Sanding Edges

[mncarpenter]

I've been using an old belt sander, on its side, fastened with a couple of brackets I made to fasten to piece of melamine. It works OK , not perfect. I've been considering an oscillating spindle sander, has anyone used one ? if so what's your thoughts? I find that with the belt sander, I get a "flap" along the edge, no biggie, can trim with my edge beveler, but still a bit of a pain.i'm thinking the oscillating sander make eliminate this, maybe give a better finish?

[evandailey]

I absolutely love my Ridgid Oscillating sander. In my opinion it is the best one on the market because of the fact that it has the 4x24 belt attachment as well as the lifetime warranty. You still get a little "flap" sometimes but it is lessened.

[malabar]

I have drums that can be mounted in a drill press or my foredom. But I do most of my edge sanding on this.....

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=44884&cat=1,43072

tk

[Dwight]

I have drums that can be mounted in a drill press or my foredom. But I do most of my edge sanding on this.....

http://www.leevalley...884&cat=1,43072

tk

Mine looks a bit different, . . . came from Harbor Freight, . . . cost half that price, . . . but it does a great job.

Oh, . . . bearings are going out too, . . . musta used it too much.

1 inch by 30 belt, . . . I can edge a 40 inch belt with it in about 4 to 6 minutes.

When I use a spindle sander, . . . I can't get the edge to stay straight, . . . gets all wavey and funky lookin, . . . much prefer the belt sander.

After sanding, . . . I hit it with the edger, . . . sew it, . . . finish it.

May God bless,

Dwight

Edited March 2, 2012 by Dwight

[malabar]

One of the things that is nice about the Lee Valley sander is that the belt doesn't have a guard on it, so you can use the top roller for sanding the edge of a holster. That keeps the little flap from forming. But for belts I find it better to use the table and let the belt sand across the edge.

They make a leather belt for it that's great for honing utility knives. They cut much better with a quick touch up.

I use the drums for sanding into tight arcs.

tk

[Rayban]

My set-up is a 2 x 42 Craftsman...I run belt edges over the contact wheel. I usually use a 220 grit belt, but been playing with a 400 as well, although I'm not noticing much of a difference.

I dampen the edges too...that helps a lot.

When the work is done correctly here, it makes burnishing a real breeze.

Edited March 2, 2012 by Rayban

[evandailey]

My set-up is a 2 x 42 Craftsman...I run belt edges over the contact wheel. I usually use a 220 grit belt, but been playing with a 400 as well, although I'm not noticing much of a difference.

I dampen the edges too...that helps a lot.

When the work is done correctly here, it makes burnishing a real breeze.

I have that one as well. I use it for some things still, but with the Ridgid Oscillating belt and spindles I use the craftsman much less. I do think that 2x42 Craftsman is a very good deal for what it costs.

[mncarpenter]

thanks all, maybe I'll stick to my belt sander for a while, mount it vertical instead of horizontal.

[Dwight]

thanks all, maybe I'll stick to my belt sander for a while, mount it vertical instead of horizontal.

This is exactly what I use, . . . I run my belt blanks from right to left, . . . letting the belt "finish" the work on the left edge of the sanding belt, . . . against the metal backing plate, . . . feeding it with my right hand, . . . and using my left hand as the guide for the belt blank.

I get beautifully sanded edges, . . . very little work to burnish them smooth, . . . use a # 4 edger just before I burnish, . . . to me it makes a beautiful edge. Yes, . . . there usually is a little flap on the bottom side after the sanding, . . . but that is why I also use the edger, . . . it cleans that off right now.

You might take your strap cutter, . . . make a 20 inch or so couple of pieces of leather 1 1/2 wide, . . . glue em together for a belt, . . . practice sanding em off. It won't take long to get the hang of it if your hands are steady at all.

May God bless,

Dwight

Edited March 4, 2012 by Dwight

[The Grizzly]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I have a question. What sanding grits are you guys using for the best finish with belt grinders?