The belt sander is an extremely helpful and intensely versatile machine. It’s a device that many are all too aware of, significantly for its uncanny capability to wreak havoc with spectacular velocity. Should you’ve ever witnessed a novice woodworker battling a belt sander, you’ll know precisely what I imply: sawdust flying all over the place, and even perhaps a close to grasppiece that’s been shortly remodeled into firewood. Don’t let its chaotic fame dissuade you—this underutilized device has a wealth of potential. Taming a belt sander comes down to some easy modifications and correct working methods. That is the device I attain for to rework tough edges and uneven surfaces into superbly flat and clean work that will make any artisan proud.
Soup up your sander
Irrespective of the make or mannequin, the center of a belt sander is its platen, a roughly 4-in. by 6-in. piece of cork-backed sheet steel that’s connected to the underside of the sander between the 2 wheels. This space is chargeable for shortly making uneven areas flat and flush. The important thing to nice outcomes is a clear and flat platen, however I’ve discovered that the inventory platens are inferior and may trigger issues. The cork is just too comfortable, and the sheet steel dents simply. As soon as that occurs, the distorted steel can switch traces and swirl marks onto the floor of your work.
To treatment this, I take away the sheet steel and cork and change them with a graphite pad meant for industrial sanding. The graphite wears evenly and doesn’t dent or chip, so no marks telegraph by the sanding. The graphite additionally works to cut back friction between the sanding belt and the sander. This prevents overheating, which might trigger burn marks and faster dulling of sanding belts. I desire the self-adhesive kind of graphite pads, however they’re getting tougher to search out. Different graphite pads work nicely however require an utilized adhesive for attachment. One piece of graphite can final a very long time with heavy use earlier than needing to get replaced.
Correct panel sanding
Usually in my marquetry work I exploit skinny, industrial veneers. And I routinely use a belt sander to make them flat and flush to at least one one other. At 1/42 in. thick, these veneers require a light-weight contact and fixed movement. The sanding route needs to be with the grain as a lot as doable. I exploit a front-to-back movement when the grain is well decided, and a round sample or determine eight when it isn’t, all of the whereas retaining the load targeted over the platen. Being conscious of this stability decreases probabilities of tilting the sander and gouging a workpiece.
It’s very simple to take away an excessive amount of materials with the belt sander, so I maintain observe utilizing some easy hashed pencil marks. I draw mild traces with a pencil throughout the workpiece, then sand these traces away. The pencil on the excessive spots will disappear shortly, and the pencil within the low spots will linger whereas the remainder of the veneer is introduced all the way down to match. After the pencil marks are all gone, I exploit a low raking mild to hunt out any low spots the pencil could have missed. One other spherical of sanding could also be required, however with well-set marquetry and the belt sander’s effectiveness, it’s a uncommon incidence.
With regards to sanding across the perimeter of a panel, I would shock folks with how far I run the sander off the sting. This isn’t to point out off; it’s to maintain the flattest a part of the sander targeted over what I intend to sand. As an illustration, after I carry solid-wood edging flush to a panel, the belt sander needs to be off the sting, focusing the platen over the stable wooden. This retains the rear wheel from oversanding by the veneer.
Sand edges with ease
Sanding edges with a belt sander looks as if a preposterous factor to do till you discover that you’re getting clean, dead-square elements off your bench and into the ending room in file time. As with different belt sander methods, letting the device stability appropriately on the piece takes observe. When I’ve multiple half that’s the identical dimension—drawer sides, for instance—I clamp the elements collectively and “gang-sand” them. This not solely saves time, however it additionally creates a wider base to maintain the sander flat for constant outcomes.
Softening, pillowing, or rounding edges additionally works extremely nicely with a belt sander. Utilizing regular concentric motions, I can take off materials precisely by sanding near my line with a rough grit, then sanding on to my format traces with a finer paper.
| From High quality Woodworking #325
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