Belt sander

fixin to install and finish pine flooring in the house. If youve done this you know theres some sanding needed to blunt the sharp edges that tend to stick up. Cant rent a floor sander cause im living in the house and can only do small sections at a time; not even a whole room. Yeah i know, gonna be a large pita but thats how its got to be.
Anyway. Looking to buy a handheld belt sander and wondering couple things:
1. whats the minimum amperage i should be looking at.
2. What width
3. What grit
4. Should i get variable speed

Seen everything from skil, craftsman, porter cable, wen, dewalt, etc. Plan to use this thing after finishing the floor but since money is always a factor hoping to go less expensive. Any help greatly appreciated.

I've gotten lucky through the years, and my two belt sanders have been hand-me-downs. Both older, one craftsman and one makita. Haven't used the makita a whole lot as I just don't use belt sanders a whole lot. Mostly to hollow grind chisels/hand planes before sharpening. Occasionally with some low grit/aggressive paper to quickly knock down something or bevel/scribe some wood if a lot needs taken out. The latter usually gets done with the power planer/hand planer though.

That being said I am happy with both. The craftsman only got retired because it is belt driven and the drive belt wore out. Easy fix, but I had the makita as backup waiting. the craftsman being 3x21 would actually be preferred by me, more belt options at the local stores vs' the 3x24 makita. I would take a look at what belts are readily available in your area if that is a concern for you for size(you can order anything online) Personally I would try to find something second hand that is a little older. Things were generally built better even on the low cost end then. As a tool that doesn't generally get used that much I think it is hard to go wrong if you find one cheap. The older porter cables where beasts, but their newer stuff in much less desirable in comparison.

Grit depends on how much you need to take off. For finish you are going to need something at least 120/150 grit. That can be a time killer if you need to take a lot off. Pine tends to hollow out in the soft parts of the grain when sanding, so I would try to keep it to a minimum, unless you are going for a distressed or worn look. Would much rather go at it with a plane that controls depth and keeps it even. My hand plane is my best friend as a finish carpenter.

Amperage, obviously more is better. I don't even know what mine are. Use a good thick extension cord to keep voltage drop low and don't lean on it too hard, shouldn't have a problem.

Variable speed... for finish work, yes. You might not need it often, but having the option is priceless.

To touch on width/size of belt again. Beyond what is available, if you are sanding the entire floor, obviously bigger is better. Does more at once, and it is easier to keep it flat to prevent the edges from digging in.

Yard sale season is here.
Sorry, cant help ya much. Good luck.
If you do Facebook check the market place for used ones. I find it better than craigslist anymore.

Marshy said:

Yard sale season is here.
Sorry, cant help ya much. Good luck.
If you do Facebook check the market place for used ones. I find it better than craigslist anymore.

Click to expand...

Like he said^
I know belt sander racers only use the older ones because they've got the torque. I would limit my amperage to 15-16 A because of the available outlet and 14/2 wiring @ home.
Most old motors like that need brushes, a good cleaning and some bearing oil or grease. A few belts and a heavy cord....your off to the races.
Happy Hunting!

My Rigid sander has been good. Forget what I paid at the time at the Depot


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Sheesh your the ONE guys who uses "belt sanders" for floors? Sheesh around these parts we port saws with em. Ain't easy at first but boy can you piss a guy off with a belt ported saw in a cant race

I have two 3 by 24" and one 4 by 21".The 4" most likely would be the best option to sand a floor .If you know the grit size the belts can be bought in bulk from flea bay a lot cheaper than from a big box store .I buy 10 -20 at a time .You can buy belts made for metal,usually blue in color which work good to like dress a saw bar but aren't so good to sand wood because they load up .They make a cleaning like thing made like a big gum pencil eraser that will prolong the belts life .
Nothing is more frustrating than starting a job only to tear the last belt you have which is why I keep a supply on hand .both metal and wood . I think the wood belts I have are #150 grit but I suppose you could Google a search to get the options .
The only actual "floor sanding " I've done was preparing the under layment prior to installation of tile or hardwood which was done by others .In the last 5-6 years I've installed several thousand screws securing the badly installed under layment and leveled things up on over 1600 sq feet of floors .Do it right the first time which somebody should have done .It wasn't me who built this house .

One of my interests is wood working .I've found if you finish sand things nearly perfectly smooth it has a tendency to not take stain well especially white oak . As such is why I use #150 grit .Smooth enough to look good and take stain .Once the finish of polyurethane or varnish is applied it will be smooth .