Official Luthiers Forum! :: View topic - stationary sander or portable?

Get the bench top.

I have a 4" belt / 6" disc, and it is the most versitile, most used tool in my shop. You'll be amazed at just how much stuff this thing will do. Mine is a Delta, not sure if they are even made any more. Be sure to get one that has a tilting deck for the belt. You can set it at say 45 degrees, which puts the end a little below eye level, and do all sorts of things with it. Rough trim overhangs on tops and backs, carve necks, shape parts, the possibiliites are endless. And the disc, I end up using it as well for all sorts of things, including micro adjustments to length for braces, etc. And, the thing is small enough and light enough that I can simply set it out of the way when not needed.

My only regret is not getting one with a 6" wide belt, that's on my wish list for some day.

Author:	Tai Fu [ Sat May 19, 2012 4:03 am ]
Post subject:	stationary sander or portable?
I need a sander, other than a Robosander on a drill press (they have their uses, but I need a flat sander for shaping end blocks, nuts, etc.). Should I get a portable belt sander, and mount it on a vise to sand with, or should I get a belt/disk combination sander (I am looking at a 6x9, 6" belt and 9" disk) or a 12" disk sander? Portable sander would be the cheapest option, and I can use it to carefully thickness sand backs and sides too, I am not sure if I use the disk sander at all except I'd just use the belt and not use the disk, and a 12" disk sander would be large enough to cover my needs... what do you think?

Author:	klooker [ Sat May 19, 2012 6:44 am ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
If you have the money and the space, I'd go for a stationary sander - the bigger the better. Less noise, vibration and more accurate unless you spend a lot of time building jigs & fixtures. Kevin Looker

Author:	Clinchriver [ Sat May 19, 2012 6:54 am ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
klooker wrote: If you have the money and the space, I'd go for a stationary sander - the bigger the better. Less noise, vibration and more accurate unless you spend a lot of time building jigs & fixtures. Kevin Looker Yep. You cannot have too many sanders/tools......... I have a 6x146 horizontal floor model. Also bought because I got a deal is my 2 x72 inch Wilton bench sander I use it for everything including sharpening lawnmower blades.

Author:	Tai Fu [ Sat May 19, 2012 7:03 am ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
What would you say the minimum size would be for a stationary belt/disk sander? I am thinking of the one with 6" wide belt and 9" disk sander, has 3/4 HP motor (possibly underrated), costs around 250 dollars. I looked at the one with a 4" belt and 6" disk and felt it was way too small.

Author:	klooker [ Sat May 19, 2012 7:16 am ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
I wouldn't get a disk any smaller than 12" - remember that you get less than half the diameter of actual working area. Kevin Looker

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Author:	Mark Fogleman [ Sat May 19, 2012 7:38 am ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
For a small space and limited budget I would get a Rigid EB4422 oscillating spindle and belt combo along with a good shop-vac w/HEPA filter. If you want a 12" disc sander look at the JET 12" disc sander 708432K JDS-12DC with integrated dust collection/cartridge filter. I use it more than any power tool in the shop.

Author:	Tai Fu [ Sat May 19, 2012 8:27 am ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
I have not seen a belt/spindle combo in Taiwan yet... still looking though. I did see a 24" disk sander (I am not kidding). I don't think I will get that but I will ask if they sell sandpaper for them... I can use them for my radius dish.

Author:	Spyder [ Sat May 19, 2012 11:33 am ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
Get the bench top. I have a 4" belt / 6" disc, and it is the most versitile, most used tool in my shop. You'll be amazed at just how much stuff this thing will do. Mine is a Delta, not sure if they are even made any more. Be sure to get one that has a tilting deck for the belt. You can set it at say 45 degrees, which puts the end a little below eye level, and do all sorts of things with it. Rough trim overhangs on tops and backs, carve necks, shape parts, the possibiliites are endless. And the disc, I end up using it as well for all sorts of things, including micro adjustments to length for braces, etc. And, the thing is small enough and light enough that I can simply set it out of the way when not needed. My only regret is not getting one with a 6" wide belt, that's on my wish list for some day.

Author:	Tai Fu [ Sat May 19, 2012 11:52 am ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
Spyder wrote: Get the bench top. I have a 4" belt / 6" disc, and it is the most versitile, most used tool in my shop. You'll be amazed at just how much stuff this thing will do. Mine is a Delta, not sure if they are even made any more. Be sure to get one that has a tilting deck for the belt. You can set it at say 45 degrees, which puts the end a little below eye level, and do all sorts of things with it. Rough trim overhangs on tops and backs, carve necks, shape parts, the possibiliites are endless. And the disc, I end up using it as well for all sorts of things, including micro adjustments to length for braces, etc. And, the thing is small enough and light enough that I can simply set it out of the way when not needed. My only regret is not getting one with a 6" wide belt, that's on my wish list for some day. So I take it to mean that I should spend a little extra for a sander with a 6" belt, or is it unnecessary?

Author:	meddlingfool [ Sat May 19, 2012 1:21 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
The 6" disc with 4" belt delta is really useful, but I also have an edge sander. If you can only have the one machine, I'd opt for the slightly larger one with the six inch belt. As mentioned, you'll be surprised by the number of things you'll be able to do with it.

Author:	Jeff Highland [ Sat May 19, 2012 4:53 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
I had a cheap 4"/6" belt disc sander, a terrible frustrating machine, the belt tracking constantly shifted with load, and the table for the disc sander was hard to adjust, small, and flexible When the bearings on the rollers went , I replaced it with a good 12" disc sander Cast iron disc, cast iron table with rack and pinnon adjustment. I really don't miss the belt.

