Makita sander

[BurtEggley]

A couple years ago I bought a Makita palm sander. It came with its own bag. When I used it to sand some areas of paint, it did fine sanding the paint, but I never could figure how to make the bag work correctly. The holes in the paper are in the right place, the path is open, but sanding dust went everywhere except into the bag. This is the first one like that I have owned. All the others are older and designed to send dust everywhere. I did buy an adapter to hook the output up to a hose so a shop vac could pull from it, but it is a headache trying to sand a door frame and drag a hose around. Any suggestions?

 

[The Cobbler]

new? used? sounds like it's plugged up or the fan is not working right

 

[Beerhippie]

No, it sounds like it's working as designed--poorly. Hooking it up to a shop vac/dust collector will help. A proper hose will make all the difference in the world.

Here's what I use:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0849L76XM?tag=atomicindus08-20

The hose is much more flexible--and longer--than the plastic hoses that come with a shop vac. It now lives on my shop vac for just that reason.

When sanding large projects--like tables or doors--I hang the hose over my shoulder to keep it out of the way and keep the weight off the sander.

You'll also want to get a filter bag for your shop vac. Another world of difference thing. Much finer dust collection than the stock filter, and much more capacity before it clogs up. Sander dust is fine stuff. Filter bags can be found at your local hardware store.

A bonus to using the vac is increased sandpaper life and a better finish--sander dust accumulating under the paper leaves marks.

 

[BurtEggley]

thank you. I'll take a look at that hose. Already have filter bags and sometimes use a cyclone with it for the glass bead cabinet.

As to the fan in the sander - don't know what else to do with it. The holes are open, the fan is part of the armature and spins. The slots are open. The fan just doesn't pull a lot of debris from the under and around the paper when sanding.

 

[manwithtools]

Normal operation for a typical palm sander. A sander designed for dust extraction will leave hardly any dust when used with a proper extractor (fancy HEPA vacuum cleaner). This results in a better sanded finish as well. problem is those sanders are expensive. Your best bet is to use a vacuum with your sander as others have suggested and not to expect much dust collection at all when used with the little bag.

 

[Kscardsfan]

I've yet to have a sander with a dust bag do much good on collecting any actual dust.

 

[RTM]

I've yet to have a sander with a dust bag do much good on collecting any actual dust.

Much better at the bag falling off at inopportune moments, spilling what little dust it did collect all over the front of whatever clean surface was nearby.

 

[engineer2]

Might be good to unscrew the sanding pad and have a look at the innards. The fan might just be heavily coated with dust. I any case blast it with compressed air.
I find collection bags might get 50-70% of the dust. Shop vac if it's critical to not make a mess. In my garage I often don't use anything since I'm going to vacuum up when I'm done.

 

[Kscardsfan]

Much better at the bag falling off at inopportune moments, spilling what little dust it did collect all over the front of whatever clean surface was nearby.

Especially if said surface needs to be spotless for finish.

 

[BurtEggley]

I have used air on it to clean it already. Didn't help. I went ahead and bought a hose set from Amazon that was recommended by member beerhippie.

 

[RTM]

I have used air on it to clean it already. Didn't help. .

Air may not be enough. Caked on sawdust has required a putty knife type edge on many tool projects I've done .

 

[KnurledNut]

Did you clean the bag well? Air has to flow through it. Gummy paint dust is worse on sanders than wood dust.

 

[whateg01]

In my garage I often don't use anything since I'm going to vacuum up when I'm done.

Bigger reason to use a shop vac (better than nothing), dust collector (better than shop vac), or dust extractor (best) is to keep from breathing the dust.

 

[Dave455]

I have that sander, and in honesty it’s one of my more used tools. It’s handy, and very effective for it’s size.

As regards dust collection, if I’m able to use it outside I do. Dust doesn’t get collected, but no major problem.

If I do use it outside, then the only dust that is a problem is the dust that comes out of the extractor port. It’s not a huge amount, maybe a third of the dust created, but it does get blown back and ends up on my clothes, so one reason to use the bag is to stop that. Another option is to just point the port in the other direction.

I have never used the bag myself, but it’s obvious from what I see, that some dust would end up in it. If you are getting none, then something is different.

Inside I just hook it up to an extractor. I say “extractor”, but it's an old industrial vacuum cleaner. Works just fine. Yes, the hose is a bit of a nuisance, but less so than the dust!

I do try and keep my sanders clean, so I blow them out with compressed air after almost every use. Much easier to clean out when dust is dry.

 

[NORTON'S SHOP]

A couple years ago I bought a Makita palm sander. It came with its own bag. When I used it to sand some areas of paint, it did fine sanding the paint, but I never could figure how to make the bag work correctly. The holes in the paper are in the right place, the path is open, but sanding dust went everywhere except into the bag. This is the first one like that I have owned. All the others are older and designed to send dust everywhere. I did buy an adapter to hook the output up to a hose so a shop vac could pull from it, but it is a headache trying to sand a door frame and drag a hose around. Any suggestions?

I have the cordless version of this and it works great.

 

[dnschmidt]

Do you use the punch plate that came with the sander. Without it dusk collection is impossible. This plate punches holes into the sandpaper attached to the sander and the dust is extracted through these holes.

 

[yhprum]

I recently split open a very similar design sander that had a dud switch. I was surprised to see how much sanding dust had filled the internal passages I had to use a pick to dig it out . Maybe yours is affected similar?

 

[charger 73]

I bought one of those sanders back in the late 90's .
Still using it , a very good sander, but always from day one found the dust bag to be useless.

 

[engineer2]

I love my Makita LXT 18V 1/3 sheet sander.