HOT NEW TOOLS
Woodcraft Magazine Posted on
Hot New Tools – Handle the rough stuff
Hot New Tools | The final, precise steps to complete a woodworking project are often preceded by tasks that require aggressive cleaning, shaping, and sanding. If you’d welcome a way to get through this rough work more quickly, Porter-Cable’s Restorer tool might be just the ticket. This portable drum sander is lighter and more compact than a belt sander, offering greater maneuverability with less arm fatigue. And because it can spin a variety of abrasives, it’s got impressive versatility. With the right drum or sleeve, you can clean a slab’s live edge, remove paint from reclaimed lumber, erase rust from metal, clear grit from rough-sawn boards, wire-brush wood to create a distressed effect, and more. While the Restorer can’t flatten a surface like a belt sander, it more than makes up for this limitation by doing plenty of other “dirty” jobs that would take a long time to accomplish by other methods.
A tool like this requires effective dust collection, and the Restorer didn’t disappoint. The base model comes with a few sanding sleeves and will set you back about $100. But for $50 more, you get additional sanding sleeves, medium and coarse synthetic abrasive sleeves, and a rust and paint remover wheel to tame even more surfaces in and out of your shop.
—Tester, Bob Poling
Overview
- Base model $99.99
- 3″-dia, 4″-wide roller
- Variable-speed with locking switch
- Built-in dust port
- Use to buff, sand, grind, polish, or clean wood, metal, masonry, and fiberglass.