Handheld Belt Sander

Owned by Michael Giannattasio
Last updated: Feb 01, 2021 by Andrew Molloy
7 min read

A belt sander is a hand-held device used in shaping and finishing wood and other materials. It consists of an electric motor that turns a pair of drums on which a continuous loop of sand paper is mounted. A hand-held Belt Sander is started with a trigger switch in it’s handle, and then, placed down on a surface or against an edge, and moved over the material to be shaped or smoothed.

Belt sanders can have a very aggressive action on wood and are normally used only for the beginning stages of the sanding process, or used to rapidly remove material. Sometimes they are also used for removing paints or finishes from wood, although we do not allow this in the SOA.  Fitted with fine grit sand paper, a belt sander can be used to achieve a completely smooth surface. In the SOA, we typically use the Belt sander for rough shaping / surfacing, and then use an orbital sander for finishing work.

Sanding wood produces a large amount of sawdust. Therefore, all belt sanders employed in woodworking are usually equipped with some type of dust collection system. It may be as simple as a cloth filter bag attached to a portable sander or a large vacuum system to suck dust particles away from a larger Belt Sanding machine into a central collector.

The portable Belt Sander in the SOA, has a cloth filter bag attached to it, which can be emptied into a trash barrel as needed. A dust mask is recommended when using this tool. Dust masks will be provided. Ask a Fab Lab Tech for a dust mask when needed.

Safety

  • Use personal protective equipment. Always use certified safety glasses. Other protective equipment such as dust mask, non-skid closed shoes, or hearing protection used for appropriate conditions will reduce personal injuries.
  • Dress properly. Do not wear loose clothing or jewelry. Keep your hair, clothing and gloves away from moving parts. Loose clothes, jewelry or long hair can be caught in moving parts.
  • Keep work area clean and well lit. Cluttered areas invite accidents.
  • Keep bystanders away while operating a power tool. Distractions can cause you to lose control.
  • Keep the power cord away from heat, oil, sharp edges or moving parts of the machine. Damaged or entangled cords increase the risk of electric shock.
  • If devices are provided for the connection of dust extraction and collection facilities, ensure these are connected and properly used. Use of these devices can reduce dust-related hazards.
  • Do not force the power tool. Use the correct power tool for your application. The correct power tool will do the job better and safer at the rate for which it was designed.  
  • Do not use the power tool if the switch does not turn it on and off. Any power tool that cannot be controlled with the switch is dangerous and must be repaired.  
  • Disconnect the plug from the power source before making any adjustments, changing accessories, or storing power tools. Such preventive safety measures reduce the risk of starting the power tool accidentally.

Personal safety

  • Stay alert, watch what you are doing and use common sense when operating any power tool.
  • Do not use any power tool while you are tired or under the influence of drugs, alcohol or medication. A moment of inattention while operating power tools may result in serious personal injury.
  • Prevent unintentional starting. Ensure the switch is in the off-position before connecting to power source and picking up or carrying the tool. Carrying power tools with your finger on the switch or energizing power tools that have the switch on invites accidents.
  • Do not overreach. Keep proper footing and balance at all times. This enables better control of the power tool in unexpected situations.
  • Hold tool by the insulated gripping surfaces when performing an operation where the cutting tool may contact hidden wiring or its own cord. Contact with a “live” wire will make exposed metal parts of the tool “live” and shock the operator.
  • Always maintain a firm grip on the belt sander handles with both hands to prevent loss of control.
  • Always secure work pieces to be sanded, by either clamping them to a work table or clamping another piece of material to provide a bearing surface for the work piece.

Installing and Removing Abrasive Belt (See Fig.1)

  1. Place the sander on its left side. Fig.1
  2. Pull the lever (A) out toward the rear of the tool to retract the idler pulley and release tension on the abrasive belt.
  3. Remove the old belt.
  4. Install the new belt with the arrow (printed on the inside of the belt) on the top and pointing TOWARD the idler pulley (B). NOTE: Some sanding belts are bi-directional and will not have arrows printed on them. You can install them to run in either direction.
  5. Engage the front pulley by pushing the lever (A) back to its original position.

To Start and Stop the Belt Sander (See Fig.2)

  1. Make sure that the switch is “OFF” and the power circuit voltage is the same as the voltage shown on the specification plate. Connect the tool to the power circuit.
  2. Squeeze the trigger (A) Fig. 2 to start the motor. Release the trigger to stop the motor.
  3. To allow the motor to run without constantly holding the trigger, press the trigger switch (A), push the lock button (B) Fig. 2, and release the trigger switch.
  4. To release the lock button, squeeze the trigger and release.

