A sander is a

power tool A power tool is a tool that is actuated by an additional power source and mechanism other than the solely manual labor used with hand tools. The most common types of power tools use electric motors. Internal combustion engines and compressed ...

used to smooth surfaces by abrasion with sandpaper. Sanders have a means to attach the sandpaper and a mechanism to move it rapidly contained within a housing with means to hand-hold it or fix it to a workbench.

Woodworking Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinet making (cabinetry and furniture), wood carving, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning. History Along with stone, clay and animal parts, wood was one of the first mate ...

sanders are usually powered electrically, and those used in auto-body repair work by

compressed air Compressed air is air kept under a pressure that is greater than atmospheric pressure. Compressed air is an important medium for transfer of energy in industrial processes, and is used for power tools such as air hammers, drills, wrenches, an ...

. There are many different types of sanders for different purposes. Multi-purpose power tools and electric drills may have sander attachments.

Types

Types of power sanders include: * Flap sander or sanding flap wheel: A sanding attachment shaped like a

Rolodex A Rolodex is a rotating card file device used to store business contact information. Its name, a portmanteau of the words ''rolling'' and ''index'', has become somewhat genericized (usually as ''rolodex'') for any personal organizer performing th ...

and used on a hand-held drill or mounted on a bench grinder for finishing curved surfaces. *

Belt sander A belt sander or strip sander is a sander used in shaping and finishing wood and other materials. It consists of an electric motor that turns a pair of drums on which a continuous loop of sandpaper is mounted. Belt sanders may be handheld and m ...

(hand-held or stationary) * Disc sander: A disc sander is most commonly implemented as a stationary

machine A machine is a physical system using power to apply forces and control movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to natural biological macromolecul ...

that consists of a replaceable circular shaped sandpaper attached to a wheel turned by an electric motor or compressed air. The usually wooden work piece, (although other materials can be shaped and worked on such as plastics, metals and other soft materials), is sat on a front bench that can be adjusted to various angles. It can be used for rough or fine sanding depending on the sanding grit used. * ''Oscillating spindle sander'': A sander mounted on a spindle that both rotates and oscillates in and out or up and down along the axis of the spindle. Good for sanding curves and contours that would be difficult with hand or orbital sanding. *

Random orbital sander A random orbital sander (also known as a palm sander) is a hand-held power tool which sands in a random-orbit action. That is, in constant irregular overlapping circles. This technology was first commercially utilized in 1968 by Rupes Tools. Rand ...

: (also known as a palm sander) a hand-held power tool which sands in a random-orbit action of constant irregular overlapping circles. *''Orbital sander'': A hand-held sander that vibrates in small circles, or "orbits." The sanding disk spinning while moving simultaneously in small ellipses causes the orbital action that it is known for. Mostly used for fine sanding or where little material needs to be removed. *''Straight-line sander'': A sander that vibrates in a straight line, instead of in circles. Good for places where hand sanding is tedious or "blocking" is required. Most are air-powered, a few electric. The first pneumatic straight line sander was patented by Otto Hendrickson in 1969. *''Detail Sander'': A hand-held sander that uses a small vibrating head with a triangular piece of sandpaper attached. Used for sanding corners and very tight spaces. Also known as "mouse" or "corner" sanders. *''Stroke sander'': A large production sander that uses a hand-operated platen on a standard sanding belt to apply pressure. For large surfaces such as tabletops, doors, and cabinets. *''Table Top Drum sander'': A bench-top sander that uses a rotating drum. Much like a jointer, the operator adjusts the height of the grit, by changing the grit of sandpaper, to adjust the depth of cut. Wood is hand fed against the drum to achieve a flat, smooth surface. Can be used for surface sanding, edge sanding, stripping paint, cabinet doors, etc. *''Drum sander'': A large sander that uses a rotating sanding drum. As with a planer, the operator adjusts feed rollers to feed the wood into the machine. The sander smooths it and sends it out the other side. Good for finishing large surfaces. *''Wide-belt sander'': A large sander similar in concept to a planer, but much larger. Uses a large sanding belt head instead of a planer's shaping head, and requires air from a separate source to tension the belt. For rough sanding large surfaces or finishing. Used mainly for manufacturing furniture and cabinets. *''Profile Shaper/Sander'': An industrial machine consisting of a powered transport with a series of workstations for performing shaping, sanding, or other finish operations on one or more edges of components in cabinetry, furniture, shelving, and other products. These machines create and finish decorative edges in an automated process using rotating 'shaping heads', 'sanding wheels', 'foil applicators' and other specialized equipment.

References

{{Woodworking Metalworking tools Woodworking hand-held power tools Woodworking machines

Types

See also

References