Monday, July 07, 2008

Belt Sanders

Belt Sanders are versatile power tools used primarily in sanding wood, paint, filler, and other materials. Powerful enough to handle the toughest jobs, yet sufficiently balanced for detailed work. They have an aggressive cut and are used to remove large amounts of material quickly.

Types of Trade

  • Finish Carpenters
  • Cabinet Builders
  • Deck and Patio Builders
  • General Contractors
  • Remodelers and DIY’s
  • Woodworkers

Belt Speed – The speed of the belt is one of the most important factors of a belt sander. It is this feature that mainly determines how fast stock is removed.

Power - Along with speed, power is also extremely important. The belt sander motor needs to be strong enough not to bog down when aggressive sanding is required.

Weight - weight is an important factor with a belt sander. If it weighs too little, the sander will not work aggressively enough or the end-user will have to apply a lot of pressure, risking gouging. If the sander is too heavy it can be very cumbersome carrying it around and make vertical sanding more tiresome than necessary.

Noise Level – in order to provide the maximum amount of comfort to the end user the noise
level should be below 90dB.

Cord Length – A good belt sander needs room to run. There is nothing worse than having to use an extension cord and have the bulky end of the cord get caught on your piecework piece.

Balance – How a sander is balanced is extremely important. If the sander’s weight is not evenly distributed it will sand the material unevenly. One of the best ways to test if a sander is balanced is to see how evenly it sands a piece of laminated particle board.

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