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Belt/Disc Sanders
This tool can
really save some time and do helpful things, but it can also ruin a
piece in a hurry. On this page, I’ll be covering the benchtop type of
belt/disc sander, and not the handheld belt sander. That has it’s own
page here.
I have some tips
for you, and I’m going to separate them out since they’re really two
different sanders that share a motor.
Belt Sander
Basically, this
part of the sander takes off stock along the direction of the grain.
Trying to take some off the end grain with this tool can be hazardous
and frustrating – so don’t try it.
I’ll cover the
“how to sand” part on another page, and you can click here to read it –
after you’ve finished this one. Better yet, just keep reading and use
the link at the end of this page.
Here’s what you
can do with this type of sander:
1)
This type of sander is
good at smoothing flat surfaces.
2)
You can easily round an
edge on a board for a finished look.
Here are a few
things to watch out for:
1)
You can easily sand off
your fingernails – or fingertips – if you’re not careful
2)
You can take a board out
of square VERY easily. This means that the surface you’re sanding can
easily wind up out of parallel with the other side. If you look at the
end grain, you’ll see one edge is thinner than the other when this
happens.
3)
Your belts need to be
adjusted correctly to track properly. This means your belt could wander
while your sander is running, and that makes it really hard to use it
effectively. I’ve noticed that, for whatever reasons, some belts can’t
be adjusted to work on my sander. Try another one before you make
yourself crazy trying to adjust tracking on a belt that won’t work. I
just cut up the bad ones and use them for hand sanding.
If you want more
info about using a belt sander, then click here or use the link at the
end of the page.
Disc Sander
Basically, this
sands end grain and curves (or corners). One point to mention up front:
ONLY USE THE SIDE ROTATING DOWN. This means only using the left
side of the disc if your disc rotates counter-clockwise. Otherwise the
force of the motor can lift the piece right out of your surprised grasp
and send it flying – maybe into you.
One caution: if
you use a disc sander to take a little off the end of a board, there’s a
good chance you’ll sand it out-of-square. If your piece isn’t exactly
perpendicular to the disc, then you’ll sand an angle into the board.
If you need to
trim a tiny amount off the end of a board, I favor the miter saw. That
may sound a bit crazy, but it works. Just click here to read about the
technique.
I have a couple
of pages with more detail about belt and disc sander technique, and the
links are just below.
Belt
sander technique
Disc
sander technique
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