Belt Or Eccentric Sander Which One To Choose

Belt sander is the fastest way to sand! The belt sander is the most “nimble” representative of this category of tools. To evaluate LSM in work, take a look, and the article will help you in choosing.

How to choose a belt sander advantages and disadvantages

The belt sander is by no means more expensive than other proposals, because by and large it has a very simple design if you look inside, we will see the engine and V-belt transmission. Uncomplicated electronics and mechanics allow, if something happens, to carry out the repair of the belt sander completely independently. In many ways, the capabilities of the machine are determined by secondary factors, such as appearance, for example, a machine with flat sides is convenient in that it grinds close to the wall, on the left, on the right, and even in narrow places it will be more convenient to turn around. Many manufacturers focus on the simplicity of cleaning LBM from dust, which is also achieved due to simplifications in the design.

But appearance and ergonomics are still secondary characteristics. The first thing to do when you are faced with choosing this tool, pay attention to the power! It is this indicator that determines the speed of the belt and the force with which you can press on the tool in order to remove a thicker layer of material. Over, the second indicator is more important, since less powerful tools in the speed of rotation of the abrasive can even overtake LBM with a higher W. For example, in models with the characteristics of 650 W and 800 W, the first speed will be 250 m / min, the second 240 m / min. However, it is worth pushing harder on the first LSM and the number of rotations will drop sharply, while the 800 will continue to work at the same pace.

Modern tape tools range in power from 250 W to 1200 W. The belt speed varies from 200 to 500 m / min. It is best to buy a device with the ability to adjust the speed, since it is convenient to handle large areas with nimble tools, but it is inconvenient to work with small parts, you can ruin the workpiece by removing excess. Depending on the class of the tool, the dimensions of the LShM working surface range from 75-76 mm to 100 mm in width. The last option is powerful professional belt sanders, which are not necessary in everyday life. The length of the sole and the entire tool is very different, manufacturers are trying to please all customers.

In short, look for the golden mean! The working belt itself is presented in three proportions: 75457 mm, 75533 mm and 100610 mm. There are also tools with the original dimensions, but think twice before buying such tapes of 100620 mm or 30533 mm is difficult to find. The grinders that work with the longest and widest belts are the most productive, however, due to their large dimensions and weight, they are quite inconvenient to work with. Again, the choice is yours!

Belt sander is the fastest way to sand! Belt sander do it yourself features

Once you have your coveted sander, you will want to immediately try it out on different materials. The best accuracy and fineness of woodworking LShM show at high speeds, however, it is important to remember that you can cut off a too thick layer of wood. Therefore, it is best to equip the tool with limiting frames, and if there are none, work at low and medium speeds.

When sanding wood, try to move the tool along the grain. Be careful with the return movement, you can also grind the wire! Manufacturers try to fix it as high as possible, but even this does not always save inattentive craftsmen. When processing wood, do not forget about the storage bag, which must be cleaned periodically. If you work with metal, then it is better not to put on the bag at all, it can catch fire!

It is better to grind plastic at the lowest speeds at high speeds, it can melt from friction. When cleaning concrete walls, it is best to connect a vacuum cleaner to the tool, since there is nothing useful in inhaling concrete dust. When working, regardless of the material, do not overdo it with pressing, this will quickly wear out not only the abrasive belt, but also the motor. If you are in no hurry, then there is practically no need to put pressure on the LSM with enough of its own weight.

Choosing an abrasive belt what to look for?

Even a not the most powerful and expensive belt sander you purchased for infrequent woodwork with your own hands will show good results when processing the material if you equip it with a good abrasive. Fortunately, the selection of skins is simply huge! Do not fall for cheap offers; expensive belts will pay for themselves both in the long term of work and in the quality of grinding. Of course, if LShM was bought just in case of fire, and its use does not happen more often than once a year, then it makes no sense to spend money on expensive consumables, look for profitable offers from the category three for the price of one on the market, such kits usually contain tapes for different materials.

