The design of a belt sander essentially comprises of two parallel drums on its underside that are spun with a motor. It has a continuous loop of sandpaper, or a sanding belt that is pulled around the drums to sand or level wood and other materials. Belt sanders are a much rougher tool than other sanders and are normally required only for certain projects that need quick removal or rough surface leveling. They are very often employed for removal of paint or such finishes from materials.

The most common size of belts used on belt sanders is 3 to 4 inches wide. Though wider sanding belts help working on larger areas, their handling tends to get a bit more difficult.

One often makes avoidable errors working on a belt sander; as it hardly takes a moment to lose control or remove excess of material. As most have a powerful motor operating them, one needs more power to control them. So it’s imperative for the operators to feel comfortable and be cautious with their belt sanders. Let’s understand that getting the precision of finish sanding is quite difficult with one of these bulky power tools.

Maintenance

The bulky build of belt sanders proves helpful in their withstanding somewhat serious shop abuse. As these are tough machines, they don’t pose any major maintenance problem. The only important thing that you need to assure is that the two cylindrical rollers (drums) and the sanding belt remain in perfect alignment. If the rollers are not exactly parallel or get tilted, the belt wouldn’t track in the center of the rollers and would keep slipping. Imperfect alignment of rollers may push the belt up toward the housing causing damage to the housing or the belt, may be even both. That makes it a good practice to adjust the rollers every time while changing the belt.

Another good practice to follow while changing the belt is to check the platen for any wear or dents and scratches. The platen comprises of a thin piece of metal backed with an equally thin sheet of cork. It rests (on the underside of the sander) between the inside of the sanding belt and the sander’s shoe. Its function is to offer a flat, yet somewhat soft support for absorbing shocks, both for the sander and the belt. The friction caused due rubbing of belt over the platen, wears it off. The important and unmistaken visible signs that should prompt you to replace platen are worn out crumbled cork or thinned out metal.

Changing the Belt:

For changing of belt, turn over the sander onto one side so that its open side faces up. Next, pull the release handle so that the rollers come a bit closer to slacken the belt. Before replacing the belt ensure that it faces the direction as indicated (by arrows) at the bottom of the belt – else the sandpaper will move in the wrong direction. Glide the belt over the rollers and drop the handle so that the belt tightens over the drums. Using the sander’s tracking knob align the rollers to be perfectly parallel. The sander must be engaged to adjust the tracking so be certain the sander is secure before making any adjustments. The sander may face either up or down as you adjust the tracking, but it helps adjustment if you can see the belt while carrying the adjustment. The belt should follow in the center of both the rollers and the platen, but in case of an intractable belt, simply ensure it tracks in the center of the rollers.

As a lot of saw dust is generated while sanding, it’s imperative to keep all power tools clean. Make sure that the dust is blown at the end of every job to ensure its smooth and efficient operation.

Handling of sanders needs extra caution and patience, be slow while working on it. At the same time have no fear of using these powerful bulky tools; these are very useful for many of the applications one performs in a wood-shop. There is no better tool for quick removal of material and leveling of surfaces.