Whatever the job, when you need to clear away a lot of material, a belt sander can make the job go much faster. Belt sanders are measured by the width of the sandpaper belts that run on their two, drum-like rollers. Using the most versatile size, a four-inch model, you can sand the floors in a small room in one afternoon and take half an inch off the edge of a door in minutes. Switch the sandpaper and you can use a belt sander for metalwork or to smooth out plaster walls. This is not the tool for finish work.
Belt sanders are great for getting material to the point where a finishing sander can take over.
Sanders A finishing sander is the ultimate tool for smoothing and preparing a surface before you stain or A finishing sander. Finishing sanders work well for sanding between coats of varnish, too. Their size ranges from small models you can handle with one hand to those with larger sanding pads that cover more ground and require two hands to maneuver. Depending on the model you choose, the sanding pad may vibrate back and forth, or orbit in a circular motion. Random orbit models offer the best of both worlds.