The BEST Sanders for 3D Prints

Here are the tools

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Proxxon 2" Angle Polisher https://amzn.to/4cjrwC6

The speed demon, this is my favorite. It’s most useful at the lowest speed setting. Any 2” polisher will do just make sure it can operate around 800 RPM. You also have to be careful with the edge of the sanding pad as it can cut into your print! This is an aggressive sander so you want to move around the piece quickly to avoid hot spots. You can try out the 2” pads with a drill or a rotary tool just try to keep the speed down!

Ryobi PBLRT01 Flex Shaft Rotary Tool https://amzn.to/4a2OefN

Incredible rotary tool that I highly recommend. The reason why I like it is high torque at very low speed, it also has stable RPM. My other rotary tools don’t go this slow and require frequent rpm adjustments.

Milwaukee M12 Detail Sander https://amzn.to/4a5F9mh

This is a really good tool, especially for my kind of work, highly recommend. The sanding pads are kind of annoying to buy, Home Depot doesn’t stock them (at least near me) so I'm usually cutting my own or using 2” backing pads.

Proxxon Delta Sander https://amzn.to/4c9ZQ2w

This is a solid tool especially if you don't have a battery system or you want a very quiet tool. I prefer the M12 Detail Sander over this tool.

Makita LXT Random Orbital https://amzn.to/4cbwCQz

A great tool but hard to use on detailed prints. This is only because of the size. If you’re doing a lot of big prints and you have a space where you can make alot of noise I recommend this tool. Also hooks up to a shop vac for dust management.

Proxxon Belt Sander https://amzn.to/4cacmPc

I don't recommend this for standard 3d printer materials. Its a little too aggressive even at the low speed.

Milwaukee M12 Oscillating Multi-Tool https://amzn.to/3wJBMDo

I really don't like this for this specific application, otherwise its solid. It’s really better as a cutter. Also loud and bulky.

Ryobi P440 Quarter Sheet Finish Sander https://amzn.to/3PcTRjo

This style of tool is awful, get a random orbital instead. This one is also outdated.

Here are some of the sanding accessories shown in the video;

A decent starter pack for 2" polishing https://amzn.to/49LIg33

These pads tear easily but for the price can't really complain, you can get a wide range of different grits to test out.

My current favorite 2" sanding pads https://amzn.to/49IRyg5

These pads last much longer than the ones above, like much much longer. Significantly more tear resistant. I buy these 150 - 400 grit.

The filament I used for testing is Polymaker CosPLA Version A https://amzn.to/3IPaIFD

Generally my go-to for all my larger props when resin doesn’t make sense.