Sanding, grinding and rough finish polishing are some of the most painstaking tasks you usually end up having to do in many woodworking projects, and much more so if you have to do it by hand.
Lucky for us, there’s a power tool that does a lot of the hard work for you, and they’re incredibly easy to use, too. If you're working with wood, laminate, steel or if you do a lot of grinding, a belt sander is the tool you need to have.
Belt Sanders: The Basic Things to Consider
Belt sanders are power tools designed to grind away material – it’s used for a lot of shaping and finishing tasks, and not just for sanding down stock, either. Renovators turn to belt sanders for scribing countertops for that perfect scribed line finish, and folks who work with steel use their sanders to shape out the final taper and edges of knives and tool blades.
Belt sanders are able to smooth and trim wood, steel, and other surfaces by running an abrasive belt powered by a powerful motor. The belt runs at a very high speed, making numerous passes on the material in the span of a few seconds or until the desired depth and finish of your sanding is achieved – even sanding large pieces like boards will take you just minutes with a belt sander.
Belt sanders is a must-have tool in a workshop where any wood finishing is done -it can be considered as an investment for those who work in carpentry and woodworking and other related industries that require sanding, and you can expect to use your belt sanders extensively if you work in that area.
Do It Yourself enthusiasts and simple homeowners can also greatly benefit from having belt sanders for their home projects as well, since belt sanders would make the sanding process needed for their home projects much easier and they get more consistent results out of it too.
Choosing the Right Type of Belt Sander
Belt sanders come in many form factors nowadays, as manufacturers adopt the idea of applying an abrasive belt to various applications. Overall, though, there are two types of belt sanders that are available to the market.
These are stationary or benchtop belt sanders and handheld belt sanders
Stationary Belt Sanders/Benchtop Belt Sanders:
From the name itself, stationary belt sanders or also known as benchtop sanders are bolted or clamped in place, and the stock to be sanded is brought to the machine instead.
While stationary belt sanders certainly lose out on mobility and portability, they also run wider and longer belts, meaning they can take on much harder materials like hardwood or metal. For metalwork, a benchtop belt sander is the go-to tool for grinding hardened pieces into their final shape.
Combination Belt Sanders: Most benchtop belt sanders are also multipurpose tools that may combine two or more power sanders into one fixed appliance. A common combination is a belt and disc sander, where one heavy duty motor runs both a narrow belt sander and a 5-inch disc pad.
Spindle Sanders: Another similar setup is a spindle sander, which runs a cylindrical spindle mounted vertically or horizontally against which you can press the workpiece you are sanding.
Features to look for stationary belt sanders
- Cast iron or whole aluminum body construction for sturdiness and stability while in use.
- Wide belt width for much easier sanding especially for larger pieces.
- Adjustable table for different sanding angles.
- Oscillating sanders move the sandpaper belt perpendicular to the direction of the spin, increasing the rate that material is being removed while lowering the risk of belt debris and defects, leaving continuous gouges on the finish.
- Adjustable belt frames let you adjust the belt angle from horizontal to vertical to a slanting angle, perfect if you want to use the sander for a quick rough sharpening of tools.
- Dust ports let you attach included dust control accessories, or to a dust extractor or vacuum cleaner bag.
- Included sandpaper discs and belts lets you use the unit right away.
- Platform guides let you shape metal and wood end grain into the desired angle.
Handheld Belt Sanders:
Handheld belt sanders are very common tools that are readily available at hardware stores, and they are much cheaper to own compared to stationary belt sanders. The handheld belt sander, as a portable tool, is taken to the secured workpiece where it is able to trim and smoothen wood pieces as the tool is gently pushed down on the target surface.
Handheld belt sanders are freehand tools, and it’s up to the user to guide its passes across the surface. Making arbitrary trims and shapes are much more flexible with a handheld belt sander compared to stationary belt sanders.
Handheld belt sanders offer versatility to its user since they can use the tool on almost any surface. If mobility and portability are your priorities, this type of belt sander is for you – that said, they are more suited for onsite projects that require minor to moderate sanding work such as renovations, furniture making, and similar activities.
Features to look for in Handheld Belt Sanders
- Comfortable grip designs can help to avoid hand fatigue and provides much more comfort when running; even better with adjustable top handles for using the belt sander to smoothen edges at different angles.
- Dust collection features can be as simple as a small soft bag attached to an outlet port, but even this goes a long way to simplifying clean up.
- Simple sandpaper changing systems help to increase your productivity by letting you change paper and get right back to work faster.
- Lightweight body for much more maneuverability in smoothing surfaces.
- Noise reduction features are often appreciated with these tools.
- Lock in switches for continuous sanding without having to grip the switch.
- Long and thick power cords with locking features for much easier and secure use.
- Two-step switch activation adds an extra layer of safety. You don’t want your sander spinning as soon as you plug it in just because you forgot to switch it to off.
- Clamps and stands let you use some models upside down as a benchtop sanding stand.
