No matter whether you are a professional or a DIYer, wood sanding work is not a piece of cake. It is time, effort, and practice that are required to get the best finish by woodworking sanders. You know, there are different types of wood sanders. However, if you have the right tool, i.e., the suitable wood sanders with you to help, you will find wood sanding work quite easy.
To help you sanding better in woodworking projects, we are going to provide you with some useful information regarding the features of wood sanders and when to use them. We are also going to write about different types of electric wood sanders so that you know which one to choose for specific woodworking tasks.
Types of Wood Sanders
Wood Sanders has a categorization into different types as per their unique function and use. Functionally, we can differentiate them into two categories: Surface Sanders and Floor Sanders.
- Surface Sanders
- Floor Sanders
Surface Sanders
Surface Sander is usually made with a blend of aluminum and steel body. Most of these sanders have integrated channels to collect dust. With variable speed settings, they are easily controllable.
Most of these have a conveyor system to pull the workpiece. Belt Sanders, Disk Sanders, Detail Sanders, Drywall Sanders, File Sanders, Orbital Sanders, Random Orbital Sanders, Table Sanders, etc. are examples of some of the surface sanders.
Check out more on The Best Belt Sander.
Floor Sanders
We usually need two machines to work with floor sanding. One is the Drum Sander, and the other is the Edger. The drum sander work as the main machine that works immaculately in most of the floor types. You should use the drum sanders in the standing position.
The carpenters use the edger to reach the edges where the drum sander machine cannot reach easily.
Four Popular and Versatile Sanders
There are four main types of wood sanders, each with a particular purpose for the sander type. However, often these motives overlap, and a kind of sander can serve the same wood finish as the other.
The difference in this fine line is usually in the efficiency of the hand holding Sanders.
If you have the budget or not as an experiment woodworker, You cannot go wrong for investing in all four sander types.
It is very logically combined with all four sander designs and the proper combination of abrasives. You will be able to take on virtually every workshop sanding task you can imagine. The types of wood sander are-
- Random Orbital Sander
- Disc Sander
- Finishing Sander
- Belt Sander
Though there are many woodworking sanders out there, 4 of them are more versatile due to their uniqueness and better output. Here is some information about those sanders:
Random Orbital Sander
Random Orbital Sander is also called as a dual-action sander. When it comes to design, it seems like an orbital sander. But, it does not have a square pad. Instead, it features a round pad. This pad spins in circles, which helps to eliminate the swirl pattern that a general orbital sander makes.
You can have pad sizes from 5 inches to 6 inches in diameter. This sander alone can perform the work of both belt sander and orbital sander to a great extent. The price of the random orbital sander is relatively low.
Disc Sander
Disc Sanders is available as a table-mounted version and as an attachment to the power drills. To spin, you can add them at the edge of any drill. They are round in shape.
However, when it comes to mounted sanders, they use a wheel to ensure more surface area. Depending on the work, you can use various grit sizes for these sanders.
Typically Large disc sanders require a two-handed operation. However, Smaller disc sanders are easy to control with one hand. while the other remains free to grip the work-pieces.
Disc sanders can be corded or depend on control from battery-powered batteries.
Finishing Sander
To ensure the fine finishing, the use of a good finishing sander is compulsory. You simply cannot replace this sander with the disk, belt, or random orbital sanders. Coming with a square or rectangular sanding pad, finishing sanders lets you quickly change the grits and sandpapers whenever you want.
“You can put 1/4, 1/3, or 1/2 sheet of sandpaper in it if required. The side spring clips help to replace the sheets easily. You are at liberty to choose from in-line action or orbital motion.”
With the snap of your finger, you can quickly change grit or sandpaper compositions. You can also choose between in-line actions and orbital speed.
Belt Sander
In belt sanders, a belt for sanding is wrapped around two drums. The front drum moves freely, and the rear drum is generally motorized. It is a tracking adjustment knob that keeps the belt centered. Moreover, the belt changes quickly by a tension release lever.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAShaping your belt sander is essential to fit your needs. Belt Sanders are usually available in 4 different sizes. Among those, 3×21 size is the most popular due to its balance, power, and speed. However, woodworkers prefer a mid-sized belt such as the 3” x 21” or the large 4” x 24”. Belt Sanders works excellent to remove the older finish from wood (i.e., varnish or paint)
When to Use a Wood Sander
While sanding wood, you may need to use either hand sanders or electric sanders. If you are going to work with minimal work or a delicate piece of wood where the use of electric sanders cannot ensure a better edge and the most exquisite detail, it is hand-sanders that you need to use.
But, in case you are working with a big project where you require to start with rough wood and end up with the finished product, you have no options left other than using electric sanders.
However, different types of power wood sanders would deliver different performance. They are used in various stages of the woodworking task, and to different kinds of wood as well.
Here are some of the fields where you are supposed to use electric sanders:
Making of Furniture
For furniture-making work, the use of different kinds of power sanders is a must. In various stages of making the furniture, you will require to use different sanders to get your work done. To be frank, it is not possible to make big furniture without the use of power sanders.
Staircase Building
A well-designed and finished staircase is an art that requires a good deal of time and effort. To make staircases, it involves a lot of sanding work with electric sanders of various types. Further, to get the best speed and smoothness while working with the stairs, the use of power sanders is inevitable.
However, most of the time, cordless random orbital sanders play a vital role in the entire process of the staircase building.
Making of Cabinetry
Cabinetry making is not identical to furniture making. Furniture making deals with many free-standing pieces while the cabinetry is making deals with interlocking components. That’s the reason why there is a difference in using sanders in furniture making and cabinetry making. Sheet finishing sanders and belt sanders are more used in the making of cabinetry.
Manufacturing of Toys
If you are involved in making toys for children, electric sanders will make your work a lot easier. Disc sanders and palm sanders are two of the very useful power wood sanders that are used much in the toy industry.
Check out more: The Best Palm Sander.
Wood Sander Features
Electric sanders are made to replace the toil a carpenter goes with when he or she works with hand-sanders. Using electric sanders is comparatively more comfortable and does not require much physical pressure.
Wood sanders of different types play different roles in the woodworking processes. The sanders we are using nowadays are the results of years of experience and research to meet individual needs.
“Let’s know some of the original features that you should consider when you go for buying a wood sanding machine.”
Handgrips
Due to the heavy vibration, it is essential to have handgrips that are easily controllable. After all, hand grips are a must control if you want to avoid any damage to your wood Pieces, lumber, or cutting tusk. That’s why-
“The handgrips of the best sanders for wood should be soft and comfortable.”
Speed
Electric sanders usually come with variable speed controls so that you can choose the speed as per your needs. For preliminary work, you can go for slow speeds and high-polishing work, and you can activate more speeds to accelerate the work. However, electric sanders either have 1 to 9-speed settings or control like throttles for managing the rate.
Dust Collection
In sanding, dust is produced quite naturally as a part of the process. Help you to breathe and to sweep, and many sanders come with dust catching bags. You can try those for a smooth sanding experience.
Trigger Locks
Trigger-Lock feature enables the sanders to lock while in motion and lets you free up your hands. It is also possible to use a trigger lock using the run settings.
Final Thoughts
To get the best wood sanders for your projects, it would be best if you had a good understanding of the types of sanders because they have different standards. These are different for strength, speed, and portability, as well as many factors. Now that you know the different types of wood sanders with their use and features. Therefore, we hope that you can buy the ones you need for your carpentry work.
You may find it interesting to read on how to use a jigsaw?
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