Poll - Belt Sanders

[Todd Burch]

I want to get a feeling for how many of you incorporate a belt sander's use in your work when making furniture - at any stage. I wrote an article about belt sanding and submitted it to Popular Woodworking, and they seemed to poo-poo the use of belt sanding in furniture making. I disagree with them, but what do I know?

Anyway, please take the poll. THANKS! Todd.

1) You regularly use a belt sander? What stage(2)?

2) You rarely use a belt sander? What motivation?

3) You would not dream of touching your work with a belt sander. Why not?

[Howard Barlow]

How else can I get those smooth gouges in the panels? You know, just when you think you're about finished and decide "one more pass". Like the old westerns, "I'm gonna rob one more stage, then I'll retire". You know he's gonna get shot this time. I know I'm gonna hesitate somewhere.

But, the belt is good. What does Pop WW know?:D

[Paul Kunkel]

But more for shaping. Since I got a dual drum the 4x24 handheld hardly ever gets used for something flat. Depends on what tools you have to work with too:D

[Robert Henderson]

Before I got my drum sander I used my belt sander on just about every project. About the only time I use it now is when a table top has rounded corners. I will rough cut the corner with a jig saw and finish to the line with a belt sander.


Robert

[Lee Schierer]

Furniture making encompasses a lot of things and means different thngs to differ ent people. I make dressers, tables, endtables, etc. They are considerered furniture. Some people think of only chairs as furniture.

[Scott in Douglassville, PA]

Hey, Todd -

I didn't vote, 'cause you're missing an option - "Would use one, but don't have one."

Also (watch it - here 'comes), my experience with PopWood is that they will poo-poo (cute) queries, and you'll see them show up in later issues. Written by staff writers. C'mon - <i>Popular Woodworking</i> doesn't see the applicability of a <i>belt</i> sander? Have they <i>read</i> any of their magazines?!

[Bob Lasley]

Todd,

Like others since I got the drum sander, I don't use the belt sander very much. Also, my old belt sander is on its last leg so I'm trying to just use it when nothing else will do the job. I keep intending to buy another when I have the money, but something else seems to always replace it at the top of the list.

I do think a belt sander is a good tool for many things, including furniture making, but one has to learn how to hold one's mouth when using it less one ends up with, as Howard put it so aptly, smooth gouges.

If you can't find a buyer for your article, post it here, I am sure we would all enjoy it regardless of which magazines "poo-poo" it.

Bob

[John Weber]

Todd,

I have 3 belt sanders: PC 4x24, PC VS 3x21, DeWalt 3x21 with sanding frame. I use each one for different purposes. The DeWalt is great for vertical work as it is light and easy to hold. The sanding frame is also a big plus when you need to be gentle. The 4x24 is a beast and hogs off material like no tomorrow, but is heavy, rough panel work and even floor leveling. The PC 3x21 is great all around sander, I typically use mine for carpentry work, door fitting, odd jobs etc… I don’t use them a lot for furniture making as I have a small Performax and edge sander, but each has a place in my shop.

John

[John Schreiber]

I mostly use my cheep 21x3 in a shopmade jig which holds the belt sideways. It's great for sanding to a line when I am afraid to cut too close. And I often use it to contour a shape to feel just right to the hand.

I don't use it on flat surfaces (except perhaps smoothing out some construction lumber) and I hardly ever use a grit finer than 80.

A very usefull tool, but mostly near the beginning of a project. It just doesn't "feel" like "fine" woodworking.

[Dennis Peacock]

I'm with the crowd here......get yourself a drum sander and you won't need a belt sander.

[Dennis McDonaugh]

I prefer to use a hand plane in lieu of a belt sander. The belt sander can get away from you in a heartbeat and I never have that problem with the plane.

[Jim Izat]

For me using a belt sander is mostly for correcting errors of judgement or technique. So maybe my answer to the poll should have been, If I was better I'd rarely use one, if I was really good I wouldn't use one at all.

Jim Izat

[Malcolm Timbers]

I hear thet they are good for racing, that is until you reach the end of the cord. I use my belt sanders a lot and would not buy a drum sander because I specialize in working with warped and knotty lumber. I also use the exposed end to cut scallops in the ends of boards to make them look like a beaver has been chewing on them. That's about as fine as my woodworking gets. At least you don't need eyeglasses to tell that it ain't Formica.:D

[Dr. Zack Jennings]

I use a stationary belt sander often for shaping.

My Hand Held Belt Sander is a beast and it's never had anything but coarse grit in it. It eats wood, gouges, spits and generally uses foul language. Not the thing to use on furniture: however......

I have read about tuning your belt sander: flattening the sole etc. I suspect that with 100 or 120 grit paper, a hand held may be capable of some finesse.