- Variable speed adjustment lets you control the rate at which the sander takes off material.
- Tracking adjustment features let you fine adjust the tracking to keep belt loops running straight.
Comparing Belt Sanders
A good belt sander is one that you can use for a long amount of time. For belt sanders, power and durability are your top considerations – fortunately, belt sanders are rather inexpensive tools to own and you may find several nice choices for your budget.
Power
Running an abrasive belt requires a lot of power, especially if its pressed down on to the material. A good belt sander must have enough muscle to grind down and smooth down material without slowing down, to give you that consistent finish.
Corded power sanders have electric motors, and like most power tools, they are rated in Amps (A). Similarly, battery-powered portable sanders have motors rated in Volts (V). Battery storage capacity is usually given in Ampere-hours (Ah).
Bigger benchtop models with beefier motors are also rated in terms of horsepower (HP). A typical 1/2 HP motor can be run by a 3.5 Amp current for a benchtop model.
Size
The dimensions of your handheld belt sander affect its portability and ease of use, of course, but when we talk about size for belt sanders, belt dimensions is often what is being referred two. There are two sizes available for handheld belt sanders, 3 by 21 inches and 4 by 24 inches.
4 by 24 inches is wider by one full inch, which is a lot for a handheld belt sander. Tools that carry belts of this size are often used for grinding whole boards or for gang sanding several planks clamped together. The smaller 3 by 21 inches is useful for delicate sanding work like following scribe lines.
Speed
The faster the sand belt runs on the belt sander, the more passes it can do for a given amount of time. But that does not automatically mean that just because the belt sander has a high FPM that it is a good one - speed with control is a must.
Handheld belt sander with speed selection or variable switch can help the user reach the desired rate of grind without having to push the sander into the material too much, and this helps a lot in giving a consistent sanding finish across bigger workpieces.
For belt sanders, speed is given in terms of Feet per Minute (FPM) – the higher the FPM, the faster the belt surface runs. Higher FPM means a higher rate of stock removal, which translates to fewer passes and time needed to work over a surface.
Warranty
Even the most durable tool will eventually break down over time, and a tool like a belt sander is no exception. It is advisable to purchase belt sanders from a trusted manufacturer to ensure longer belt sander life and longer use – coincidentally, many of these brands also offer good warranty terms.
A Note About Abrasive Belts
Whenever you buy sandpaper, or you are simply checking the ones that come with the sander model, take note of the grit. This figure refers to an estimate of the number of particles in each square inch of the paper – the higher the number, the more densely packed and finer these abrasive particles are.
The roughest, coarsest sandpaper have grit in the 40 to 60 grit range. 150 to 180 grit is already considered fine, while there are polishing sandpaper of grit 360 and above that can polish material to a satin smooth finish.
Tips On Using A Belt Sander
Just like any other power tool, belt sander requires skill and technique to reach the desired result with minimum effort and wear and tear on the tool.
Always read the manual to learn about the belt sander’s parts and components, and how to do general cleaning and maintenance of the tool. At this point, you can check if you got the right voltage for the tool, too.
Choose the compatible sand belt for your work piece to avoid damaging the surface or overworking your tool. The smoother the finish you need, the higher grit of belt required. On that note, always change your belts at the first sign of wear! A belt that snaps on you because you were hoping to get one last grind from a weakened belt can be dangerous.
After using, keep your belt sander clean from wood chips especially the internal components for longer belt sander life. Users can use blowers and vacuums for much accurate cleaning of internal parts. While you’re at it, check the rollers of your belt sander to make sure it is leveled. Rollers that are off alignment can cause uneven wear on the sanding belts, and can cause uneven sand finishes as well.
Check the platen for cracks and breaks. A platen that’s out of alignment can snag the belt when you least expect it. If the platen is cracked or compromise, replace it immediately to avoid any further incidents.
Safety Tips On Using A Belt Sander:
It’s easy to zone out using a belt sander since you are likely going to be using it for a long time.
Having a live power tool in your hands is not the time to have your attention wandering – it’s still a power tool that can damage your project or even potentially cause a mishap if you’re not careful. These tips should help you prevent accidents in your work area, read more below to learn more
- If you have long hair, always tie it up and away from the sander belt or any part of the tool. Long hair near belt sanders spells danger because the machine might grab hair even if only a few strands got in its spinning mechanism.
- Always wear protective eyewear to protect your vision from fine debris while operating, especially when grinding down metal!
- Make sure that your belt sander has dust control features, and that you are using it to keep down the dust your work will produce. While you’re at it, wear masks so you avoid inhaling wood and silica dust as well.
- Always remember to switch your belt sander off before plugging it in. most handheld belt sanders have push lock mechanism that has the possibility to propel your handled sander on its own.
- Always clamp your wood pieces into place to avoid it from sliding away from you during the smoothing process.
- Handheld belt sanders can be very loud, use ear protection to avoid hearing damage from long-term exposure to the noise.
- Always unplug the belt sander belt before replacing the sand belt to avoid injuries.
