Belt sander rookie

[Chris Daigh]

Going to attempt to flatten my table top tonight with the belt sander. I was going to use a higher grit so I didn't eat up to much wood. My top is pretty flat there is just a few problem areas. Any tips or sequence I should follow. Thanks

[Jim Becker]

Best advice I can give you is...practice on something else first!

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Jim gave you a pretty good tip. I have used a belt sander a LOT. I used to use it much more when I built log furniture for flatening large slabs. When doing the slabs you have a little more fudge factor as they are rough anyway.

For doing glue ups in "fine" furniture experience is required. A belt sander is a great tool, but can get away from you in a hurry.

Your thought of using finer grits is probably a good one, any mistakes should be easily corrected.

My method is to first use the belt sander at a 45 degree angle to the grain. I try to cover the whole piece going over it all and checking with a straight level to make sure that the top is staying flat. Keep sanding at a 45 degree angle to the peice until your problem areas are leveled out. Once you are done sanding at a 45 degree angle, make pencil marks spaced about 6 inches apart across the grain. Next sand with the grain to remove the deep scratches made sanding against the grain. When you have removed all of the pencil marks and sanding scratches you are done with the belt sander.

It sounds pretty easy and it is, but as Jim said, please practice on something you don't value first :)

[Dave Brandt]

If you just have a few problem areas, you can mark them with chalk and just try to sand those areas (always check again as soon as the chalk marks are gone). Good luck! I hate belt sanding.

[Dan Gill]

I remember an article in American Woodworker last year or late in 2003 on this. But I think Jeff gave you the gist of that. I'm with you, Chris - I hate belt sanding, too. I never hated it more than when I had to take down the high spots on the bottom of a cultured marble vanity top. When I say "high spots", I mean the 4-inch wide, 5/8-inch high band of material that was left from the molding process. The smell of hot plastic and white dust EVERYWHERE! Yuck!

[Pete Lamberty]

I would first use a long straight edge and mark the high spots with chalk as Dave suggested. Do a little at a time. Practice first as Jim mentioned.

[Doug Shepard]

The April/May issue of Wood magazine just showed up in the mail and they have a pretty decent article on flattening large boards with a sled mounted router riding on a rail setup that you can make as big as you want. Looks like a pretty good method. Just thought I'd pass it along.

[Michael Perata]

Problem with a belt sander is most are only 21-24" belts meaning only 4-6" inches is on the surface. The belt sander will follow all the humps and valleys and you end up with smaller but smoother humps and valleys.

Doug's suggestion to read the article in Wood is a good idea. The sled is very easy to make and will give you a very flat surface needing very little sanding.

[Chuck Radgowski]

Do not strangle the tool to tight a grip will cause it to dig in and walk. Keep it moving a few extra seconds and you have a gouge. Be very careful to not tilt right or left - - -forward or back. Watch out you do not round off the edges on the sides and the front and back. I have the Craftsman (ryobi) Block and love it. It is well balanced variable speed and easily controled. My first Craftsman was terrific also but the newer one that was not listed as professional was not well balanced and I had trouble controling it. I took it back and got the professional which is the ryobi in disguise.

[Jerry Clark]

:eek: Jim gave good advice-- just be sure that the area is bad enough that you need a belt sander-- A ROS will do a fair job of small areas and easy to blend the damaged area. Belt sanders are a great tool but PIA if you mess up a good table.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Chris,

So how did it go? I thought of you last night when I finished up flattening the top for the dresser I am building.

Hope everthing went well for you!

[Chris Daigh]

Thanks for the help and great info and thanks for asking how it went. My table top is 43 x 100. I jointed the boards with the Eurekazone. Very nice joints. I also planed all the boards using the planer sled that Fine Woodworking had a few months ago. I would be embarrassed to tell you how long I have worked on this top. I ran each half of the top thru my drum sander and glued them together.

Sorry to ramble, it went very good last night. I practiced on an old top that was in very bad shape. Went at 45 degrees to the grain and then with the grain and hit all the troubled spots first. I still have a few small areas that will get fixed tonight. Will go with the grain and clean it all up tonight also. I used 220 grit and it worked great. Anything lower and I probably would have destroyed the top.

So far the top is pretty flat. I really can't fell any high or low spots. Not sure how I did such a good job, I really was surprised last night. Now I pray that I don't rock the sander and put any gouges in it tonight.

Thanks to everyone for great advice.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Great job Chris! It really is a good skill to master, very handy! Sounds like you are well on your way. As you said the main thing is to keep the sander flat on the surface. With 220 grit, you shouldn't create to bad of a gouge even if you do rock it.

One thing I forgot to mention, when you sand 45 degrees to the grain, you create a LOT of scratches that have to be sanded out with the grain. Use your belt sander to sand them out. When you think you are done, wipe down the whole table with mineral spirits (It will evaporate off and not stain the wood at all). By wiping it with MS, you will be able to see all the scratches you missed. If you are like me, there will be a few. Finally when you have them all out, switch back to the ROS to get that table REALLY smooth.

Good luck, sounds like you are doing great! Don't forget to post pics of the finished product!