When choosing a tape, be guided by the following indicators:

• Dimensions without knowing this parameter, and there is nothing to choose. The dimensions of the tape are indicated in the instructions or on the box, and in order not to make a mistake in the choice, take an old consumable with you to the market, on the inside of which many parameters are written. Even if they are not there, with an example of a consumable in your hands you will not miss! In any case, the parameters of the tape must match the parameters of the sole. It is already possible, it cannot be wider!
• Granularity is not difficult to guess that the larger this parameter, the more delicate work can be done with such a sandpaper. However, in the workshop there should be both rough and delicate tapes, the first for removing layers, the second for polishing.
• Pay attention to the seam quality and evenness. If you do not take it seriously, you may face the fact that the tape will tear long before full wear and tear, and you will have to simply throw it away. In addition, the quality of processing depends on this trifle. If the seam is thicker than the web, then the machine will vibrate during operation, but this is not the worst thing after processing, grooves may remain! The protrusion should not be on a flat surface, you will feel the defect just by running your palm over the surface!
• Centering Expensive ribbons are well centered, with cheaper options you have to tinker with before getting started. Install the belt and run it at idle speed, and if there are errors, then eliminate them before starting work.
• Ideally, the stiffness of the tape should be strong and elastic. Too hard canvases are prone to bending, which will not in the best way affect the resource of the tape, and this may also affect the quality of work.

It is best not to buy large quantities of belts in reserve, in terms of storage, abrasive materials are very capricious. Low humidity and temperature are the best conditions for storage, however, some manufacturers produce tapes with increased moisture resistance, they are ways to survive at higher humidity.

Belt sander Graphite 59G392. Belt sander for wood Makita M9400. Belt sander with frame Titan BLSM1100E. Belt sander for grinding round surfaces and pipes Titan PSSM325. Power and weight.

The first figure ranges from 150 watts (Proxxon BBS / S) to 1350 watts for the Ryobi EBS1310VFHG. The higher the value, the larger the belt is installed and the motor can more easily handle the pressure from the user’s hands.
However, strong pressure is not a way to efficiently grind with a draw frame. It is difficult for the electric motor to develop the required speed; the rig pressed against the sole with force causes its overheating.

There is no attempt to reduce the weight of the tool when developing it. Unlike most other devices, it does not need to be suspended. The user only needs to determine the removal location and move in the required direction along the workpiece.
The weight of most models is in the range: 2.8-4 kg (Ryobi EBS-1310V with 6.4 kg frame).

Specifications. Belt grinder Yato YT-82240. Specifications. Belt grinder TEXAS TA-01-530. The best belt sander with frame for precise positioning of the stockpile depth.

Four grooves are milled on the aluminum side ends of the body, 15-20 mm long and 4-5 mm deep, located at an acute angle to the surface.
The frame, which is the base and support, is stamped from a solid steel plate. It forms a closed contour with stiffening ribs, a lowering depth regulator and four pins protruding inward. It is they who enter the side recesses on the body and the grinder takes a fixed place on the frame.

When installed on a workpiece, its lower plane rests on the surface, and the tool hangs without touching the workpiece with the tape.
When the spring-loaded regulator rotates, the machine drops down and moves back slightly due to the side slots. By setting the depth, the removal is regulated and the surface of the wood can be leveled. If there are bumps somewhere, they will be removed, but the frame will not allow it to go deeper below the main plane.

An example of using it for metal, not wood.
We fix a steel strip 2 mm thick with double-sided tape on the workbench. We set the same platform retraction depth. Now you can output exactly the same thickness. It will have the same size everywhere, because during operation the operator, even if desired, will not be able to deflect the plane to the left-right or back and forth.

The advantages of such devices do not end there. Some models have a variable handle position and flip capability.
We turn the belt sander 180 degrees, fold back the handle, push it against the end of the table, it will not allow it to move forward and we get a grinding machine with a support table (its role is played by a frame on which you can put dimensional workpieces).
The immobility of the base is fixed with clamps.

Belt sander for wood BlackDecker KA88. Small front roller for close approach to the wall.

If this unit is made as on a Ryobi EBS800 belt sander, then when grinding a horizontal surface and bringing the nose of the case to a vertical obstacle, the dead zone (the area of ​​the untreated area) will be minimal, equal to the radius of the front roller. The larger the diameter, the larger the distance.
This makes it possible to exclude grinding across the fibers, when it is possible to get closer due to the flat side part, but the number and depth of scratches increases.

Grinder: vibrating or eccentric

To get a flat and perfectly smooth surface when sanding, I always recommend that craftsmen use two sanders. One for the primary, rough roughing, the other for the final cleaning.

If everything is clear with the primary processing. Here you need to take a belt sander, then when bringing the surface to perfection, you can use one of two types:

1. Vibrating (another name is surface grinding, or abbreviated. PShM);

• Eccentric (ESM, another name for orbital).