I use my ROS a lot. It don't weigh as much and generally has better manners. You can use an ROS with Ladies in the room.

I have a theory that you need a lot of sanders: ROS, big stationary belt sander, Oscillating spindle sander, every kind of sanding block. I also need to learn to scrape and hand plane. The difference between good work and great work is in smoothing and finishing. But... I'm just a Novice.

[David Klug]

My old Craftsman has many many miles on it and it stated heating up and the belts would break. New bearings didn't help so I built a cradle for it and I use it for sharping mower blades and tools. It works great for that. I went out and bought another 4x24 PC because I had too many belts left over and didn't know how else I could use them.

Dave

[Rob Sandow]

As others have said, before I got my drum sander, I did a lot more work with the belt sander, mustly in cleaning up edge-glued panels. I use the smalled belt sander I could find, a PC 21x3, and run it at a slow speed with a medium grit. I also use very light pressure, almost letting the weight of the sander do all of the work, and run it along the seam at an angle to the joint. It works quite well, but the new Performax 22/44 Pro esentially eliminated the need for belt sanding like this. I also have a stationary Ridgid Oscillating belt sander that I usually use in spindle mode, but occadionally I use the belt sander for rough work.

Rob

[Ted Shrader]

Originally posted by Todd Burch
1) You regularly use a belt sander? What stage(2)?
I use mine after doing panel glue ups. Usually w/ 120 or 150 grit belts. Occasionally an 80.

2) You rarely use a belt sander? What motivation?
Don't use it on small pieces - like for boxes, etc. Too aggressive and too hard to hold the pieces still - even clamping down the BS and taking the pieces to the belt.

Ted

[Jim Morrow]

I used to use my belt sander on just about every project. About all its been doing lately is collecting dust. Since I got a drum sander and rediscovered hand planes, I just don't use it much any more.
Take care,
Jim

[Perry Schmidt]

If I cut everything EXACTLY and it all fits together perfectly, I don't use one. But there are many times that doesn't happen, and when it doesn't, I'm glad I have it. Planes are nice for this type of thing too, but just not 'usable' or as convenient in some situations.

BTW - I find it ironic that PopWood poo-pooed on the use of belt sanders. Marc Adams - a little known woodworking school - actually uses one many times in his woodworking videos. The two that come to mind are sharpening and the 'initial sanding' on the faceframe of a cabinet. I know he's a better wood worker than I am, so if he can use one, so can I :)

Perry

[Merle Clor]

I use mine to sand end grain, especially if I burned it on the table saw. I am barely a novice so I may be breaking all kinds of good practices.
Thanks,
Merle

[Jim Young]

I have a 3x21 and use it to flatten large panels and table tops. I'm no good at using a plane so this does the trick. The usage frequency is about twice a year. If I didn't have one I would still get one. Spindle sanders are great for smoothing things out but terible at making things flat.

[Dan Bussiere]

Tod,
I also use mine for furniture. But vewy, vewy carefuwy! I mostly use mine to clean up end grain, burn marks, and sometimes to cleanup glued panels. Of course, when I'm not doing woodworking, I'm usually hunting wabbit!
Dan

[Jim Stastny]

I don't use a belt sander for one simple reason. I don't own one. I don't own one for two simple reasons: two daughters in college. However, if I had a belt sander I would not hesitate to use one. I've had many occasions where it would have greatly speeded the process of whatever I was making at the time.

[Bill Grumbine]

I use a Performax for most of my panel sanding, and a table top Sears that is on its last legs for shaping small parts. Otherwise, I rarely use a belt sander for furniture mainly because the handheld one I have is too rough and unpredictable to be useful for anything but rough carpentry.

As an aside, when I was building my boat, I bought a real neat little Bosch pointy ended belt sander that is great for odd jobs and weird spots. I used it heavily on the boat, and occasionally on other stuff.

Bill

[Steven Wilson]

My belt sander sits on a shelf collecting dust - I wonder if it still works, it's been a couple of years since I've used it. My Performax sits in the corner collecting dust much of the time (it is usefull once and awhile). I face joint my boards now. The clamps from Woodcraft, where you supply the cauls, get used for almost every panel glueup. Well tuned handscrapers sit on the self below my bench and get used on every project. The LN scraper planes await the next panel. Properly prepared stock clamps up easily. Clamping cauls keep panels flat. Properly glued panels means the highest ridge is 1/64" or less. Scraper planes and cabinet scrapers knock the slightly uneven surfaces back into alignment. Who needs a belt sander.

If you start with 3/4" stock and need a panel 3/4" thick, you won't be able to do it if you use a Performax or a belt sander. If you start with 7/8" stock then a Performax can give you a 3/4" panel, then you can get away with slightly less than optimum surface preparation.