Author:	Spyder [ Sat May 19, 2012 7:55 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
If cost is an issue, get the 4" belt, it will do most of what you need it to do. That being said, there have been a few times when the extra width would really make things easier, mostly when you run across something you need to sand that is 5" wide for example. Can be done with the smaller belt, but you have to be very careful about the edge of the belt making a groove, where if you had a wider belt would be a non-issue. Same for the disc, since you can only use half of it, an extra inch can make all the difference in some cases. But if space and cost are an issue, you really can't go wrong with the smaller one. Just so useful for so many things, and far more convenient than trying to clamp up a hand held belt sander.

Author:	Tai Fu [ Sun May 20, 2012 8:34 am ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
Thanks for the advise, I've decided to go with a 6x9" sander... The larger belt has to be a blessing, although I do wonder if they make anything bigger other than the you know what (you know, wide belt sander). I think I should be able to do a lot of things with the belt part, even remove the shroud to sand curved objects like guitar waist (when completed) or neck heels. Can also rough radius a fingerboard too before finishing off with a radius block. Although I wonder has anyone attempted to thickness sand backs and sides with a hand held belt sander?

Author:	Tai Fu [ Mon May 21, 2012 1:20 am ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
By the way I read that Frank Ford slows down his belt sander (it seems its an old Delta sander that is missing most of its component) because at stock speed it removes material way too fast. Is it a big deal to have a slow belt sander? How do I prevent it from removing materials too fast if I don't want it to? Do I just use a finer belt?

Author:	Spyder [ Wed May 23, 2012 11:12 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
Don't overthink the dust collection. Here's what I do, very simple and works well. Just a piece of coat hanger bent to fit, punch a hole in the hose and place it over the exit port. Then just hook the wire wherever it will hold. I can't claim this idea, I got it out of a book, but it works like a charm. The wire is inserted into the hose, bare wire, and the other end hooked to the tool to ground it. I would think you could come up with something similar for your shop vac hose.

Author:	Doug Balzer [ Tue Apr 07, 2015 8:24 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
Latest addition. Welcome to the family you cute little Rikon 10" disk / 6"x48" belt sander with integrated dust collection. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Author:	SteveSmith [ Tue Apr 07, 2015 9:10 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
Doug Balzer wrote: Latest addition. Welcome to the family you cute little Rikon 10" disk / 6"x48" belt sander with integrated dust collection. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk I've had my eyes on one of those for a while to replace my Delta 6"/6"x36".

Author:	Rod True [ Thu Apr 16, 2015 11:28 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TArwSUQ-bp8

Author:	Mattia Valente [ Mon May 21, 2012 2:11 am ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
Use a finer grit on the belt, yes. I have 80 grit mounted in my cheap and cheerful small (I think 4 x 6) belt/disk combo. Thinking up upgrading to a slightly larger size for more flexibility, but honestly, I don't really need to. I also get a lot of use out of my (unbranded, cheap) oscillating spindle sander for electric guitar work.

Author:	Spyder [ Mon May 21, 2012 10:48 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
Get two different belts, one 80 grit and one 120/150 or so. And treat this like any new tool, as in it has a definate learning curve. That 80 grit belt will carve hard maple and ash very well when new, so you can imagine what it will do to a softer wood. So get in lots of practice! And be careful, it is very easy to remove too much and it happens awful fast. As for thicknessing pieces with one, that would be a bit tricky. One thing you will learn about this tool is that it is very sensitive to pressure. You can uintentionally put a curve in a straight board very easy, as well as take something out of square. So use a light touch when starting out. A couple more things, for one, be careful about holding the part, because it can get launched across the room. And, once it starts to get thin, you can sand through a couple of layers of skin on your finger without even realizing it. Lastly, it is best to connect a dust collector of some kind, because this thing will fill your shop with dust fog. All those cautions aside, you're going to love it! With a little practice, there is so much it will do.

Author:	Tai Fu [ Mon May 21, 2012 11:02 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
I don't have a dust collector but would a shop vac be enough? The problem is the dust collection port on many of these tools are often much bigger than a shop vac hose so I can't figure out how to connect it. I can't find an adapter that fits. I have been to a luthier shop with an open ended thickness sander without any form of dust collection on it... wonder how he gets by.

Author:	Jeff Highland [ Tue May 22, 2012 3:28 am ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
Try the plumbing fittings section for adaptors. beteen pvc reducers and rubber connectors you can generally get there,

Author:	Tai Fu [ Tue May 22, 2012 3:52 am ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
Jeff Highland wrote: Try the plumbing fittings section for adaptors. beteen pvc reducers and rubber connectors you can generally get there, Why didn't I think of that? thanks for the tips By the way I did see someone was selling a 24" disc sander... what do they use a disc that big for?

Author:	Tai Fu [ Wed May 23, 2012 11:22 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
I just got the sander today... real heavy piece of machine, the stand got bent a bit during transport though (I am not going to try sending this heavy stuff back because of this minor damage... its more trouble than its worth). I don't think I will use the disk at all but there aren't any dust collection port on this thing. Whole thing is made from cast iron except for the table and a few other parts, so its pretty heavy for its size (the band saw weighs less actually). I will set it up during my shop time today.

Author:	murrmac [ Thu Apr 09, 2015 1:49 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: stationary sander or portable?
Tai Fu wrote: I did see a 24" disk sander (I am not kidding) 24" disk sanders ain't all that ... no self-respecting cabinet shop in the UK in the 70's was complete without one of these little 36" beauties ...

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