As with any power tool, practice makes perfect, but there are a few techniques I use to get the most out of my detail sanders: The PSM 18 makes up part of Bosch’s trusted “green” line of DIY level tools. And as the best palm sanders go, this one is a joy to use. The rubberised grip is comfortable and helps to cut down on nasty vibrations. The charge indicator on the front is great for keeping tabs on how much juice you have left too. This clever little sander is the latest version of the tried and tested B+D Mouse sander. The KA2500K Next Generation mouse sander is a more aggressive and harder working sander for when you need a bit more power.

The Bosch PSM 18 LI is probably the best cordless palm sander you can get. It’s a high-performance tool with an incredible extending sanding pad that can get into the tightest spots.

Manual

Bosch offers a comfortable contoured shape with a soft grip and an easy-to-use toggle switch. The dust box is small but you can optionally attach the PSM 100 A to a vacuum cleaner for even less dirt. The triangular pointed shape of the sanding plate means you can get into corners and the plate can be rotated to extend its lifespan. Unlike many detail sanders, there’s a second section to the sanding plate for when more surface area is needed.

The Bosch PSM 100 A is probably the best detail sander for furniture restoration because it’s light, comfortable to use and comes in a sturdy Bosch blow moulded case. The rubber soft-grip top fits the hand well. The on/off switch is in just the right spot to be operated with one finger and it’s pretty quiet during operation. It’s good that the vibrations have been kept to a minimum as well. Disc sander: A disc sander is probably what most people think a random orbital sander is. The key difference is that they do spin in a fixed motion, much like the wheel on a car. They typically require two-handed operation and, like belt sanders, are better for tougher jobs where lots of material needs removing. The fixed motion means you need to be careful not to leave visible circle marks behind. Sanding creates a lot of dust so it’s a good idea to look for a sander with good dust collection as not all sanders come with this feature. Typically it will come in the form of a built-in dust compartment but some can even be attached to a vacuum cleaner tube for better extraction. The design of this sander has been perfected over the years, and you can really tell. The shape fits the hand nicely, and there are several rubberised patches that fit your thumb and fingers to maximise grip and manoeuvrability. And even though it’s small, the sanding pad is an impressive 140 mm ² .If there is power available then a corded sander makes life simpler in many ways as you don’t need to worry about charging batteries or replacing them when they are old. You just need to deal with a cable potentially getting in the way. How much do I need to spend?