Orbital Vs Belt Sander For Floors

Belt sander uses continuous loop of sandpaper whereas orbital sander uses sanding discs which spin in small circles.

Orbital vs belt sander for floors. You ll need a belt sander for heavy duty sanding and shaping. An orbital sander is a handheld sanding tool with a rectangular or square sanding pad that moves back and forth at a high speed in order to remove a small amount of material. A drum floor sander also known as a belt sander is a heavy duty machine designed for heavy sanding of solid wood flooring. The orbital sander consists of a 12 18 sanding pad which rather than spinning oscillates to and fro in an orbit.

A large area of the sandpaper is in contact with the floor which results in less force being applied and repetitive scratching does not occur. Disadvantages of belt sanders. These can be quickly done away by gliding an orbital sander through the surface. Belt sanders are said to be too loud to work with.

I build small cabins and have never used nor needed a drum or belt sander. A belt sander can also be stationary used on wood or handheld used on surfaces that can t move like the floor. 175 rpm low speed buffer with 40 to 80 grit will remove as much material as needed when it s all said and done more than once folks asked if the floor is wet because the finish looks wet and deep all because of low speed orbital sanding. A drum sander cuts through the wood obliterating multiple layers of wood as well as any varnish giving you a new surface to refinish.

Orbital sander vs random orbital sander well they are 2 different tools made for different applications. Belt sandler is a better option for powerful and large amounts of material wheres orbital sander is better for smaller pieces of furniture and fitting into tight spaces. If you have used a belt sander over an entire area there are chances that you must have left a few scratches or unfinished endings. As the sander uses aggressive force it may damage the project in case of a slight discrepancy.

Thus the precision lies in the orbiting motion of the orbital sander. In all honesty most sanding projects can t be completed with only one of these tools. Drum sanding for hardwood floors. Refinishing your hardwood floors is a task many homeowners prefer to do themselves but deciding on the necessary tools can be puzzling.