great. Obviously, a 1/4 horse motor cannot give the power of an industrial sander.I mounted mine on a home made mobile cabinet with locking wheels so I can easily move it around my small shop.
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