Sanders

If you’ve ever attempted to sand an old piece of painted interior trim or wood siding by hand, you know firsthand what a time consuming, difficult and dirty job it can be. Power sanders can’t help you much with the dirty part of the job, but they can make the project go faster and require less effort.

There are several styles and sizes of power sanders and the type you need is often determined by the material being sanded and what you hope to accomplish. In many cases you may start with a large belt sander loaded with coarse grit paper and work your way down to a small palm sander using fine paper. As you may have noticed, the common element to just about all of these power tools is the sandpaper each uses – whether they are belts, discs, or just small sheets, they all use some sort of sandpaper.  The grit can range from a material suitable for removing several coats of paint off an old wooden door to creating a glass-like surface on a hardwood floor prior to applying stain.

Types of Sanders

There are three primary types of sanders most often used in home improvement projects, but even a power drill or buffer can be used as a sander with the right attachment. However, these three power sander models should be able to handle most of your tasks around the home:

• Palm sanders – these small finish sanders get their name because they’re small enough to fit in most DIYer’s hands and they’re also very light and easy to use. Palm sanders mimic sanding a piece of wood by hand, but the power tool does all of the work – all you have to do is guide it. The base of the sander moves forward and backward very rapidly and in most cases at a single speed that’s activated by hitting the on switch. Palm sanders use small squares of sandpaper that are about a ¼ the size of full size  paper – you can purchase the paper in the correct size or use standard paper to make your own. These sanders are usually only good for final sanding prior to applying your finish.
• Orbital sanders – these power tools are a little larger than palm sanders and get their name due to a round base that has an orbital motion rather than back and forth. Higher end models often feature adjustable speeds and some sort of dust collection arrangement. These are good all around sanders as they can be used for finish work, but may also be used for medium sized projects when combined with coarser grained sandpaper. Many orbital sanders feature a hook and loop sanding disc pad which allows you to simply press on your specialized sanding discs.
• Belt sanders – if you have a big job, this is the sander you want to pull off the shelf. Belt sanders are available in various sizes, but they’re all designed to use a sanding belt that can rotate at high speeds. When a coarse grit belt is used, you can make short work of removing old paint or smoothing a rough surface. Mid-range and higher end belt sanders often feature variable speeds and almost all belt sanders have dust bag attachments.

Sander Safety

Palm and orbital sanders are two of the safest power tools to use that you may place on your workshop shelf. You should wear ear and eye protection when using all power sanders and wearing a dust mask can be a good idea as well, but you don’t have to worry too much about injuries from the sanding pads on these smaller models.

Belt sanders are a different animal and due to their high speeds can cause injuries if your fingers get too close to the belt or the belt mechanism. You should also take care when using a belt sander on a ladder as the sudden torque can cause loss of balance.