Have you got anything made of wood that has a rough, or uneven surface? If yes, then to make that surface a bit smoother and nicer, you need a sanding block or sandpaper. You’ve to rub it onto the surface tirelessly for hours and hours to get the smoothness.
Well, how does that sound? Probably you’re cursing and screaming inside, right? Yeah, the same thing we did.
Here’s the good news! By the grace of modern inventions, we now have an electric sander that can sand automatically without asking for much of human efforts and pressure. It’s both effortless to use and efficient.
But do you know how to use an electric sander? If you don’t, then follow us. We’re going to briefly discuss it so that you can easily operate one.
What is an electric sander?
Before you guide on how-to’s, let’s get to know an electric sander. Well, it’s an electrically powered tool that is used for sanding wood by running an endless loop of sandpaper. It moves at intense speed via an electric motor.
It helps to remove the unfitness in the wood like rough or bumpy surfaces in a very short period of time. Thus, it’ll be easier for you to paint or stain the wood surface.
Worthy to mention is that, since the sander moves very fast, you’re probably thinking that touching the sandpaper might hurt you, right? But you’d be glad to know that it won’t hurt whomsoever touches it while it is on.
Starting an Electric Sander
By the way, operating a sander is a no brainer. Since we’re talking about an electric sander, there is a power cord that needs to be plugged in. After plugging sander, turn it on by pressing the switch. Its switch is clearly placed on top of the body which is very intuitive. And as soon as it gets started, you’ll feel light vibration.
How to use an Electric Sander?
Bravo, you’ve made to start an electric sander. Though there’re a huge number of electric sanders in the market, they vary slightly from each other. To get to know the difference, read the manual comprehensively.
The best part is that there’s one thing that common in every electric sander. Can you guess what it is? Its that the operator needs to do a less amount of work. What a great reconciliation, isn’t it?
You don’t need to put burdensome pressure on the sander or press too hard during sanding. As we’ve mentioned earlier that sander vibrates a bit. In consequence, you just have to hold the sander lightly and the rest of the majority work will be done by its vibration. And due to the vibration, it glides all over the wood just like that at the moment you touch down.
Don’t do the mistake of pushing the sander too hard which will literally end up giving you a hand cramp. It’s a very painful and disgusting feeling! So, stop being a busybody by putting stress on your hand and let the sander do its work.
However, if you want to get into deeper of the woods to fix the bumpy surface, you may press with a little pressure.
When you’re done with sanding, it’s time to brush off the surface. But rather using a paper towel use a tack cloth. This type of cloth is specifically designed to remove dust particles, lint, and dirt which blunders the coated painted finish of the wood. So, use the cloth to wipe out sanding dust before you start staining or painting your wood.
Sandpapers!
Now that you know how to use an electric sander; you need to attach sandpapers to your electric sander according to the shape of your specific model. Well, there’re several types of sandpaper to aid you in leveling the wood or your other projects. They are namely coarse grits, medium grits, fine grits.
Basically, grit is referred to as the roughness so that you can know which type of sandpaper you need. As the grit number decreases, the roughness of the sandpaper raises. You can change the sandpaper by simply peeling off the old one and just attach the new one. Since most sanders have a velcro-type substance, it helps to adhere to the pad effectively.
If you already have a fine wood finish, using a coarse grit which is under #100 would damage the wood. Whereas you can use medium grits of #120 and #150 to remove scratches or old finish. And finally, there are the fine grits of #220 which can be used for final sanding prior to applying stain to the wood.
Dust collection box
Last but not the least, since you’re about to start sanding by using an electric sander, it’s going to be a hell of a dusty environment. Kind of mini dust storm you know! So, pick a model that comes with a dust collector otherwise your eyes and lungs going to get damaged pretty severely.
Even if you get a sander with a dust collection box, still we highly and deeply recommend using a goggle and a mask let alone a respirator. Otherwise, in the long term, your lung is going to end up with issues that won’t get cured by regretting.
Other Type of Sanding Tools
Except electric sander, other types of most common sanding tools are belt sander, hand sander, strip sander, palm sander, random orbital sander.
Out of them, a belt sander is widely used, it is a multiuse sanding tool. Sanding very hard surface is its prime responsibility. Moreover, it can remove paint or varnish from rough surfaces. In the sanding world, it is one of the powerful sanding tools. Both belt sander and electric sander works for the same purpose, and they are best in their type. Both are easy to use, versatile, and efficiently take care of all types of sanding jobs.
Conclusion
We’ve backed you up not only on how to use an electric sander but also some additional information. All of them going to help you to sand the wood thoroughly thereby giving you a smoother and pleasurable finish. By following our guide, you’ll feel like a pro! Have a cheerful and cramp-free sanding.
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