When choosing to purchase a belt sander what are some of the features you pay most attention to—variable speeds, ergonomics, dust collection, construction material etc? What size belt sander do you find yourself using the most and for what tasks? (Stripping paint, sanding boards in a glued up panel, racing?) Yes, I did in fact say belt sander racing… Let’s hear what you have to say!
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
The best tool for straight, splinter-free cuts is made even better without a cord.
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
I look for two things..the letters PandC...Porter Cable
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" If ya plan to face tomorrow, do it soon"
I don't know. I used a Makita 3x21 a while back and the dust bag actually worked, well, in fact.
Unlike the 4x21 Bosch used on the same job.
So PC's beltsanders got the thumbs up aye?
be hmmm, good to know
A bird does not sing because it has an answer. A bird sings because it has a song.
Edited 8/30/2006 3:14 pm ET by rez
Got 20 yrs or so outta my first one, and it was a daily driver type deal..I replaced the platen with a graphite pad, and the front drum bearings...then in the middle of a rush job, the guts bearings finally got sticky.
I went to HD or Lowes and snagged a new one to finish the job, set the old one in a far corner of the shop with intent to order new bearings...then I moved outta that house, and forgot to move it with me, otherwise I'd have two.
They INVENTED the machine and have maintained the best as far as I am concerned, and MOST PRO Shops I have been in or around.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" If ya plan to face tomorrow, do it soon"
You talkin' about the round-nosed old industrial job or the squared one like I have? Which way outlasted my Bosch, which was heavier, better balanced, and had a better dust collector.
Possible I used it more.
PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
I only saw pics of the first round nose jobs, I am not as old as you are...(G<D>R)
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" If ya plan to face tomorrow, do it soon"
All right sonny boy, our electric outage this morning saved you. <G>
You really've never seen one of those get the crowd excited at an auction? I was always paying attention to the stationary machines, which are far nicer to run. Rumor has it the round-nosed ones won't wear out, ever, unlike the square ones.
They had a table of them at the auction where I bought a 42" 3 drum sander. My 5½ ton sander was the cheapest of the bunch at $50. Moving it was interesting.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Bad news. Poter Cable has discontinued it's "first born" - the worm drive, chain driven model 503 which traces its roots to the original PC belt sander. The 503 and its predecessors were the real belt sander workhorses. Shaped like an old Cadillac bumper or steam locomotive nose, they can still be found in many production shops.
Black & Decker, who bought PC and Delta are now doing their slash, burn and cherry picking of technology and patents. Once done, I'm afraid they will be tossing PC and Delta aside like DeWalt, Master Power, Workmate, etc. - all great products that were sucked dry by B&D.
You can still find 503's on ebay - they usually go for about $200 to $300. Buy 2 - one for parts - B&D doesn't want to maintain parts beyond 10 years and these are designed much longer than that.
I can only hope that some day, I will have a floor sturdy enough for a Timesaver or SCMI widebelt. Of all the production machines I have had the pleasure of playing with, that one is almost indespensible for thicknessing and flattening prior to every other task.
I shouldn't bust ya on age, I hit 46 today. And yup, I feel it.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" If ya plan to face tomorrow, do it soon"
Hope it's a good one. At 46, I still had hair... Actually, I still do. Just different places.
This sander's a 3 drum model. Pick your grits. All drums and the power feed are individual motors. 2 of the drums oscillate. I never figured I'd spring for a wide belt, spent a lot of time driving to rent time on one. Widebelt's better by far, but pretty hard to find a functioning one for $50.
If I do, you can have my drums. Takes 8'x9' of floorspace. I hadda build another building. It's still not there. Only recently have I had the capability of picking that mother up. Guy who brought it here dropped it at the bottom of my driveway, didn't have enough truck to haul it to the top. And nobody's stolen it!!!!!! LMAO
I'm waiting for the elec co to add a meter so I have enough electricity to actually plug it in. Not for the faint of heart.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Them oldies are a bear..I'll ask Santa for a new SCMI..2 head.
DRO and adjustable feed rate is my speed, I purchased ( not my $) for PBC Guitar,a sweet 10 hp SCMI 36"...it was 40K dropped at the door, and about 1 ton. 240 3ph, air was 90 psi@ 50 cfm(?) and the dust collecter was 8" dia.@ all the static we could muster. Maybe hadda shut blast gates on everything else.
