small belt sander

[Rick Potter]

I have a small PC belt sander (2 1/2" x 14). It is great for what I need, but eats belts. I also have a PC 3 X 21") belt sander and a PC 4".

My shoulders and back are so far gone, that I never even get the 4" out anymore, and the 3" is difficult for me to use no also, but the main problem is that the dust collection on it is terrible. Actually the baby one is not bad, again, except for the belt breakage.

I seldom use a belt sander, except for when I trim out particle board with oak, and level the trim with the sander, before putting on formica.

What I am wanting is a lightweight 3" belt sander with a low center of gravity and good dust collection using a shop vac. I won't use it much so an inexpensive one is fine. I have other sanders for more normal use.

Any recommendations for an old gimp?

[John Lanciani]

I love my Bosch 1274, but it looks like they are no longer available. It’s small, light and compact for a 3x21. I like the in-line motor style, keeps the machine very well balanced.

[Joe Hendershott]

You asked about belt sanders but for what you are using it for you might consider a Festool Rotex ROS. I ditched my belt sander years ago after getting a 150 Rotex. It's pretty heavy but there are 2 smaller models- a 125 and 90. I have the 90 also that I use for very narrow edge work but to me the balance is not as perfect as the 150, which I use all day sometimes and do not get tired. As with all the sanders the dust collection is outstanding.

[Joe Hendershott]

I meant to mention that there is a trim router for the task you do- Festool MKF 700. It works with thinner edge banding best bit it's what I trim all mine with.

[Ole Anderson]

I, too, would suggest a lightweight trim router with an edge banding bit. It is made for the job you have at hand. A belt sander is simply not the best tool for the job. I have the 3x21 PC, and I love it having used it for production work, but it is the one without the dust collection option. I also had the 4x24, but frankly the 3x21 worked much better. Here is a 12' conference table and an 8' credenza top I recently did using my PC trim router.
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[Dave Sabo]

I'll pile on an say a router with a flush trim bit is the proper tool for that job.

If you really want a belt sander with the qualities you seek , then the Makita 9010 is the ticket. Light, powerful, good dust collection ( when you can find a suitable adapter), and priced at a hundred bucks.

Problem is , it's been discontinued. Home Depot carried them , so you may still find one lying about at one of their stores. Ebay should also have them.

https://www.makitatools.com/products/details/9910

Triton also has a little palm belt sander that might be worth a look.

http://www.tritontools.com/en-CA/Product/Power%20Tools/Sanders/TCMBS

[Warren Lake]

hobby tool for flushing is a router.

Belt sander wrong though great for other stuff, Hand plane if you are not doing miles of edging. For belt sanding my 3 x 21 Rockwell real made in the US is great and dust collection on it is very good.

Shops with old guys had custom made tools taking a power planer and making it into a lipping tool. Fast and accurate. There are companies that make them not sure if they are as good but they should be. This s one made for flushing solid.

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[Ben Helmich]

hobby tool for flushing is a router.

Belt sander wrong though great for other stuff, Hand plane if you are not doing miles of edging. For belt sanding my 3 x 21 Rockwell real made in the US is great and dust collection on it is very good.

Shops with old guys had custom made tools taking a power planer and making it into a lipping tool. Fast and accurate. There are companies that make them not sure if they are as good but they should be. This s one made for flushing solid.

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Any idea how they did this? I like that idea. It crossed my mind before, but couldn’t imagine how you would do it.
-Ben

[Warren Lake]

They took any regular power planer and made a thing for it to ride on on just like the one shown then then put a fence or used the stock one to adjust how far in it trimmed, the exact amount of solid or a hair less on bullnose if it butted laminate then did a hand clean up with a chisel, on venner it was so accurate or they adjusted it with tape for a few thou here and there. Study that tool on the underside, ive never even seen it underneath but it wont be different you need a reference surface for it to ride on and a handle to the side that keeps it level and stops you from tilting.

[Rick Potter]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I do use a trim router, but for a quick trim of oak edging on part board, i just prefer the sander.

I guess I will wait until I can socially acquaint myself with a couple sanders before making any big jumps. Except for the Makita, the PC's I have seem to be loved by most reviewers.

I do have an old PC sander that looks like a body grinder. It is quick, but no dust collection if I have to use it inside.

While waiting to be sprung from the house arrest, I guess I will just stock up on more of those little PC belts....amazing how much better the dust collection is on the baby sander over the larger ones.

[Warren Lake]

I bought a used Rockwell 3 x 21 about 40 years ago and used it damn hard, it got hot many times till I built a stroke sander. Only thing that ever failed was the switch. Its a great well made US tool and dust collection on it is very good. Porter cable copied it and its lighter same as the half sheet shaker I have the Rockwell and a porter cable in the shakeer, Porter cable is lighter I should weigh them both.

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[Carroll Courtney]

Maybe give a pneumatic sander a try

[Kevin Jenness]

For wide banding on large panels, the Hoffman lipping planer is hard to beat, though pricey. Virutex makes a less expensive unit that might be worth looking into, as well as the Lamello Cantex. For banding up to an inch or so on large panels, a router set up with a wide sub base extending halfway across the base housing and flush with the end of a straight bit works well. For smaller panels, powerfeeding through the shaper with a similar setup is quite accurate, faster, and allows for dust collection. Climb cutting prevents breakout at the face of the banding.

[Warren Lake]

custom made ones did to 3 inches or whatever the power planer they used. Not sure about the one I posted it was only to show the concept. Router cant touch it. Shaper or table saw. lipping tool better.

[Jim Dwight]

You might try a different belt supplier. I seldom use my Ryobi 3x21 because it seems like the belt fails so quickly and they are not super cheap. I have heard Klingspor (sp?) do not fail at the joint.

But the other reason I do not use my belt sander is my DEVS 1250 sander (Bosch) is about as fast. I get pretty good dust collection. The turbo mode compares to a belt sander but it also has a regular random orbit mode. It is not light nor easy to control, especially in turbo with coarse paper. But it has speed control and you are probably not using very coarse paper for this. This Bosch is very similar to the biggest Rotex but costs a lot less. I use it one handed a lot but with two hands it is not difficult to handle.

[Warren Lake]

Someone posted Klingspor belts are good for a year, I asked 3M and was told five years. I have 3M stroke sander belts still new over 30 years old stored in a bad place and no issues with those. Small belts more subject to heat, still id say why the year no heat there.