Stroke Sanders: A Look At Common FAQs From Inexperienced Woodworkers
If there is one piece of equipment that is important in your woodworking endeavors, it is the sander that you use. Therefore, choosing the best sander for your woodworking tool collection is possibly one of the most important decisions to make. In your efforts to find the best sander, the idea of buying a stroke sander is bound to come up, and this is definitely a good option and you should not be scared away if you have no experience with this sander type. To help you get a little more familiar with stroke sanders as a woodworker, here is a quick look at some of the most common questions and answers.
How exactly does a stroke sander work?
A stroke sander consists of a long rotating belt of sandpaper that rotates around a pulley system at a preset speed. This pulley system is operated by a powerful motor, usually electric powered but sometimes gas-powered as well. The rotating pulley system is affixed to a stationary table with a stable base and sometimes consists of a flat, table-like surface where you can situate wood pieces to be pushed under the belt as it rotates.
What woodworking applications are stroke sanders good for?
Stroke sanders are the choice industrial woodworking applications because they can actually speed up sanding processes considerably. However, smaller versions of stroke sanders are also available for woodworkers who spend a lot of time in their own garage. All in all, stroke sanders are ideal for an array of woodworking applications, including:
- sanding planks and long boards and cabinetry pieces
- sanding small wooden pegs, banisters, and rail pieces
- sanding down the surface of conjoined wood panels
- sanding rounded wood pieces that have curves and contours
Is it difficult to learn how to use a stroke sander?
If all you have ever used is some type of belt sander that you hold in your hands and apply to the wood to be sanded, learning to operate a stroke sander will definitely take a little trial and error to get used to. This is because the sanding action is reversed, with you holding the wood piece to be sanded while the sander actually stays in the same position. However, most woodworkers claim that once they get the hang of using a stroke sander, they wouldn't have it any other way because they gain a greater control over how they sand their wood pieces.
