Burning Mice

[Dog]

Not content with chasing cats I've managed to burn out three Black & Decker Mouse profile sanders. The first went up in smoke within the warranty period, got a replacement but that went the same way within a month and then got given one by a friend on my birthday, that didn't last long at all

Moving rapidly away from the budget end of the market and even more rapidly away from the Toledo profile sander sold by the great Screwfix Direct, this only worked at 'full throttle' if you kept it horizontal, at any other angle the revs dropped so much it would have been quicker to hand sand the workpiece....but on with the tale....I invested in a Porter Cable Profile Sander and what a joy to use at any angle. You get a 210watt motor, compared to the 55watt from B&D and the iffy 120watt from Toledo, a whole bunch of rubber profile attachments, offset mounting plate, single mounting plate & a standard pad that accepts hook & loop paper. Instructions that do not require an electron microscope wound up to 50,000 times magnification let alone a degree in all known foreign languages or the specialist art of being able to read something photocopied beyond the understanding of anything other than non-human, with red teeth and portable brain, in otherwords I could understand it, so you are bound too as well.
A case that holds everything in place and everything stays in place no matter at what angle you hold it all, a long flex and supplied dust extraction pipe fitted with an option to remove.

I tried it out on the most difficult wood to work with known to man, Outer Mongolian Walnut, otherwise known as Pine from B&Q :wink:
Profile Sander Kit 9444
Here's a picture:

 

[DaveL]

Hi Dog,

Looks a nice bit of kit very useful.
What the rubber bits for?

I must admit the instructions in many things these days drive me potty, even with the new reading glasses. :shock:

And of course how much did it cost?

 

[Dog]

Hi Dave, the rubber bits are different shaped profiles that you slot into a holder depending on what kind of contour you want to sand. You wrap sandpaper around them which is held by the socket that grips the rubber profile.

Cost, I was lucky, got this for £51.00 but you can pick it up for around £69 from here: http://www.porter-cable.uk.com/shopping ... od_cat.asp It's the middle one in the list.

You might get it cheaper so try a google search :wink:

 

[DaveL]

Well I am impressed, its a lot cheaper than I had guessed and with that name it should last well.

 

[Chris Knight]

It's the sticky sandpaper where they make their money!

 

[Vormulac]

Fifty quid?!? :shock: By Jingo! I take it this is not through any supplier that we could all approach, begging fervently? Well done on securing such a splendid looking piece of kit for such little dosh

Have you had time to thoroughly play ... I mean vigorously test it yet? Forthcoming review?

V.

 

[Dog]

You can get it, if you're quick for a tiny £46.94 from here: http://www.itslondon.co.uk/ProductDetai ... um=2394456

It hasn't been pushed hard as yet but it will be and I'll write a full review about it in the new year

 

[RogerS]

Dog

Great link and thanks for that. Just ordered one. Simply because I think that my Bosch lookalike may be going South soon.

My Mouse also blew up recently and I have to confess that I do like the lightweight and small size. The sanders the size of the Porter are simply too big sometimes.

And although Porter et al make smaller sanders they are all 1/4 sheet and square and I like the pointy nature of the Mouse.

When you were looking did you come across any others apart from Bosch?

Cheers

Roger

 

[Dog]

I didn't come across any others and since using the Porter Cable I think I'll stick with this make. I haven't had much chance to give it a good seeing to as what with two members of my family dying within 3 months of each other, sister and my dad, woodworking has been 'shelved' so to speak, for now, but I will get around to doing a full review, just can't promise when.

All I can say, as far as the PC goes, very comfortable to work with and has the guts in the motor to handle hard and soft wood sanding with ease whereas the Mouse began to struggle after a while but then it was a 'budget' DIY tool compared to the more professional PC profile sander :wink: