How to choose a sander for wood

On the farm, you often have to grind something, clean off the old paintwork. Most of the work is with wood. Few manufacturers sell perfect pieces. Perhaps a carpenter. And if there are perfectly processed boards, then their price is such that you will inevitably want to polish them yourself. Even considering the fact that the work is boring and uninteresting. Therefore, a wood sander is one of the tools that should be in the home arsenal.

Types, purpose, features of work

There are different types of grinders that do the same job, but with different results. There is a tool for rough (preliminary), medium (intermediate) and fine (finishing) grinding. Part of the instrument can even perform polishing.

The machine for grinding wood can be of different pitch, size, performance

To choose a wood sander, you first need to decide what type of work you need it for. For rough sanding - leveling unevenness, height differences - one type is suitable, for finishing sanding - bringing to the ideal - another type. Moreover, both tasks can be solved using different types of equipment.

LBM - angle grinder

The well-known grinder can also be used for sanding wood. It copes well with the function of rough grinding. Of all the tools available, this one is the most productive. If you need to quickly level large wooden surfaces - grinding the floor, walls, logs - this is the work for angle grinders. Minus - the surface turns out to be very uneven, it takes a long time to align all the pits and humps. If it will still "pass" on the log house, then for any joinery work the result is unsatisfactory. If only there is an opportunity to purchase another tool, you should not use an angle grinder for grinding wood.

Red emery wheels are used for wood - this is a special abrasive

For the grinder, there are special attachments for grinding wood. The best option is flap discs or discs with different grit sandpaper. When installed, the working plane is below the protective cover, it is safe to work, you can move in any direction. Carefully it is necessary to handle places with protruding heads of nails and screws. We lower the tool from above, carefully move it. The grinding wheel easily breaks with a sharp movement, so be careful.

By varying the grain size of the used grinding wheels, it is possible to carry out coarse and medium (intermediate) grinding. The work will take less time than any other wood sander. But it may take more time to bring it to a flat surface, since, with a lack of experience, there will be more flaws.

When sanding wood, the sandpaper becomes clogged, the speed of work decreases. In addition to a decrease in speed, there is another sign - the smell of burnt wood. It is not necessary to change the disk immediately, you can restore its performance. To do this, grind the metal for a few seconds. Everything adhering to it - resin, wood fibers, dust - burns, the surface is cleaned, the processing speed increases again. This trick, by the way, can be used with other grinders as well.

This attachment is used if you need to quickly change the sandpaper.

If you have to clean and change circles often, a Velcro attachment is installed on the grinder. Replacing the sandpaper is much easier and faster - unpinning / sticking is a matter of seconds. But working with a nozzle is more dangerous. Due to its height, the grinding area is above the level of the protective casing, it does not perform its functions. During the start, it happens that an unreliable circle or even the nozzle itself flies off. They have a small weight, injuries are not serious, but they are all the same injuries. The angle grinder with a smooth start helps to reduce the risks, but, anyway, you need to work with gloves, protective clothing with tightly buttoned sleeves, boots that cover your legs, and goggles.

Belt sander

It is called so due to the fact that the sandpaper is in the form of a tape, continuously moving with the help of rollers. Therefore, such a sander for wood is also called "endless".

Wood belt sander is designed for rough and intermediate leveling of the surface. By installing a finer grit sandpaper, you can achieve a medium finish. This is sufficient for joinery that cannot be painted. To bring it to perfect condition, you need a different type of wood sander. Moreover, to eliminate long longitudinal scratches, you will have to carry out stepwise grinding, changing the grain several times - the scratches remain deep.

A belt sander is good if you need to remove the old coating - paint varnish

Why is a wood belt sander good? It has good performance. The tape is installed on it in such a way that it turns out to be sanded close to the wall with one side. What are its disadvantages? Due to the design, not all points can be reached. For example, corners, cutouts, grooves and other small parts. It is not always possible to "crawl" between two parts (when processing handrails, for example). Another drawback is that most of the belt sanders have a solid mass, it is difficult to work with them on weight, sanding vertical surfaces. But on the horizontal plane - they are the most productive.

The next disadvantages are high noise level, not the largest sanding spot. It makes so much noise that it is extremely uncomfortable to work without headphones. Why a small polishing spot, because it looks large enough? Even with a large belt width, it grinds only in the center - the part at the front and back is not used due to the fact that it is raised for feeding onto the rollers.

It can be turned into a sander

The wood belt sander has features in work. To reduce the depth of the furrows that it leaves, it must be guided along the fibers. Then finishing sanding takes less time. And one more thing - if you gape in the process of work and leave the machine in one place for a long time, a solid "pit" will form. Despite this, it is the most productive wood sander that is often used.

Orbital (eccentric)

The orbital sander for wood has a round sole with velcro, on which sandpaper discs are attached. The discs are the same as for the grinder, so they are interchangeable. There are holes in the sole of the machine for removing dust. Dust is collected in a bag, a cassette-type container, almost all models allow you to connect a construction vacuum cleaner.

The eccentric sander allows for the processing of curved surfaces

The work of the eccentric sander for wood is based on the simultaneous rotation and movement back and forth (reciprocating movements). This achieves a reasonably good speed for intermediate and finishing wood processing. When working with this type of grinder, the platform moves in a spiral or orbit. Therefore, this tool is also called orbital grinders.

Eccentric sanders are good for curved or profiled surfaces - the machine is light in weight, makes little noise, is easy to control, the angle of the disc can be used to reach grooves, scraps, etc. With all this, she also handles large planes at a good pace. When installing coarse sanding paper, it can be used for coarse and intermediate sanding. The speed is less than that of the tape, but also quite acceptable. There are such cars with different radius of movement (eccentricity) - from 3 to 8 mm. Selecting this parameter and determine the main purpose (more on this below).

There are small and compact, there are powerful, decent dimensions

The disadvantages of this type of machine are the impossibility of processing in the corners. The round platform is simply not included there. Also, there is a zone of uncertain polishing at the edges - it will not be possible to polish close to a wall or a vertical surface.

Vibrating

The sole of the vibration sander can be rectangular or triangular. During operation, it makes circular movements with a small amplitude - it vibrates, which gave the name to this type of equipment. This wood sander is used for fine finishing - for varnishing or painting, but has a low productivity.

A vibrating sander for wood with a rectangular surface allows you to process large areas, but with its help it is not possible to sand wood near vertical planes and walls - it starts to beat against an obstacle. Triangular in this regard is more suitable for working in corners and hard-to-reach places, but you still cannot bring it tightly to the wall.

The vibrating machine is used for finishing

Another disadvantage of vibrating systems is the so-called "lambs". If a grain of sand or other solid fragment gets under the surface, it leaves small circles on the wood - "lambs". Removing these marks is difficult. It is necessary to use sandpaper of increasingly fine grain, gradually removing scratches. But if in the process something gets under the sole again, the process is repeated again. Therefore, before work, the surface is thoroughly cleaned and the plyosos is usually connected - for quick and timely removal of extraneous fragments.

Oscillating

Strictly speaking, this is not a grinder, but it can be grinded. Moreover, those places that are inaccessible for other types of machines - corners (even sharp), places directly at the vertical walls. For grinding, a special-shaped triangular platform is installed on the tool, on which sandpaper is fixed on a self-adhesive base.

This is how a multifunctional renovator looks like, which has a grinding function

During operation, the platform moves in a horizontal plane with a very small amplitude - the vertices of the triangle deviate by about 1.7 ° (this is an average of 2.5 mm). Due to this small movement, grinding occurs. This machine can be used to sand in corners and close to vertical surfaces. Moreover, you can remove not only wood, but also smeared and dried glue. In general, an oscillating machine is used for finishing grinding in hard-to-reach places - due to its low productivity and a grinding spot, it is unrealistic to process more or less large surfaces with it.

What type of sander to choose

To summarize, we can say that for housework and construction, ideally, two grinding machines are needed - for rough and fine. The most commonly used pair is tape + eccentric. If you are planning to make furniture, then you cannot do without oscillation.

If you do not like the result of a belt sander, you can purchase two orbital ones with different eccentricities. For rough grinding, a tool with an eccentricity of 6-8 mm is suitable, for finishing grinding and even polishing - 2-4 mm. The only drawback of this solution is that good eccentric sander is expensive.

If the budget is limited, and the farm has a grinder (angle grinder), rough grinding can be done with it, and for intermediate or finishing, use orbital or vibration. Just keep in mind that vibration is the least productive, albeit the cheapest. If possible, buy an orbital one - it is more versatile and gives better results.

Technical selection criteria

Any tool is divided into classes that differ in labor resource (and price). So a wood sander can be household or professional. Household ones are designed for short continuous work with interruptions. Basically, it is recommended to work no more than 3 hours a day, periodically taking breaks of 15 minutes.

Professional models are designed to work for 8-12 hours, breaks are rarely needed or not needed at all. The working resource of such a tool is many times greater. For this, durable and reliable (read - expensive) materials are used. In addition, the performance of such equipment is much higher, as a rule, there are more adjustments.

To choose a wood sanding machine, you need to pay attention to the technical parameters

When choosing, the first thing to decide is what class your car should be. I must say that some manufacturers have a good household class, and some also have semi-professional lines. This is an intermediate class, as a rule, for private use it is optimal in terms of price / quality combination. Some models are even used by professionals.

General selection options

Although wood sanders differ, there are general points to consider when choosing. Here they are:

• Power consumption. It is a proxy indicator of performance. The smallest wood sander has a power of 120 W, the most powerful - about 1.2 kW. But the power also depends on the type, so the belt is usually more powerful, because it takes more effort to stretch the belt, and energy is spent on the operation of the compressor, which removes dust from the working area. So the power of the grinder should be compared for the same type of model, but not for different ones.
• Cord length. Everything is simple here. The longer the cord, the more mobile the instrument is.
• The presence of rubber pads on the handles. They contribute to a more comfortable grip on equipment. The handles should fit well in the hand.
  

  Vacuum cleaner connection

• Weight. On the one hand, a heavy tool requires considerable effort. On the other hand, it is more stable and easier to control. Less weight is only desirable if you will be processing large vertical surfaces (walls) or ceilings.
• Smooth start. With this function, the engine picks up speed gradually during starting. This increases its resource.
• The ability to connect to a vacuum cleaner. Almost all wood sanders are equipped with removable dust bags or cassette containers for collecting dust from the work area. But with intensive work, it is easier to connect a vacuum cleaner and not bother with emptying the bag every time. So for professionals, this parameter is important.
• Engine speed control. Increases / decreases the speed of vibration or belt movement. It is useful for choosing the parameters of work. Wood is usually polished at high speeds, but they must be selected so that the tool does not tremble in the hands.
  

  The speed regulator is located on the handle

• Engine overheating protection. On the one hand, there is a useful thing that extends the life of the instrument. On the other hand, overheating stops do not improve mood.

These are general points to pay attention to. Now about what is important for different types of grinding machines.

Tape

When choosing a belt grinding, you need to look at the following parameters:

• Length and width of the tape. Belt width - from 6 mm to 100 mm. A narrow blade can handle small parts, a wide blade increases productivity. The length of the tape depends on the model. It is clear that the longer the tape, the longer it works without replacement.When buying a second belt sander, try to find a model with the same length - fewer consumables are required.
  

  The width of the tape can be different

• Power consumption - from 500 W to 1200 W. The higher the power, the higher the productivity and endurance of the tool, the longer the working period.
• Tape centering mechanism. It can be manual (in household models) and automatic (in professional). Holds the tape in place. More reliable - automatic.
• Additional handle. The tool is heavy, it is not always convenient to hold it with one hand. An additional handle (removable or stationary) allows it to be better controlled and work in a non-standard position (on verticals, inclined planes, on the ceiling).
  

  Additional handle allows for tighter control of the tool

• Adjustable belt speed, minimum and maximum values. The speed of grinding depends on the speed of the belt. But at high speeds, the processing is quite rough. By changing the grain size of the sandpaper, it makes sense to change the speed of its movement. The hardness of the wood also affects the selection of speed. Therefore, it is convenient to have an adjustment of the belt speed, since you can choose the desired operating mode.

You also need to pay attention to how convenient it is to change the tape. There are also models that allow you to quickly change the brushes. Sometimes spare brushes are even included.

Popular models of belt sander

Eccentric (orbital)

In addition to all the general parameters described, there are some nuances in choosing an eccentric wood grinding machine:

• The amount of eccentricity. That is, the amplitude of the deviation in a circular motion. It can be from 2 mm to 8 mm. The higher this figure, the higher the processing speed, but the lower its "purity".
• Outsole diameter. There are 90 mm, 100 mm, 125 mm and 150 mm. Professionals prefer to work with a sole diameter of 150 mm. They have the highest productivity and for this size there is a large selection of sandpaper of different grain sizes, there are no problems with spare parts.
  

  Orbital sander for wood: it is important to choose the right eccentricity

• Availability of platform braking system. This option distinguishes a good tool from a bad one. It is needed to prevent spontaneous rotation and smoother starting.

The selected model still needs to be tested in the store. To do this, place an emery disc on the platform and turn on the tool. The vibration should not be felt at all. This means that it is well balanced and will work comfortably.

Popular Eccentric Sanders

Vibrating

The first step is to choose the shape of the sole. It can be rectangular (most often), square or ironing. The system for attaching the sandpaper is clamping here, just a piece of sandpaper of the required size is pulled and fixed with clamps. For normal operation of the stretched paper dust extraction, holes must be made in the right places (holes in the platform). It is best to connect a vacuum cleaner to remove dust, as the presence of dust under the platform leads to a large number of scratches. That is, instead of grinding, we get a damaged part. This is an important point.

What to look for:

• The vibrating wood sander can have a wattage from 130W to 600W. The more powerful, the heavier.
  

  There are ordinary ones - rectangular, there are with special nozzles

• Sole size. There is a certain set of dimensions from which to choose. A small sole is a tool that is more maneuverable, easier to handle, a larger one is more productive.
• Amplitude of the stroke. This is how much the platform moves with vibration. It can be from 1.5mm to 5mm. The smaller the amplitude, the cleaner the processing, but the lower the productivity.
• Stroke frequency. Displays how many times per second the platform moves forward. Typical numbers are from 6,000 rpm to 26,000 rpm. It's good if there is an adjustment. And it's great if it's smooth.

The vibration sander is used only for finishing sanding and has a low performance. Only fine grain paper can be placed on it. Rough machining should be done with another tool.

Popular models of vibration grinders