Belt/disc sander questions

[Peter Kuhlman]

I am in need of a sander to square up and trim some small items that can not be handled due to shape by a router or table saw. My thought is to purchase a single purpose 12" disc sander (Jet) for these needs. My question as I have never used a combo belt/disc sander is what do you find the most use for - the belt or the disc? For what specific tasks do you use the belt versus the disc? Do you really find much use for the belt part of the machine? Is there a major difference in usefulness between a 9" disc and a 12" disc? - applies only if I purchase a combo machine.

My problem is shop space and while I can find room (cram in) for a combo machine, a single purpose sander like the 12" disc is sure easier to store. I am just worried that I will make ANOTHER purchase and regret later that I did not get what I need for the long term.

Thank you for any help and insight.
Pete in Louisiana

[Jim Becker]

Peter, for the purpose you state, the disk is probably a good choice. I do have a combo (G1276) and frankly, use the belt more than the disk by almost 95%...at least to date. But it does take up room and for small parts the disk is probably the safest and most efficient way to deal with this shaping.

[Peter Kuhlman]

Thanks for the reply Jim.
Can you tell me what you use the belt for? Yeah it is a stupid question. I have several hand held orbital sanders (Festool ) and a Delta BOSS and just have not understood what the advantage of the large belt sander is.
Thanks.
Pete

[Jim Becker]

Can you tell me what you use the belt for? Yeah it is a stupid question. I have several hand held orbital sanders (Festool ) and a Delta BOSS and just have not understood what the advantage of the large belt sander is.

Not a stupid question at all.

Firstly, yes, these are all sanders. That's where the similarity stops. What you need to consider is "what is their general function?".

Combo sanders, edge sanders, belt sanders, OSS and the stationary disk sander you are considering are generally used for shaping material, not finishing it. In fact, they really aren't all that great when you try and use fine grit abrasives due to easy burning and quick loading. As such, many of us just put 80 or 100 grit abrasives on them and leave it that way.

Sanders like the Festool Rotex and ROS as well as other brands are generally used for finish work. They do work well with finer abrasives and have a gentle touch when you need it.

Notice that I highlighted the word, generally, in each of those descriptions. Obviously, there is crossover capability...you can use a ROS with course abrasive to hog out a lot of material when hollowing a chair seat, etc. You can use a light touch at a stationary sander to get a pretty good finish on end grain, etc., with the right abrasive.

Anytime you pick a tool like this for your work, you'll get better results if you pick the one that's best suited for the job--when you can. Realistically, you'll need to make some compromises since in most cases, one can't have every tool available in their shop. But having one "stationary" type sander in the woodworking shop is a good thing...just try to pick the one that best handles the kind of work you do. In the context of your original post, forming small pieces is a pretty good fit for the disk sander. You have great support for your workpiece and the small things you're working on "fit" well to the usable area of the disk itself.

My usage for the belt on my combo is largely for shaping larger components, such as legs and chair seats. In retrospect, I'm sorry I didn't go with an edge sander as it really would have been a better fit for my needs in most cases and even give more utility as I could then use it to "adjust" things like cabinet doors easily.

[Peter Kuhlman]

As always, an excellent detailed answer from you. Thank you Jim.

I am a tool junkie but my shop is crowded with everything on mobile bases. A combo makes lots of sense but get so heavy that they can not really be picked up and stored so I was thinking of the disc sander as it could be stored on shelving or in a cabinet if need be. My concern was/is that with a disc sander purchase, no one seems to make a belt sander in the 6" by 48" size that could be purchased as needed later. The dedicated belt type sanders I have seen are all much longer. Again, thanks and I will think about this some more.

Pete