Make Wooden Surfaces Shine With Industrial Drum or Belt Sanders
Heavy duty drum and belt sanders are used to clean, refinish, and polish hardwood floors and other wooden surfaces. Edgers are designed to buff the floors in tight corners and along the walls. Both can be used to help make hardwood floors look like new.
What is the difference between the drum and belt sander?Both machines rotate sandpaper across the floor to buff it, but the difference is how the paper is rotated. The drum models use one or two wheels, and the belt machines use a series of belts and wheels.
How do you replace floor sanders' sandpaper?This depends on the type of sander you're dealing with:
- Drum Sanders: Drum sanders mainly use two types of paper. Some equipment uses strips of sandpaper that are tightly wound around a single tube. Others have a solid-circular piece that pulls on and off. The paper must face the right direction and be installed with the proper tension.
- Belt Sanders: Belt sanders use a solid circle of sandpaper that is placed around a set of wheels that rotate the paper evenly. There is a release mechanism that loosens the tension on the rotating wheels so that the used paper can be slid off and a new rolled sheet can be slid on.
- Edgers: Edgers may have tension washers or brackets that hold the paper in place. The washers may require a special tool to remove them and release the paper.
Most sanders and edgers can be used for sanding outdoors on wood decks or patios. You may need to pressure wash the wood first to remove dirt and debris. Watch for inclement or hazardous weather conditions, and follow the manufacturer's recommendations for working outside.
How do floor models manage sawdust?Some floor sanding machines you can find on eBay have a dust containment or dust reduction system. The models with vacuums are designed with an outlet for a vacuum hose. As the dust is kicked up during sanding, the system vacuums behind the sandpaper.
Some vacuums are attached directly to the machine. These usually have a smaller holding bin that may need to be emptied often if you are working on a large area. Other models are equipped to connect to a separate freestanding containment system.