Replies

1. 
   PlaneWood | Feb 12, 2004 02:25am | #1

   Scott -

   I too, have been interested in getting one of those.  I want to mount it on the bottom of an aluminum plate so I can drop it into my router table when needed.  My router table is already connected to the DC and has an external switch.

   Will the switch stay on when released?  I presume the variable speed will stay set.

   Where did you find the good deal?

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)
   PlaneWood

1. 
   SCFrankland | Feb 12, 2004 03:38am | #2

   A local tool shop here in Halifax that I do a lot of business with is willing to part with it. It is the last one they have in stock and they are looking to get rid of as much stuff so they don't have to count it come inventory time. Happens to a lot of places this time of year. I guess it is easier to sell it then count it. I too have been thinking about getting another sheet of 3/8" Plexiglass and using that as a base for the sander. That way I can use it in or out of the router table as need be. I do a lot of large panels that would be much easier to do with the sander in hand rather than using a bench top machine.Scott C. Frankland

   Scott's WOODWORKING Website"He who has the most tools may not win the race of life but he will sure make his wife look like a good catch when she goes to move on."

2. 
   Ricky_Yu | Feb 12, 2004 01:49pm | #3

   I got the 121 shortly after it came out. I already had the Porter-Cable 698 router table so I figured I could mount the 121 in it (although a separate adaptor is required) and the portability would be a bonus. Turns out I maybe used it once topside to attempt to straighten out a table edge, but the result was less than satisfactory. The included edge guide's split fence can be adjusted independently to mimic a jointer's infeed and outfeed tables, but I think the guide just isn't long enough to register well against the work.

   As a table-mounted machine, it works well. It sands pretty aggresssively in the coarser grits and the sander does not noticeably bog down when I push stock hard against it. However, its main drawback is noise. Because of its universal motor, it is considerably louder (and possibly less durable) than the induction motor on benchtop models. Also, the drum capacity is limited to 2", whereas benchtops go to at least 3". On the other hand, the 121 has variable speeds, a feature the benchtops in a similar price range do not have.

   In the end, there are trade-offs you will have to consider if this will be a good fit for your shop. If you anticipate using the portability feature, or if your space is limited to a point that diversifying the router table is an attractive option for you, then the 121 might be a worthwhile machine. But if you're just looking for an oscillating spindle sander in the conventional sense, then you might be better served by the Delta, Jet, or if budget willing, Clayton sander with its induction motor and better capacity.