A belt sander is a woodworking tool designed to sand down or smooth wood to prepare it for finishing. It can also be used to smooth or round edges. A belt sander is rather large and if not used properly can result in damaging your wood or causing serious injury. However, using a belt sander is a pretty simple operation. Here are the necessary steps to follow to properly use a belt sander.

Steps

  1. 1
    Prepare your wood to be sanded by ensuring it is properly secured on the table or workbench.[1]
  2. 2
    Put on the necessary safety gear, such as goggles or gloves. If your belt sander contains a collection bag to collect the sawdust, goggles are not typically necessary.[2]
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  3. 3
  4. 4
    Bring the rear of the sander down to the wood, ensuring you have a firm grip on the back handle, which is used to control the sander.
  5. 5
    After you bring the rear of the sander down, start moving it forward.
  6. 6
    Bring the rest of the sander onto the wood as smooth as possible.
  7. 7
    Move the sander back and forth in smooth, even motions, using the front handle to guide it across the wood.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Do I move the belt sander across up and down or side to side?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Side to side, as you will have more control over it than moving it up and down.
  • Question
    How do I adjust the belt so that it doesn’t slip to the side?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    The first thing you will need to do is find out the size of the belt sander. This is the length of the area that goes around where you will be putting new sand paper. The size should be in the directions. Having the proper size sanding belt keeps the belt from moving so much. Some belt sanders have a small screw to adjust the tension (the screw's may be Phillips head, flat head, or possibly an Allen wrench). Again, please refer to the owners manual to make sure both for the location and the manufacturer's directions. Other's may have a manual knob to turn. Caution: Do not overtighten!
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Warnings

  • Don't tip the sander on its side, as the edge of the sander can cut into the wood.
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  • Don't put any unnecessary extra pressure on the wood. The belt sander is a heavy instrument and typically uses its own weight to apply even pressure.
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Things You'll Need

  • Workbench or table
  • Goggles
  • Gloves
  • Belt sander

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 14 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 54,426 times.
78 votes - 76%
Co-authors: 14
Updated: December 27, 2020
Views: 54,426
Categories: Tools
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