I'd sell yours for scarp, but thats me..LOL
I see babbit smelting in your future.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" If ya plan to face tomorrow, do it soon"
"Scarp"? A line of cliffs? Knowing you, more likely scaup. As in boat anchor.
No babbits. This is from the 50's. Modern, like me, only younger.
"new SCMI..2 head"
You need to get in touch with your inner Krenov.
And I was gonna sideband you a vocation suggestion for post-roofing someday. SCMI... nope, something much more hands-on artistic. Can't do it here, big brother...PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Otay, so I can't type..I am like the Romans, use a V for shid that uses a U...LOL
They only had chisels and stone...
I am open for off roof..tell me more. I went to school for Weinig 4 head...I can even cut knives with the right stuff.
Ran 1000K flooring in some seriously should not be flooring stock, never hurt a thing except the dust collecter pipeing and few cieling mounted lasers for the straight line rip saws..
Wanna chat Sunday as per? I schedule the coffee pot.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" If ya plan to face tomorrow, do it soon"
OK, but a picture's worth a thousand words. Watch your mailbox for pix. Very entertaining profession. Bound to perk you up. I did mention artistic pursuit?
And I ain't talkin' about grinding knives to match old moldings. Manana.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Wilbur that.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" If ya plan to face tomorrow, do it soon"
Where did you pick up the graphite pad? The platten on my 4" PC is warped, or at least it has far more curve to it than I would like. A graphite pad sounds like the preferred option.
I don't remember..it was a pad sold for the paddles of a "stroke sander" if ya know what they are,...a BIG azz belt with a sliding table under it.
I think a place like WW Supply or such may make them ...also, if in a pinch, take an old belt and cut it to cover the platen ( on a PC it has 3 screws I thinks) an use it as a backer OVER the old steel flap with the back side of the belt, against the back side of the running belt, and lube it with graphite spray or powder. But, in that case leave the old thin flapper in there for heat dissapation.
I have made a plenty from the old worn widebelt cast offs...visit a local shop and rub elbows...ya learn a lot..and might even get hired if ya ask the right questions, as I did.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" If ya plan to face tomorrow, do it soon"
Klingspor, I think, has the graphite stuff. But I've got a roll, send me your snail mail address and how much you need and I'll send you a piece.Unless you have 50 or 60 sanders.
I have a Makita 9401 4 X 24 belt sander that I have had for 27 years. During that time I have replaced the bearings a few times.
PC "is" the only belt sander but not so for the ROS. They go into wobble wobble mode far too easy!! I just dumped mine this PM after I took the cord off it. Scored a Festool offa Ebay tonight brand new for $128.00 : )
BE-LT sanded>
I gotta agree withe sphere. My PC is a workhorse. I have a smaller dewalt too and it's OK but I much prefer the PC.
Tom
Douglasville, GA
I didn't know anybnody else made a belt sander!
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Have a look at Festool the are pricey but a quality tool,should be available in the US.
Regards John B
You can make it fool proof but not idiot proof
I own 2 PC's but for the life of me can't figure out why they bothered with the dust bag.
Has anyone ever had to empty one?
Maybe my sawdust is just too heavy to make it to the bag?
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
I plug the dust port with a taperd balluster trimmig and duct tape..but, hey I ain't normal.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" If ya plan to face tomorrow, do it soon"
I plug the dust port
Might as well nothing goes into the bag
PC wins all the sander races too!
Line um all up and plug them all in at the same time."Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
Oh yeah..gimme a 100' cord anda gym floor..36 or 24 belt..I'bet the cost of a new loser's sander in the spill out at 67',,,,the PC will side whoomp at about 60'.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" If ya plan to face tomorrow, do it soon"
Like another poster, I run a hose to my Fein vac - virtually no dust. The hose for the PC Biscuit Jointer slips right on.
I have an old Rockwell - always figured it was hard to beat (and God knows I've beat it!). Now I know why - it's a PC! In the 60's Rockwell bought PC and stuck their name on. http://www.portercable.com/index.asp?e=270
So, yea, PC rules!
I took the fabric dust bag off the aluminum tube and then used the tube and jerry rigged a hookup to my industrial vac. Attaching the vacuum makes a lot of difference in the cloud of dust it kicks up, however, the hose does limit mobility somewhat.