July 23, 2008

Zip Sander - Review

Zip Sander, you're the one.
You make sanding lots of fun.
Zip Sander, we're awfully fond of you....

Tools that look like bath toys aren't usually up our alley, but the Zip Sander seemed pretty interesting, so we thought we'd take a closer inspection and try one out. And to be honest, we're glad we did. The Zip Sander proved to be a versatile addition to our sanding repertoire for a number of reasons.

First, the little thing fits perfectly in the hand. We're pretty cheap, so we usually opt for the old 'scrap of wood with a piece of sandpaper wrapped around it' method. If you've ever done that (and we know you have), you'll agree that it can get pretty clunky, not to mention that you're holding on to the sandpaper, which can get uncomfortable after a while. The Zip Sander, on the other hand is made of a very durable foam that is molded just right and very easy to hold and maneuver. The custom sanding pads, stay on with Velcro, just like any orbital sander.

Second, the sander has just the right amount of give in it, making it perfect for, not only flat surfaces, but roundovers as well. We've been working on a chess board for a friend and when it came to sanding the edges, the Zip Sander did a great job contouring itself to the shape of the board, but still supplying enough backbone to get the sanding done.

The Zip Sander also has nice pointed ends that can fit in corners and other tight spaces.

We were surprised at how much we liked the little sander. It comes with six sheets of paper of varying grits and the whole thing costs less than $8. Additional sheets are available in packs of six for about about $6. It's short money for a nice little hand sander.

At Amazon

Read More in: All Reviews | Hand Tools | Sanding

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