Most Useful Tool for under $100 - Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Message Board

Jediscroller · 10-23-2009, 05:06 PM

As I was in my workshop finishing off a bunch of mini-clocks and their bases I was thinking (ouch, my head hurts now). About a year ago I bought a bench-top Delta 1" belt sander. Now that I own it, I have no idea how I lived without it. This is in my opinion the most useful finishing tool I own. I use it for cleaning up curved cuts, curved pieces, cleaning up edges, etc. etc. You can find these for less than the price of most palm sanders. I wish someone had told me about 20 years ago about how useful this little piece of equipment is. I never understood what good a 1" belt sander was but now that I've used one for a year I'd be lost without it.
Just thought I'd pass this along to folks getting started.

Janette · 10-23-2009, 05:32 PM

I'm the same way with my oscillating spindle sander. Never thought it was a must have, just a nice to have - but NOW...I use it at least once for every project. Don't know what I did all this time without it.

wood-n-things · 10-23-2009, 05:52 PM

Kevin,
I don't have that exact tool but I do have a 1" with a 5" disc on the side and I use it all the time as well. Right tool for the job always makes it go alot smoother.

VB... · 10-23-2009, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jediscroller

As I was in my workshop finishing off a bunch of mini-clocks and their bases I was thinking (ouch, my head hurts now). About a year ago I bought a bench-top Delta 1" belt sander. Now that I own it, I have no idea how I lived without it. This is in my opinion the most useful finishing tool I own. I use it for cleaning up curved cuts, curved pieces, cleaning up edges, etc. etc. You can find these for less than the price of most palm sanders. I wish someone had told me about 20 years ago about how useful this little piece of equipment is. I never understood what good a 1" belt sander was but now that I've used one for a year I'd be lost without it.
Just thought I'd pass this along to folks getting started.

Ok I'll bite. What do you use a 1" belt sander on?
I have a 4x6 and I do 99% small work and I still find that I could use a bigger unit.
VB...

Ocelot · 10-23-2009, 06:12 PM

I agree with the 1" belt sander. I have the 1" belt / 5" disk, but rarely use the disk since I have a bigger better one. The 1" belt gets used a lot.

Ray

texaswoodworker · 10-23-2009, 06:49 PM

I'm the same way with my 4" belt/disc sander. I need to get a drive belt for it and now I truly relize how valiable it was to my shop.

Jediscroller · 10-23-2009, 08:31 PM

VB, I was like you in that I couldn't figure out what good a 1" belt would do for me. I also have a 4" belt/6" disc sander and it also gets used quite a bit. Where the 1" excels is for uneven surfaces and small curves which are too small for the 4" belt. The belt can be fully flexible with the platen removed and works terrifically. It's also great for smoothing up the the outsides of irregularly shaped boxes such as hearts and stuff. Mine also has an 8" disc but I've never even used it. You can get a straight 1" belt sander for about $40 from Harbor Freight.

woodgeek · 10-23-2009, 09:32 PM

I gotta agree with the other posters on the usefulness of the one inch sander/grinder. I also have a larger belt/disk sander that I use a lot but the one inch is great for sharpening tools, and for getting into spaces where you can't reach with the bigger belt sander and I recently added the little harbor freight model to my shop.
Many years ago, I had a sharpening shop and one of my most used tools was a one inch belt sander with a 42 or a 44 inch belt (I forget). I put a reversing switch on it and it had three adjustable rollers. I could sand over the belt, over the platen or over the rollers (to hollow grind) depending on what I needed. Although I had many specialized sharpening tools for saws, knives, etc. I found that one tool to be extremely useful. I wish I still had it today.

tcscroller · 10-24-2009, 02:08 AM

Hi--------Kevin-----yes that little machine has a ton of good uses-----for instance I use it when I do letter openers and the wood is of various thickness and the belt quickly puts and knife edge on the wood and lets me make each opener distinct -----no two are alike------also puts a nice edge on some of my pocket knive's------its a small machine but worth its weight in gold for the many jobs it can do and save you tons of time as well-------happy scrolling------Tom

Kepy · 10-24-2009, 02:11 PM

Hey Kevin, I beat you on price. My 1" belt sander was $15. Of course it came from a flea market and started life as a 3 wheel bandsaw. It was useless for that so I removed the cutter head and had some sanding belts made and it works great now.

