Just Might DIY

Sanding is exactly no one’s favorite thing. Ask any woodworker, and they’ll likely groan about the mind-numbing nature of the task. However, if you want to achieve a silky smooth finish and avoid splinters, it’s a necessary part of the process. 

Having the right sander can make the task a little less excruciating. And that’s where D’s pick for Tool Tuesday comes in: the powerful belt sander. 

When you need to sand a lot—and don’t want to spend hours doing it—the belt sander should be your go-to tool. Belt sanders are unique in the world of sanding power tools because unlike orbital sanders, which spin, belt sanders are linear in their motion—making it easy to sand with the grain.

They are also great at rapidly shaving down wood and sneaking up on lines. 
The belt sander we have in the shop is this retro Ryobi—passed down from JZ’s mom. D used it to shape some legs on our current project (a furniture upcycle). 

Luckily, there are tons of options for belt sanders out there. Unless you plan on doing tons of sanding and really putting the tool through its paces, you can probably put this tool in the skimp column and go with something likee this one on Amazon:

RIDGID R2740 Heavy Duty Variable Speed Belt Sander 3 in. x 18 in

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• Use these tools at your own risk. We accept no responsibility for any injury that results from your use of any tools on this site. 
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