Does Anyone Know What Motor Is In The Ridgid Oscillating Combo Sander?

[wally247]

I'm asking because I'm thinking about purchasing one and wondering if I could put a rheostat on it to slow it down.

From what I've read you can rheostat a brushed motor but not a brushless.

Or would I be smarter to just deal with higher speeds and not worry about burning up the motor?

[billymac814]

I have a similar oscillating spindle sander and they don't soon that fast, I think you'd be fine.

[evandailey]

I'm asking because I'm thinking about purchasing one and wondering if I could put a rheostat on it to slow it down.

From what I've read you can rheostat a brushed motor but not a brushless.

Or would I be smarter to just deal with higher speeds and not worry about burning up the motor?

I don't know about the motor, but I have this same sander and see no reason why it would ever need to be slowed down for leather work. It's the best deal going for a spindle sander in my opinion.

[wally247]

I was just looking at the specs and this model turns way more RPM's than a "real" leather tool would. (which is way out my budget.) By slowing it down you would be able to use finer grain sandpaper.

I'm really just brainstorming like you said I might not need to do anything. Just looking for cheaper ways to accomplish things since I'm a younger guy just starting out in this whole leather adventure.

[billymac814]

Where can you get a real leather sander? I think the closest thing would be a shoe finisher and they spin quite fast. What is the RPM showing in the specs? I wouldn't think its much more than 2000rpms or so.

I used a belt sander for a long time, I much preferred it over the spindle sander and it was cheaper too.

[billymac814]

I just checked mine and its 2000 rpms. I used 80 grit and could probably have went finer although I never needed to. The sander I'm currently using is 1750rpms and its a little on the slow side really, I may at some point change the pulley to speed it up just a bit.

Here's a link to my current setup. It could be built for about the same money as a spindle sander and it burnishes the edges too so it kills two things at once.

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=46027&view=&hl=&fromsearch=1

[wally247]

Well I guess I was worrying about nothing, thanks guys!

[lwm803]

I have used my Ridgid oscillating belt/spindle sander on wood for several years and recently on leather also. I have not felt the need to alter its speed for either material. It has been a very useful bit of equipment for me.

[electrathon]

I have not been into one, but would comment that it is highly unlikely that it is a brushed motor.