I need to get a bench sander for the main purpose of sanding circles using a circle sanding jig like in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmfJqUGIRE8
Whatever I buy mus be able suitable for that purpose and I'll also be sanding various (normally small) bits of wood.
I've been a bit torn between buying a cheap new disc/belt combo and getting a second hand (better) sander. I think what I'd really like is a 9" disc/6" belt sander - but they don't seem to be that plentiful on the second hand market so I've been considering the 12" disc only models as well.
One thing that is putting me off is the guard that most modern 12" models come with. I know that this is to stop the "up" side of the disc from being used, but it would seem to preclude sanding anything more than 6" wide since you can't slide a work piece flatly along the disc. I can't help but feel that I will inevitably have things to sand that are more than 6" long and that the guard will get in the way.
Does the danger level decrease if sanding a large piece of wood? For example, if I wanted to sand a 60cm length of wood, would it be safe to remove the guard and run the piece across the entire disc? Or is that asking for trouble - even if one is concious of the risk of "lift" - and should I just restrict myself to belt sanders if I want to sand long pieces like this?
Thanks
Whatever I buy mus be able suitable for that purpose and I'll also be sanding various (normally small) bits of wood.
I've been a bit torn between buying a cheap new disc/belt combo and getting a second hand (better) sander. I think what I'd really like is a 9" disc/6" belt sander - but they don't seem to be that plentiful on the second hand market so I've been considering the 12" disc only models as well.
One thing that is putting me off is the guard that most modern 12" models come with. I know that this is to stop the "up" side of the disc from being used, but it would seem to preclude sanding anything more than 6" wide since you can't slide a work piece flatly along the disc. I can't help but feel that I will inevitably have things to sand that are more than 6" long and that the guard will get in the way.
Does the danger level decrease if sanding a large piece of wood? For example, if I wanted to sand a 60cm length of wood, would it be safe to remove the guard and run the piece across the entire disc? Or is that asking for trouble - even if one is concious of the risk of "lift" - and should I just restrict myself to belt sanders if I want to sand long pieces like this?
Thanks
