My 3x21 belt sander is used mostly on projects like deck refinishing. On real projects RAS and 1/4 sheet sanders are at work all the time, belt sander isn't. Reasons are well known - small footprint with high center of gravity makes that sander prone to tipping and damaging the project. Also this sander is very aggressive and can easily go too far even without tipping. Sanding frame seems like a good remedy for these problems. Larger footprint will make it more stable and reduce risk of tipping. Larger footprint will also make sanding more even - it's like going from #4 hand plane to #7. I wonder if anybody tried it and does it really work as advertised?
-
Alex V -
I tried a sanding frame some years ago. I found that a better solution was to practice using it on scrap so on the occasional large project that required it I could use it without damaging things. The biggest problem with mine is finding belts past about 120 grit. Otherwise it is great at hogging off waste in a hurry if I need to. For instance, I refinished our front door a couple years ago and the belt sander made a pretty quick job of sanding off the old paint, filler, etc that was on the door. A sanding frame would not have helped on that project.David
The chief cause of failure in this life is giving up what you want most for what you want at the moment. -
They are a bit difficult to use. Experience with the weight and balance gives you a feel for where the platen is and keeping it flat. You develop a "feel" for the tool. It's like running a rotating floor buffer and not having it skid around. IMO, a framework would just be cumbersome.
.Comment
-
I bought one with a Bosch belt sander and it works really well. I used it for my first few projects that required a belt sander, but after gaining some experience, I took the "training wheels" off and haven't used it since.Comment
Comment