When you need to sand a small area without damaging the surface around it, strip-sanding is a great method. Cut a long strip of sandpaper and trap it between your finger and the offending area, and then pull the strip with your other hand. This works wonderfully when you are removing the last remnants of a drip in a finish, or a stubborn, hard-to-reach detail. Be careful: Strip-sanding is more aggressive than it seems. Start with fine sandpaper and short strokes to avoid creating a new problem. I never use anything coarser than 220-grit paper, and most often use 400-grit on drips.

—Dean Laughren, Winnipeg, Man., Canada

Fine Woodworking Recommended Products

Festool Rotex FEQ-Plus Random Orbital Sander

The Festool Rotex is a top-of-the-line choice. On its coarse setting, it removed stock nearly twice as quickly as the second-fastest model. But that speed doesn’t mean you’ll have to wrestle with it. It’s no huge task to control it with two hands, and its long body gives you plenty of room to find a sweet spot while holding it.

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Craftsman Random Orbit Sander

While this sander is among the least expensive models in the test, its performance ranks among the best. The stock removal was excellent, and dust collection was solid when used with a vacuum. It handles really smoothly, too, and has a tall body that fit my hand nicely whether I was holding it from above or around the waist.

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3M Pro Grade Sandpaper

This sandpaper is clog resistant and has a material on the back that prevents it from slipping. Great for sanding blocks.

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