Festool Polishing with a Pimped Out Rotex RO 150 FEQ Dual Mode S (Model No.: Pimped Out R)

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The Festool Rotex RO 150 FEQ is more than just a sander; it is a highly effective tool for polishing as well! I have been asked to "pimp-out" an RO 150 FEQ for polishing. Your wish is my command. Not only will I Pimp the machine, below you will find instructions for polishing wood to a high gloss as well on the FestoolJunkie Blog.

The Tool:

Festool RO 150 FEQ Dual-Mode Sander (571594) - $475.00

The Accessories:

The RO 150 already comes with the bumper-guard and the handle. One of the many beauties of the sander is that you can quickly change the various pads without a wrench; these pads are referred to as the FastFix pads. For polishing, there are a few items you will need to snag.

Festool 6" FastFix Hard Sanding pad (493915) - $36.00

Abrasives:

Rubin:

120grit 50x (486397) - $22.50

180grit 50x (486399) - $22.50

Brilliant2:

220grit 100x (492986) - $38.00

400grit 100x (492989) - $38.00

Platin2:

500grit 15x (492369) - $52.00

1000grit 15x (492370) - $52.00

4000grit 15x (492372) - $52.00

Festool 6" FastFix polishing pad (493914) - $19.50

Polishing Material:

Soft Felt 5x (488347) - $28.00

Hard Felt 5x (488348) - $28.00

Sheepskin Pad 2X (484131) - $30.00

In This Progression of grits and pads, FestoolJunkie is assuming that you are starting with surfaced LUMBER. If you are going from rough lumber, you should add some 36 grit or 50 grit, and 80 grit Rubin to get you where you need to be when starting the polishing progression at Rubin 120grit.

One More Word Of Caution. When you have achieved the Polishing of the wood, you WILL NOT be able to apply a finish to the wood. The grain and porocity of the wood will be burnished to the point that nothing will stick to it. It is possible to apply a wax finish to the wood using the Rotex with a sponge ON LOW SPEED, and then buffing out beginning with the felt progression.

If you have applied a urethane, or a laquer to the wood, beginning with the felt progression, you can achieve some tremendous matte - gloss appearance AFTER you have allowed the finish to cure for SEVERAL DAYS - A WEEK - TO AS LONG AS YOU CAN HOLD OUT!