Both are designed for sanding substrates at completion. Which of these machines is better in which situation. Vibration or eccentric sander? I’ll cover it today in this article.

You will find out what their main differences are, how their design determines the capabilities of each device, what are their strengths and weaknesses.

The information provided will give you the necessary knowledge on how to grind surfaces of different shapes using these aggregates, and which one is more suitable for you.

Structural difference between the two machines

Both machines are capable of delicately sanding the surface with emery cloths. In fact, they do the same job, but there is a difference between them. They differ in both form and principle of operation. The FSHM surface is often rectangular (but it can be deltoid and square). And the eccentric one. The sole is round. Therefore, depending on the complexity of the grinding work and the shape of the workpieces, you choose a machine with a comfortable sole shape. For example, steps or shelves are easily sanded with PSHM, thanks to the angular sole, you can reach any corner.

The eccentric machine is used for working with both flat surfaces and radii, as well as wood parts of various shapes. Orbital and eccentric sanders are used in construction workshops, in car services they perform not only finishing work for grinding wood, but are also convenient for all kinds of finishing work. Still, their main purpose is to ideally prepare the surface for painting or to give the details the required shape.

In fact, these are two identical instruments, however, there is some difference. The surface grinder (vibration) grinder will cope with any surface: wood, plastic, metal, walls (drywall). But she does it a little roughly, unlike ESM. In turn, the orbital sander will perform this entire list of work more delicately due to the fact that it has an additional rotation function, which helps to hide the traces of grinding.

Basic principles of grinding

These two types of grinders differ significantly in the principle of grinding. First, let’s review the vibrating tool. The mechanism of operation is quite simple, for cleaning the surface, reciprocating movements with an amplitude of 1-3 (low-power) to 5-8 mm (powerful) are used. This allows you to cope well with a metal surface or plastic, in contrast to ESM. However, PShM leaves traces on the tree and will not be suitable for opening with varnish, but only for coating with paint.

The principle of ESM operation is that with the help of a round sole, not only vibration occurs, but also rotation around its own axis. Thanks to this double movement, ESHM perfectly prepares the surface for varnishing. In the process of work does not leave traces of grinding at all. Models of this type ideally create the effect of abrasive grinding. It is widely used for furniture restoration or decoration.

Pay attention to the parameters when choosing a grinder

It should be noted that both of these grinders mostly perform finishing work and if you have the task of performing work on a large scale, then the wrong choice will bring you not only monetary losses, but also wasted time.

Vibratory or eccentric grinders can be of different purposes:

• For household use;
• Professional scope.

When choosing a grinder, you should pay attention to the following technical characteristics:

1. Platform stroke amplitude. This is one of the main characteristics of grinders. Average vibration value. 2-3 mm. The higher the amplitude, the higher the performance of the grinder, but the grinding becomes much coarser. That is, if you need a grinder for primary processing, pay attention to models with a high amplitude. For the finishing one. On the contrary, machines with an amplitude of 2 mm or less;
2. Sole size. PSHM and ESHM soles come in different sizes and shapes, although there are generally accepted standards. For eccentric diameter 122 and 150 mm, for PShM 187×90, 115×230, 114×105 mm. Models with small soles will help when working in hard-to-reach places;
3. Speed ​​control. Thanks to this function, you can customize the operation of the machine. Initial or finishing, as well as choose the optimal speed for grinding a particular material. For example, if we are sanding soft wood or plywood, then it is recommended to choose medium speed, and if we are sanding hard wood. High;
4. Power. The power consumption of the machines can range from 130 to 900 watts. But, as a rule, for most jobs, a power of 200-300 W is quite enough, because such models are light and compact, conveniently controlled, and work with them is more comfortable;
5. Attachment of sanding paper. For a surface grinder, manufacturers have provided 2 types of fastening: a clip (similar to a regular latch with a spring, which is on most household-grade grinders) and Velcro (with less of a hassle, since you do not have to cut the paper, it has a standard size, but the cost of such machines , like the consumable, above).
6. Additional handle. For PSHM and ESHM, the additional handle is either cast or removable. If it is removable, it reduces the size of the device and allows you to work with the tool in one hand. This is useful when sanding small parts.

Summing up

The advantages of eccentric sander:

• Cleaner surface sanding;
• Ability to grind curved surfaces;
• Polishing capability.

• Corner surfaces cannot be machined because the sole is round.