DSPIAE
Reciprocating Mini-Sander

DSPIAE

Reviewed by John Miller

One of the challenges for me as a modeler is my right shoulder which becomes uncomfortable after too many hours of sanding or buffing. I’ve long looked for a good, hand-held, power-tool that would save my shoulder and allow me to work longer with less discomfort.

That said, I was  eager to try the new, cordless DSPIAE (roughly pronounced Dis-Pay) Reciprocating Mini-Sander. I wasn’t let down. Once I got one on my bench, I was impressed. The sander is light and comfortable in the hand, wreaks of quality engineering, and uses a reciprocating motion (mimicking hand sanding).

The Sander weighs ~55 grams (2oz) and is shaped so as not to roll. The display has a colored charge indicator as well as three colors corresponding to three sanding speeds of 2,800, 3,100, and 3,600 cpm. Charging via USB (cord included) takes ~30 minutes and provides ~1 hour of run time.

Included in the kit are 8 nylon sanding heads and six sheets of die-cut, adhesive-backed sandpaper of the following grits: 180, 280, 400, 600, and 1,000. Each sheet of sandpaper has 97 die-cut pieces and replacement sheets are reasonably priced at 6 sheets of each grit for $5.25 (from MPS; see below).

Most importantly, the tool is cordless but not gutless.

To test the sander out, I applied the appropriate die-cut sandpaper piece (#280 grit) to the Rectangular Sanding Head along with the appropriate sticker. This is a very handy system that allows you to easily keep track of the grit of sandpaper that is applied to each sanding head.

The test subject was the Halberd Models 1/48th XP-51 that I’m finishing with the panels lines filled and blended as done on the prototype.This translates into a lot of sanding and blending of both resin and dried Mr. Surface 500.

As I do when sanding by hand, I used cold, soapy water and frequently dipped the sanding head in the water during use. I found the the #280 grit at 3,100cpm with a little light pressure on the Sander made quick work of the Mr. Surfacer without causing a lot of collateral damage in the form of small scratches in the surrounding resin.

Once you get a feel for the sander, you learn to let the tool to the work by applying the right amount of pressure but not too much so as to cause drag on the surprisingly smooth motor.

In addition to frequent dips in the soapy water, I occasionally ran the Sanding Head over a Profile Accessories Rubber Cleaning disc to prevent Mr. Surfacer and ground resin from fouling the sandpaper. By wet-sanding and periodically cleaning the sandpaper.

I sanded both left and right wings (upper and lower surfaces) of the Halberd XP-51 before I replaced the sandpaper piece; very nice. 

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Wow! I like this Sander!

It charges quickly, is light in the hand, easy to use, and will save this aging modeler’s shoulder…The kit comes with an assortment of useful sandpaper grits and sanding heads so, right out of the box, this is a tool that will save you both time and elbow grease. That’s a pretty good deal for $45 (from MPS).

To purchase a DSPIAE Mini-Sander and extra die-cut sanding sheets (within the conterminous US) visit ModelPaintSolutions.com.

https://modelpaintsol.com/model-paint/dspiae-reciprocating-sander-es-a

Keep your airbrush (and your Mini-Sander) wet!

—John

For more on this review go to:

https://modelpaintsol.com/news/dspiae-cordless-sander-es-a

Text by and Images by John Miller
Page Created 21 February, 2025
Last updated 21 February, 2025

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