Picking the right sander for the job

From removing old peeling paint to putting a glass-smooth finish on a new cabinet, sanding is a part of life for any do-it-yourselfer. It can be a tedious and dusty proposition at times, but luckily over the years many manufacturers have introduced power sanders to make the task easier and less messy.
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Here's a look at the four main types of power sanders, along with some shopping tips for finding the one that works best for your specific applications.

Belt Sander: A belt sander is the largest and the most heavy-duty of the different power sanders. A belt sander utilizes a continuous sanding belt that is stretched over two drums, one of which is rotated by a powerful electric motor. The belt lays flat against the bottom of the sander as it rotates, creating a long, wide sanding surface that sands quickly and lessens the chance of gouging into the wood. Belt sanders are best suited for fast stock removal and also leveling out imperfections, and are used with the direction of the belt rotation parallel with the grain.

Belt sanders are specified by the size of the belt -- which indicates the width and the overall length -- as well as the amperage of the motor, and when shopping you'll want to look for one that suits your job and your budget. Smaller sanders, such as Ryobi's 3-inch-by-18-inch (Model BE318-2, $49.95), is comfortable, light and easy to control, with a 5-amp motor that is well suited for light- to medium-duty use. Larger models, such as the massive 4-by-24-inch workhorse from Porter-Cable (Model 362VSK, $249), has a 12-amp motor and is designed for frequent, heavy-duty use.

Pad Sander: Also called a finishing sander, pad sanders have a flat square or rectangular pad located underneath the motor. The pad moves back and forth in a straight line, again for sanding with the direction of the grain, and the smaller sanding surface and lighter weight make these a good choice for finish sanding and paint removal on a wide variety of projects.

Pad sanders utilize standard sheets of sandpaper, which you'll need to cut to the proper size (precut sheets are also available for some sanders). The paper fits over a soft pad on the bottom of the sander that helps cushion the sanding motion, and is held in place by clips along two opposite sides of the pad.

Ridgid's 1/4-sheet sander (Model R2500, $44) is a good example of a versatile, well-designed pad sander for frequent use. It uses one-fourth of a standard sheet of sandpaper, and has a cushioned top and a conveniently located switch that makes the sander very comfortable for one-handed use, with minimal noise and vibration. Paper changing is easy -- something you definitely want to look for with a pad sander -- and the dust collection bag can be removed and the sander used with a shop vacuum hose instead.

source: boston.com