VARIABLE SPEED CONTROL (Models 360VS and 362VS Only) Models 360VS and 362VS have Variable Speed Control. The operating speed is adjustable between 1000 SFM (surface feet per minute) and 1500 SFM. Adjust the speed by turning the thumbwheel (C) Fig. 2. Thumbwheel position #1 provides the slowest operating speed (1000 SFM) while position #6 provides the fastest operating speed (1500 SFM). The speed can be changed with the motor running or not running.

Tracking the Abrasive Belt (See Fig.3)

To prevent excessive wear on both the sander and belt, NEVER allow the abrasive belt to rub on the sander frame. To make sure that the belt is tracking correctly, do the following:

(Caution! Make sure that the trigger is in the “OFF” position before connecting the tool to the power circuit.)

  1. Turn the tool over, rest the tool on its front handle, and grasp the rear handle with your left hand. Rest your ring finger and little finger on the trigger (Fig. 3).
  2. Start the motor by squeezing the trigger.
  3. Turn the belt aligning screw (A) Fig. 3 in either direction until the edge of the belt is even with the outer edge of the rear rubber covered pulley. The edge of the belt will extend beyond the edge of the front pulley.
  4. Turn the motor “OFF” and allow the sander to come to a COMPLETE STOP before turning it right side up.

Attaching and Care of Dust Bag (See Fig.4)

Depress the dust bag spring clips (A) Fig. 4, and place the dust bag spring (A) between the ridges on the spout (B). For most efficient operation, empty the dust bag when it is half full. To remove, squeeze the dust bag spring clips (A) and pull the bag straight up. Unzip the rear of the bag and shake out the dust. Every so often, turn the bag inside out and brush the accumulated dust from the inside.

General Sanding

 SECURE THE WORKPIECE and maintain a FIRM GRIP on the sander. Movement of the sanding belt against the work piece will try to move the work backward and/or the sander forward. You can clamp a “kicker board” to a worktable to brace the part against, or clamp the work piece itself, provided the clamps will not interfere with the Belt Sanders’ path.

Verify that the switch is “OFF” before connecting the sander to the power circuit.

  1. Hold the sander off the work before starting the motor.
  2. Lower the sander to the work, touching the rear part of the belt first. Level the machine when moving it forward.
  3. Guide the machine over the work in overlapping strokes. Allow the sander to do the work.
  4. Avoid applying excessive pressure. The weight of the machine is usually sufficient for a fast smooth finish. A slight increase in pressure may speed removal of material, but too much pressure will slow the motor and decrease removal.
  5. Work back and forth over a fairly wide area to obtain an even surface.
  6. Do not let the tool tilt. The edge of the belt can make a deep cuts into the surface.
  7. Do not pause in any one spot during the sanding operation. The belt will eat into the work and make the surface uneven.
  8. Lift the tool from the work before turning the motor off.
  9. Always be sure that the motor has completely stopped before putting the tool down.

Fast Sanding on Rough Work (See Fig.5)

To smooth a rough surface quickly, use a coarse grit abrasive belt. With the belt positioned diagonally across the grain, move the tool in the direction of the grain (Fig. 5). Overlap the strokes and cover the entire surface, working from both sides of the board (angle left and then angle right.) Smooth the surface by guiding the sander back and forth with the grain. Change the belt to medium grit and follow the same procedure. Finish by thoroughly working the grain lengthwise. Change again to a fine grit and repeat. Always finish sanding with the grain.

Good Sanding Technique

Getting to know the sander is most important in obtaining smooth results with a minimum of labor. Operators will quickly learn how to start a stroke with a sweeping motion to produce the best results. Use a long even stroke without additional pressure on the tool. Overlap each stroke and vary the length of movement so the results will be even. Always lift the tool from the work before starting and stopping the motor.

BE CAREFUL when sanding at the end of a board. Keep the tool level and flat on the work surface. Don’t let the front of the tool drop. (Fig. 6). If this happens, it will round the edge.

The sander will work very fast and can do a thorough job in a fraction of the time required by hand sanding. Do not rush the job. Give every surface a thorough sanding with each grade of abrasive before changing to finer grits. Always use the abrasive material and grit size recommended for the particular job.

The Belt Sander in the SOA is typically used for general shaping and rapid removal of un-even surfaces. Then, other sanding tools are used for finer finishes.

Clean-up

When you are finished working with a Belt Sander, clean the area before leaving the workstation. There are 4 Trash barrels in this room, and each one has a broom, bench brush and dust pan attached. You must use these items to clean up your work areas at each machine, when you are finished working there. Also, there are scrap barrels at each workstation to deposit scraps of material, which may be useful for someone else. Please do not put materials with stray hardware or glue on them, or food/drink items, only re-usable materials.