When it comes to sanding, there’s nothing like power to do the job. Power sanders can accomplish the task of sanding in moments compared to the hours of sanding by hand. Today, machines can develop incredibly smooth finishes. Which type of sander you need is determined by what kind of sanding job you’re tackling.
A belt sander is a powerful workhorse great for jobs where a lot of material must be removed quickly, such as stripping paint or other finishes off flat surfaces, smoothing wood filler patches, removing hardened glue after gluing boards together, sanding floors and even sharpening tools.
Belt sanders have a moving belt rotating around two rollers set at either end of the machine’s bottom. Sandpaper is attached to the belt and passes over a metal plate set between the rollers which presses the paper against the surface. The speed of the moving belt is fixed on most tools, but adjustable on some models. Since the belt moves the paper over a surface very quickly, a lot of materials is removed fast. Five minutes’ work with a belt sander equals hours of hand sanding. Prices range from $89 - $159 for three to five-inch wide models.
Because a belt sander is fairly heavy, with some sanders weighing in at more than 11 pounds, it must be turned on before applying the abrasive pad to the work surface. It’s suited for horizontal applications because the weight of the machine is supported by the work surface in part, and controlled by the operator’s two-handed grip. Because a belt sander works so quickly, care must be maintained to hold the machine level. Tilting the belt sander can cause gouges and wear grooves. The resulting finish is streaked with sanding lines. Changing the paper to a series finer grits can remove some of these marks, but the result would not be considered finished by fine woodworking standards.
Hearing protection is necessary when using any power sander. Belt sanders are noisy, with some models roaring at more than 90 decibels. Because of the sheer amount of dust a sander ejects, goggles and rated dust masks are required, especially when working around hardwoods. Hardwood dust is abrasive and breathing some imported hardwood dusts, especially exotic species, can cause allergic reactions. Some of these dusts are toxic. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, breathing wood dust for extended periods can cause reduced lung function ailments and asthma. Dust bags or a shop vac connections are good accessories to limit dust thrown into the air.
Disc sanders are used for finishing of wood surfaces and leave smooth unmarked surfaces ready for applying finishes. They are both versatile, able to do some rough sanding and great for finish work available in five-and-a-half to six-inch disc sizes. They are much lighter than belt sanders but some models still need a two-handed grip. Prices range between $89 to $269.
Orbital sanders have rotating pads with fitted sandpaper rounds attached to the pads. Slower than belt sanders, but still very effective, these tools use the outer edge of a spinning sanding disc to remove material moving with or across the grain. Orbitals do leave swirl marks. This tool is far more lightweight than a belt sander with some models comfortably fitting in the palm of one’s hand. Prices range between $89 to $159.
A random orbit sander is by far the best choice for fine finishing with some models leaving smooth surfaces nearly identical to those produced by hand. The sander’s pad moves in a combined random ellipse and spinning motion that produces a swirl-free finish. Because of this design feature and it’s lighter weight, 3-5 pounds, sanding can be done both with and against the grain in a natural back-and-forth movement that’s easy on the arms. Prices range between $29 to $69.
When choosing sanders for your home shop, it may be best to pick up one each of every model. Test drive the fit and feel of each at your local home center. As with any tool, more power is the key. These sanders offer versatility and smooth operations.