10-23-2009, 05:06 PM	#1
Jediscroller American Crafstman Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Galaxy far, far away Posts: 3,174 Blog Entries: 5	Most Useful Tool for under $100 As I was in my workshop finishing off a bunch of mini-clocks and their bases I was thinking (ouch, my head hurts now). About a year ago I bought a bench-top Delta 1" belt sander. Now that I own it, I have no idea how I lived without it. This is in my opinion the most useful finishing tool I own. I use it for cleaning up curved cuts, curved pieces, cleaning up edges, etc. etc. You can find these for less than the price of most palm sanders. I wish someone had told me about 20 years ago about how useful this little piece of equipment is. I never understood what good a 1" belt sander was but now that I've used one for a year I'd be lost without it. Just thought I'd pass this along to folks getting started. __________________ Kevin Scrollsaw Patterns Online Making holes in wood with an EX-30, Craftsman 16" VS, Dremel 1680 and 1671

10-23-2009, 05:32 PM	#2
Janette Intarsia Moderator Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Eugene, Oregon Posts: 2,108 Blog Entries: 4	I'm the same way with my oscillating spindle sander. Never thought it was a must have, just a nice to have - but NOW...I use it at least once for every project. Don't know what I did all this time without it. __________________ Janette www.square-designs.com

10-23-2009, 05:52 PM	#3
wood-n-things Behave Yourself..I can't. Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Right here ---silly Posts: 4,471 Blog Entries: 1	Kevin, I don't have that exact tool but I do have a 1" with a 5" disc on the side and I use it all the time as well. Right tool for the job always makes it go alot smoother. __________________ The Mike One of them anyway. Don't be so open-minded. Your brains will fall out!

10-23-2009, 06:12 PM	#5
Ocelot Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: NY Posts: 486	I agree with the 1" belt sander. I have the 1" belt / 5" disk, but rarely use the disk since I have a bigger better one. The 1" belt gets used a lot. Ray __________________ http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...t=bdee7145.pbw

10-23-2009, 06:49 PM	#6
texaswoodworker Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Reno Texas Posts: 254	I'm the same way with my 4" belt/disc sander. I need to get a drive belt for it and now I truly relize how valiable it was to my shop. __________________ Aaron

10-23-2009, 08:31 PM	#7
Jediscroller American Crafstman Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Galaxy far, far away Posts: 3,174 Blog Entries: 5	VB, I was like you in that I couldn't figure out what good a 1" belt would do for me. I also have a 4" belt/6" disc sander and it also gets used quite a bit. Where the 1" excels is for uneven surfaces and small curves which are too small for the 4" belt. The belt can be fully flexible with the platen removed and works terrifically. It's also great for smoothing up the the outsides of irregularly shaped boxes such as hearts and stuff. Mine also has an 8" disc but I've never even used it. You can get a straight 1" belt sander for about $40 from Harbor Freight. __________________ Kevin Scrollsaw Patterns Online Making holes in wood with an EX-30, Craftsman 16" VS, Dremel 1680 and 1671

10-23-2009, 09:32 PM	#8
woodgeek Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Oregon Posts: 123	I gotta agree with the other posters on the usefulness of the one inch sander/grinder. I also have a larger belt/disk sander that I use a lot but the one inch is great for sharpening tools, and for getting into spaces where you can't reach with the bigger belt sander and I recently added the little harbor freight model to my shop. Many years ago, I had a sharpening shop and one of my most used tools was a one inch belt sander with a 42 or a 44 inch belt (I forget). I put a reversing switch on it and it had three adjustable rollers. I could sand over the belt, over the platen or over the rollers (to hollow grind) depending on what I needed. Although I had many specialized sharpening tools for saws, knives, etc. I found that one tool to be extremely useful. I wish I still had it today. __________________ Rod in Molalla Oregon happily cutting with a DW 788

10-24-2009, 02:08 AM	#9
tcscroller Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Cambridge Ontario Canada Posts: 48	Hi--------Kevin-----yes that little machine has a ton of good uses-----for instance I use it when I do letter openers and the wood is of various thickness and the belt quickly puts and knife edge on the wood and lets me make each opener distinct -----no two are alike------also puts a nice edge on some of my pocket knive's------its a small machine but worth its weight in gold for the many jobs it can do and save you tons of time as well-------happy scrolling------Tom

10-24-2009, 02:11 PM	#10
Kepy Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Elkland, MO Posts: 120	Hey Kevin, I beat you on price. My 1" belt sander was $15. Of course it came from a flea market and started life as a 3 wheel bandsaw. It was useless for that so I removed the cutter head and had some sanding belts made and it works great now.

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