handheld belt sanders

[hackberry jake]

Those handheld planers are super handy to level out big unwieldy boards and other stuff. Mine sure came in handy making that bathroom sink and leveling up my crooked counter boards. ;D

At $40 it won't take much motivation for me to order one. I could probably use it before the belt sander for flattening large butcher-block tops and the like.

[Texas Ranger]

Hand planer we essential when I was building doors and furniture

[Brad_bb]

I have a Bosch 4x24
The last timberframe crew I worked with had Makita.  I'm usually using mine to sand timbers to smooth them or get the gray off.

Jake, what are your main uses?  That may partially dictate your belt size.

[hackberry jake]

I have a Bosch 4x24
The last timberframe crew I worked with had Makita.  I'm usually using mine to sand timbers to smooth them or get the gray off.

Jake, what are your main uses?  That may partially dictate your belt size.

Usually flattening things like butcher block counter tops, or taking spray ink off of signs. Dried spray ink clogs up even the coarsest of random orbit sandpaper.

[Just Me]

20 foot is good. That way every time you suck it up into the sander you have some extra. 8)

[Carson-saws]

Just Me....REAL nice work...looked at your gallery.  Know Indian River pretty well,  have property down near Ostlander on the Pigeon River backing up to Mackinaw State Forest. 

[tule peak timber]

I caught this thread last week , and ordered the Makita 4X24. Very happy with it- paid for itself in a couple of days. I'm now eying the 12 1/4 inch wide hand planer-comments ?Rob

[Just Me]

I caught this thread last week , and ordered the Makita 4X24. Very happy with it- paid for itself in a couple of days. I'm now eying the 12 1/4 inch wide hand planer-comments ?Rob

I have the 6 3/4 straight, and the 4 3/8 curved, but I have never run that monster. Its probably like the 16" makita skilsaw, much easier than the idea seems.

[Just Me]

Just Me....REAL nice work...looked at your gallery.  Know Indian River pretty well,  have property down near Ostlander on the Pigeon River backing up to Mackinaw State Forest.

I actually live on Munger, with the Pigeon River Forest right behind my house.

Thank you for the compliment.

[Carson-saws]

Great area up that way...like to fly fish the river...  you are welcome,  looks like you have the "knack"   liked the bench seat picture.

[muggs]

I have the Makita 3X21. I used it to sand about 12 doors a day. Served me well. I used to use a larger sander but it was just too tiring.   Muggs

[opticsguy]

Bosch 4 x 24 with 25 cord.  Great reliable machine and with 36 or 24 grit can you can bore to the center of the Earth...........

[Brad_bb]

So what did you decide Jake?  Been using my Bosch 4x24 to smooth down Osage brace stock.  Works well.  Just don't let the sander fall off the work to the floor.  Mine did and bent the front idler wheel bracket.  I got it bent back enough that the adjustment works to keep the belts on the sander again.  Learning lesson.
The three in the foreground have been sanded and the live edge draw knifed and wire wheeled.


 
My buddy posing like a swimsuit model.  At least the brace stock looks good.
 

 

[submarinesailor]

Brad - I have always wondered how you guys sand the edges of your benches, counter-tops and other live edge products and get them to look so good. Do you use the belt sander on the sides of your live edge or something like a random orbital?  It seems to me that you may pull to much off the sides if you use a belt sander.  Maybe it's having the right touch or technique?

[Brad_bb]

No, on the flat faces, the yellow you see, gets the belt sander.  The live edge, the rounded part, gets the bark draw knifed off being careful not to dig into the wood.  The we are wire wheeling off the remnants of the cambium/bark with a 4" fine or medium wire wheel mounted in a low speed 3/8 drill (variable 0-2200 rpm).  You don't want a stiff coarse while wheel or high speed tool or you'll strip the thin darker color between the cambium and sapwood.   If there is any place where the draw knife dug in or other damage like a chainsaw cut, we use 80 grit on a foam sanding pad by hand or if really bad, the nose of the belt sander to shape and get any rough edges out.  It keeps some of the other colors of the cambium layer to contrast with the actual wood color.  I also want it smooth to the touch.  I haven't done much of this before, but it's working well. 
The wire wheel removes the thin paper like layer that is under the bark on top of the sapwood.  When you wire wheel it, that layer comes off in fibers and clumps up looks like fur balls. Also, I plan to experiment with a hard wax buffed finish.

This is what it looks like after wire wheel.


 

[submarinesailor]

Wire wheel.  Never would have thought of it.  THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bruce

[Brad_bb]

Fine to medium wire wheel.  Using steel for this, but some softer woods might be better with brass?

[Dave H.]

jake,your a bad influence,lol.




 

[hackberry jake]

I went with the cheapie. It's fairly lightweight and it has been working well so far.


 

[WDH]

Whoa Jake!  That butcher block  is nice!

[Bruno of NH]

x2 on the top 

[tule peak timber]

X 3 on the top 

[SwampDonkey]

You done as fine a job as an expensive one. That top looks awesome.  8)

[Al_Smith]

I've got a 3 by 21 I  inherited from my father and a 4 by 21 I bought,both craftsman .They do alright but the 4 by 21 is an odd ball and the only place I've found belts is Sears .I've also got a Makita  hand power planer which is real handy .

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

Klingspor sells 4x21 belts.

26 items listed at http://www.woodworkingshop.com/category.aspx?id=20&f1=4%22+X+21%22

Herb