Belt Sander Uses: Ultimate Guideline For Beginners

Generally speaking, the art of woodworking requires a lot of training. Once you get the professional training, you will need several tools as woodwork comes with different types of designs to make. Get your best belt sander uses tips today.

One of the tools that you may require is a belt sander. While these tools are readily available, you may want to get a model that actually suits your needs. It is due to this reason that I want to give you my smart guide on the best belt sander uses.

I will show you what considerations you need to make when choosing a belt sander and other additional information playing crucial roles in the general belt sander operation. Please Take a look at what I have for you.

What is the work of a belt sander? 

A belt sander is also called a strip sander. It is a type of sander that is used for shaping wood and also giving it a smooth finish. Belt sanders can also be used on other ideal materials. Thankfully, they have a hand held design that gives them an easy operation.

Uses of a Belt Sander

The next thing that we will look at is the most common belt sander uses. While these tools have numerous uses, the most important ones include the following.

Scribing

The first use of a belt sander is scribing on wood. This is the art of gradually sanding on a curved line to give it the perfect fit. In case you have a curved line on your wooden design, you require the line to have a smooth edge or a perfect slide in touch. If this is not the case, you can use the belt sander to fit it in.

In case you are scribing on a laminate wooden surface, it is important to ensure that the direction that the sanding belt travels in pushes the laminate plank down.

Wood Removal

Belt sanders also excel in the rapid removal of excess or unwanted wooden surfaces. As such, they are the most celebrated handheld leveling and smoothing tools. They will work well on rough boards and leave them with a smooth touch.

If you want aggressive leveling of any wooden surface, you should start your sanding at an angle to the run of the grains. Later on, you can then go along the grain for a smooth finish. Try an 80-grit sandpaper against the grain and later a 120 grit along the grain.

Smooth Finish

Finally, as their name suggests, strip sanders are wood sanders like any other sander. They are designed to give any wooden surface a smooth but uniform finish. Belt sanders will, therefore, provide you with an easy time in case you wanted to give your wooden surface a smooth sanding touch.

How to Choose the Best Belt Sander

Apart from looking at what the belt sander uses to work, we will also look at the buying considerations. Here are a few tips on how to choose the best belt sander.

Weight of the sander: If your sander has more weight and surface area, it will smooth easily and work faster.

Size of the sander: Smaller sanders are light in weight. They are easy to carry and also easy to work with.

Price of the sander: Put down a budget and buy a sander that meets that budget. It prevents impulsive buying.

Materials of make: A sander that’s made of the metallic alloy will last longer. It withstands all the tough uses too.

User feedbacks: What the previous users say about the belt sander that you are buying is crucial in determining the type of user experience to expect.

Frequently Asked Questions on Belt Sanders

To give you a better picture of how to belt sanders work, here are some of the most frequently asked questions with their appropriate answers.

What are belt sanders composed of?

The strip of belt sanders is made up of an electric motor. The electric motor’s work is to turn the pair of small drums that are attached to the continuous loop/ belt. It is this continuous loop that the sandpaper is usually mounted so that when drums rotate, the loop also rotates, and so does the sandpaper.

The sand paper will sand the wooden surface as it rotates. The choice of sandpaper is often yours. However, most people find strip sanders fitted with the fine grit sandpapers. A belt sander can be used to achieve a completely smooth surface.

Where can I buy my belt sander?

Belt sanders can be bought online. Buying your belt sander online is awesome. It will give you the best belt sander at an affordable price. More importantly, you will also have the first person warranties.

As if that’s not enough, you will shop and also buy your sander at the comfort of your home. The sander will also be delivered straight at your doorstep. Save yourself the hassle of the heavy traffic and buy your sander online.

How can I take proper care of my belt sander?

If you have a belt sander, it is important to take proper care of it if you want it to last. Here are some care tips that’ll be of help.

• Clean your belt sander after use – wipe it with a soft cloth
• Store your sander properly
• Use your sander for the intended use
• Follow the user manual when operating your sander
• Never leave your belt sander unattended
• Use the belt sander warranty for manufacture defects

Is the belt sander dangerous?

If used in the wrong way, belt or strip sanders can be very dangerous. A good example is if you choose to operate your belt sander with one hand. If you do that,   the power of the belt sander machine will trigger a very strong pulling effect. This can easily cause a mishap and leave you with a fatal injury.

The trick is always to keep all hands-on deck when using a belt sander. Make sure that you use both hands and moderate pressure.

Why should I regulate the pressure when using belt sanders?

For a belt sander to give you a smooth touch, it has to sand into the wooden surface. This is simply the basic principle of how sanders work.  Even so, a uniform smooth surface requires the utmost control of the pressure you apply.

Moderate pressure will prevent deep sanding and will, therefore, leave you with a smooth surface. If you use the excessive pressure, you can easily damage the job and come off with very unpleasant results.

Conclusion

Belt sander uses are many. For newbies, you can have a whole lot of experience with your belt sander. Even so, you need to learn your belt sander and understand how it operates. This will give you the best user experience at any given time.

More importantly, make sure that you also take proper care of your belt sander. This includes cleaning your sander in the best way, storing the sander in an appropriate manner, and also following the user manual.