I always underestimate the time sanding requires. I block out the different runs of a sanding session to go from coarse to fine. I also tend to forget that I usually end up using a sanding sponge or paper. This happens when I’m sanding details or curves that I don't trust the machine to do. Bosch claims to have found a solution for this. A small battery powered sander and polisher with three moving discs. The latter should allow the machine to adapt to all surfaces.
I unbox the green and black sander and it makes a good first impression: it’s well made and has no unneccessary gimmickry. The box contains a plug for the battery and three different sanding attachments. I buy an additional six-pack of polishing sponges. There’s also a contraption that lets you connect your vacuum cleaner tube to the sander. This prevents sawdust from falling to the ground. Now that could come in handy. Unfortunately, it’s not compatible with my Electrolux vacuum cleaner. The sander has an on/off button and a wheel with continuous rotation speed adjustment. That’s it. And that’s all it needs.
The three discs are covered in velcro so that the sanding sheets and polishing sponges are easy to attach and remove. Changing the discs proves to be really simple. After fully charging the battery, I fire the sander up. It’s so easy to use that there’s no need for a manual. What I do need, however, is a wood project or a piece of furniture to work on. All I find is a piece of lime wood that’s lying in a corner of my flat. It will have to do. The Easy CurvSander 12 glides across the smooth, level surface with ease. It’s comfortable in my hand and not too heavy at 1.2 kilogrammes. It’s only the on/off button I find a bit awkward. The way it’s positioned at the front of the machine means I either have to move my hand that’s on the grip or use the other hand to help.
The polishing sponges will prove how good this baby is on curves. My shoes could do with a good clean and polish. Frankly, the state they've been in is an insult to shoegazing passersby. As I'm a little worried the leather will be completely scuffed, I start off by polishing a spot on an inconspicuous area at the back of the shoe. Fortunately, both the leather and the colour remain unscathed, so I start working on the whole shoe. Easy-peasy! I step up my game by throwing a bit of black shoe polish into the mix. The shoe really looks a lot better now. However, the sponges are bin-bound. There’s no way I’ll manage to get them clean. After forty minutes of sanding, polishing and playing about with the sander, the battery dies.
The Bosch Easy CurvSander 12 gets in and around corners with ease, but also manages straight surfaces without a problem. Just make sure the surfaces you’re working on aren’t too big. Otherwise, you’ll risk feeling a bit worn down yourself. In other words, your arm will eventually fall off, because this gadget wasn’t designed with huge projects in mind. My only complaint is the position of the on/off button, which could have been a bit more ergonomic. Other than that, I'm happy. My piece of wood is smooth, my shoes are shiny, and the sander doesn’t require too much storage space, either. Even the CHF 100 price tag is totally acceptable. Although the sanding discs and polishing sponges cost 15 francs to replace, they should last quite long, provided you don’t ruin them with shoe polish.
