Belt Sanders

Belt sanders are a simple and very effective tool used to sand wood, metals and composites. They use a specific-size abrasive belt which is driven by powered rollers allowing the abrasive belt to rotate and thus provide a linear sanding action when the material is placed against it. When using a portable belt sander or a static belt sander, the machine is placed against the material to be sanded.  Belt sanders are ideally suited for the fast removal of material and typically work best with large flat surface areas. They are very common in carpentry workshops for sanding windows, doors and stairs as they achieve a smooth, swirl-free finish.  Belt sanders are very effective in the removal of old paint and varnish. Portable belt sanders are rarely used for fine finishing, but static belt sanding machines can utilise fine graded abrasive belts for more intricate work where the material can be more delicately applied to the abrasive belt.  Stationary belt sanders are sometimes mounted on a workbench, which are also often referred to as bench sanders. The first portable belt sander was invented in the late 1920's and actually looked very similar in design to today's modern machines, albeit it was bigger and heavier. At Protrade we stock today's top brands including Festool and Makita. As belt sanders are capable of very fast sanding they can create large amounts of dust whilst in use; therefore we strongly recommend that any belt sanders are used in conjunction with suitable dust extraction equipment.