Estes Ultimate Sanding Bar mini-review

[neil_w]

I had to order some new SuperGold CA from eRockets so I decided to nab one of the new(ish) Estes Ultimate Sanding Bars. I have a Great Planes sander and have regretted never getting another... the Estes bar looked like a copy so I gave it a whirl.

Here's the box:


The bar comes in a plastic bag, along with a single piece of adhesive 120 grit paper.


I was surprised by how big this thing is, relative to my little Great Planes sander:


In addition to a larger footprint, the plane of the bar is quite heavy. Note also that although it is similar it is a completely new extrusion, so it's not like Estes just bought the tooling from Great Planes. This is all new.


I had no interest whatsoever in a 120 grit sander for my LPR work, so I used some 3M 45 spray to affix a piece of fresh 400 grit paper:


So how does it feel? Fine. It's basically equivalent in the hand to the Great Planes, with the only big surprise being the large size. My big complaint is only including a single sheet of 120 grit. That's not a useful inclusion for LPR builders, which are the bulk of Estes' customers (I think). Come on, throw in a 220 and/or a 400 grit sheet.

But overall, thumbs up.

 

[SolarYellow]

All my rocket sanding so far has been 220, 320 and 400.

 

[neil_w]

One thing I forgot to mention: the Great Planes is 2.3 oz, the Estes is 5.2 oz. The difference in the hand is very noticeable… but I don’t think it would make any real difference in use.

 

[BEC]

As near as I can tell, DuBro products managed to get their hands on the Great Planes extrusion (or stock of the cut pieces). https://www.dubro.com/products/kwik...1&_sid=4c8f2f28a&_ss=r&variant=39755034722388

I was surprised at the size and heft of the Estes sander, too, when I got one from Scott Hunzicker at NARAM this past summer.

Added: it looks like the two smaller sizes of the DuBro version are on sale at Tower right now. I have to say I was a little bit surprised Tower Hobbies still exists since it was part of the whole Great Planes empire.

further added: I am speculating on the DuBro sander. I have not actually gotten one with their name on it to compare to my Great Planes sanders.

 

[mh9162013]

That little "ridge" on the length-wise edges should help make this sander an even better straight edge for drawing on fin and launch lug lines, too.

 

[neil_w]

As near as I can tell, DuBro products managed to get their hands on the Great Planes extrusion (or stock of the cut pieces). https://www.dubro.com/products/kwik...1&_sid=4c8f2f28a&_ss=r&variant=39755034722388

Yes, that definitely looks like the same extrusion.

Time will tell if the large size of the Estes block is help or hindrance.

 

[BEC]

Yes, that definitely looks like the same extrusion.

Time will tell if the large size of the Estes block is help or hindrance.

I've used them both but haven't really developed any serious concerns about the Estes one. It fits fairly neatly (lengthwise) between the two smaller sizes of the Great Planes sander. I never got the 22 inch one from GP and I don't think I want it $39 plus shipping worth to see if I have a use for it now. When I was building airplanes, a really long sander sometimes would come in handy. Less needed for rockets (at least the ones I build).

 

[MALBAR 70]

I picked one up a while back and just got around to trying it out. I really liked the heft of it, and it seemed to help with the removal of material. I too replaced the 120 grit with 320 grit. It's a huge improvement over the pine block with the paper stapled on. Over all I think it'll be a welcome addition to my toolbox.

 

[SolarYellow]

So far, CSRocketry is the only Estes vendor I've seen with the sanding bar listed.

 

[dmaaero]

Quick change paper idea, works like a charm. No more of that expensive sticky back paper!

 

[neil_w]

That's a good one. There are also numerous tips for adhesive sandpaper in this old thread.

 

[Titan II]

Or something similar....

 

[Capt. Eric]

I use a block of wood and fold it around. No glue. No staples. Comes in different sizes and shapes, depending upon what's in my scrap bin. And free shipping.

 

[dmaaero]

Thats funny because the first post shows the sanding paper on a dowel, i use the rubber band for that too. A big bag of rubber bands goes a long way an has many uses.

 

[Rob Campbell]

I have the Great Planes bars in different lengths. This is a must have tool for RC and rocketry.

 

[SolarYellow]

Quick change paper idea, works like a charm. No more of that expensive sticky back paper!

The problem with that is the paper has resistance to bending around the edge. It means there is more pressure of the sandpaper against the work adjacent to the edge. Fine for harder woods, but for light balsa, it will generate an irregular surface, rather than being nice and flat.

 

[neil_w]

That's why it is a wonderful luxury to have multiple of these things, each with a different grit glued on and perfectly flat. Right now I have my new one at 400 grit (workhorse variety for dealing with balsa) and my old one with.... I'm not sure actually, it's coarser but very worn, good for harder woods or when I need to take off a lot of material. I expect these two to cover more than 90% of my sanding block work.

 

[SolarYellow]

Yup. I have an old t-bar that I've had forever. Thought I had a long Great Planes at some point in the past, but can't find it anywhere. Got an Estes in one of my BF orders. Will probably pick up another Estes, tacking it onto some other order, and maybe experiment with other ideas.

 

[neil_w]

Yup. I have an old t-bar that I've had forever. Thought I had a long Great Planes at some point in the past, but can't find it anywhere. Got an Estes in one of my BF orders. Will probably pick up another Estes, tacking it onto some other order, and maybe experiment with other ideas.

Don't overlook the Dubro option that Bernard supplied earlier.

 

[SolarYellow]

Well aware, but they are more expensive and I can't find them nicely discounted at a vendor where I can just tack them onto another order I'm doing anyway, possibly with free shipping.

 

[billpr]

Quick change paper idea, works like a charm. No more of that expensive sticky back paper!

Looks like a great idea. Thanks for posting.

 

[jahall4]

View attachment 624993
Or something similar....

Yep, makes possible sanding blocks of endless shapes and sizes, with little fuss, many impossible to make otherwise. I still have some blocks I made using contact cement 40+ years ago.

 

[Neutronium95]

I picked up one of the Estes sanding bars recently, and it's been pretty nice to use. I've been using it for high power projects, so the 120 grit paper that it comes with is pretty much perfect. The only problem I have with it is that the adhesive on the piece of sandpaper that comes with it is pretty bad. It sticks fine when sanding, but I've seen it peeling up a few times.

 

[dpower]

I have 2 of the Estes bars, superior to the Great Planes in my experience. The one great planes I had was slightly concave making it useless for sanding fins. I'm making my own adhesive sandpaper, put some wide 3m delicate surface painters tape on the bar, spread thin ca, press sand paper on. We'll see how it works over time. I'll probably pickup another one on the next order...

 

[neil_w]

I'm enjoying mine so far. I think I wish it were a bit smaller for LPR use.