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Step 12The "MODs" are Done, but there is Still More to Learn
If you've ever watched a NASCAR or INDY race you know how important the tires are. It seemed logical to me that my belt choice was just as critical to the success of my sander. Sanding belts are available in countless grits (levels of coarseness) and in dozens of minerals as well as man-made abrasives. How do I choose which one is best?
I recalled an article in Fine Woodworking Magazine where they compared the effectiveness of several random orbit disc sanders using an clever method: They weighed identical boards before and after sanding an equal amount of time. I figured that this method could be modified for this purpose so off to the shop we went.
I started by cutting and then weighing identical sized pieces of plywood. I chose ply because it looked like this is what the sponsor of the race used for their track. My thinking was that the belt which removes the most wood in the allotted time would be my winner. Good idea? I don't know, but it's all I've got.
One of the photos shows the progress mid-test. I gathered 11 different belts from belts that featured Aluminum Oxide, Silicon Carbide, Zirconia Alumina, and Ceramic abrasives.
Each belt was mounted on the sander and run in mid-air under no load for ten seconds to allow the belt to flex and stretch a bit. Tracking (How straight the belt runs on the sander) was also adjusted and then the sander, running at full speed, was brought into contact with the board for 10 seconds. The sander was held loosely in one hand and was allowed to slide gently from side to side about 1/2 inch to keep the paper from clogging. As you can see from the third photo the sander is leaning left due to the poor balance brought on by the new heavy pulleys and arbors.
The boards and the belts were numbered to keep everything in organized. From here the boards were re-weighed. The weird thing is all but one belt removed .2oz's, but that one magical belt removed .3oz's. That doesn't sound like much but it's 50% more than all the others. I re-tested this belt and sure enough, .3oz's again. I have my belt!
By the way, the belt used on the board above is not the winner.
With a massive combined total of 2 whole minutes of sanding, I was shocked to see how many places on and under my clothes were covered in swarf ! (That's sanding dust you know) Fun test.
Now, what's next and why are my eyes burning?
I recalled an article in Fine Woodworking Magazine where they compared the effectiveness of several random orbit disc sanders using an clever method: They weighed identical boards before and after sanding an equal amount of time. I figured that this method could be modified for this purpose so off to the shop we went.
I started by cutting and then weighing identical sized pieces of plywood. I chose ply because it looked like this is what the sponsor of the race used for their track. My thinking was that the belt which removes the most wood in the allotted time would be my winner. Good idea? I don't know, but it's all I've got.
One of the photos shows the progress mid-test. I gathered 11 different belts from belts that featured Aluminum Oxide, Silicon Carbide, Zirconia Alumina, and Ceramic abrasives.
Each belt was mounted on the sander and run in mid-air under no load for ten seconds to allow the belt to flex and stretch a bit. Tracking (How straight the belt runs on the sander) was also adjusted and then the sander, running at full speed, was brought into contact with the board for 10 seconds. The sander was held loosely in one hand and was allowed to slide gently from side to side about 1/2 inch to keep the paper from clogging. As you can see from the third photo the sander is leaning left due to the poor balance brought on by the new heavy pulleys and arbors.
The boards and the belts were numbered to keep everything in organized. From here the boards were re-weighed. The weird thing is all but one belt removed .2oz's, but that one magical belt removed .3oz's. That doesn't sound like much but it's 50% more than all the others. I re-tested this belt and sure enough, .3oz's again. I have my belt!
By the way, the belt used on the board above is not the winner.
With a massive combined total of 2 whole minutes of sanding, I was shocked to see how many places on and under my clothes were covered in swarf ! (That's sanding dust you know) Fun test.
Now, what's next and why are my eyes burning?
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