Stationary Sander Introduction

This is the content required for an introduction to our stationary sanders (currently only the belt and disc sander) - reading this does NOT replace the mandatory session with a tutor! It will make it a lot quicker though ;-)

Also make sure to read the machines's manual (belt & disc sander: located in the wooden box below the sander).

Safety

Personal protection:

A dust mask is also necessary for most materials - see our page on dust for some harmful examples!

Dangers	Precautions
Exposed & rapidly spinning sanding disc and sanding belt: draw-in and cutting risk will keep spinning for a few seconds after the machine is turned off both disc and belt always spin at the same time on combination machines like the Holzmann BT 203-914 cuts can easily get infected due to particles that are rubbed in	stay clear of the sandpaper's edges gloves: make an informed decision tight and cut resistant gloves are allowed to protect yourself from cuts and abrasions [1] however, the risk of a draw-in is still higher than with bare hands! do not wear loose clothing or jewelry and tuck away long hair as they might get caught guards around the belt rollers and a maximum gap of 3 mm between the sanding media and the machine's table minimize the draw-in risk never leave the machine running unattended always unplug the machine prior to any servicing
Flying splinters, dust or sparks	wear goggles, a dust mask could also be necessary depending on your material hook up the shop vac for sanding wood and wood-like materials DO NOT use a shop vac when sanding metal
Risk of kickback	Always support the workpiece against the direction of the force applied by the sander: let the workpiece (or workholding jig) touch the machine's table before the sandpaper and maintain contact with the table the same applies to the fence (if you use one) for freehand contouring work on the belt sander the top roller can be used without support keep both hands on the workpiece (or workholding jig) while sanding disc sander: only sand on the downward pushing side (right on the Holzmann BT 203-914)
the workpiece might get hot can potentially set sawdust on fire remains hot for a while after using	As specified by the manufacturer, the Holzmann BT 203-914 is not designed to grind metal. If you use it for light metal grinding/deburring, keep a bucket of water nearby to cool the workpiece, work in short intervals and stay careful not to overheat the machine and the workpiece. DO NOT use it for extensive metal grinding (no knife making, etc).

Demonstration

The tutor will show you these steps in detail:

• Attaching the shop vac
• Adjusting the sanding belt
  • When putting on a new belt, make sure you use it in the correct orientation
  • While off; turn the belt by hand (e.g. via the disc sander side). Observe if the belt slides off its track. If it is sliding towards the disc side, turn the tracking knob clockwise, otherwise counter clockwise.
  • Make sure the belt is not sliding to either side before operating the machine every time, even if you are only using the sanding disc
• Adjusting the sanding tables
• Using the disc sander
  • Always position your workpiece on the right (downward pushing) side of the disc. The sanding action will then force the wood down, safely towards the table where it can be controlled.
• Using the belt sander
  • Check tension
  • Check belt angles
  • Keep contact with the table
  • Do not force the work piece into the sanding belt. Only apply light pressure
  • Move workpiece from left to right, try not to stay in one part of the belt to even out heat and wear
• Always clean the machine and its work area with a shop vac after use