I just got a 1-in. by 30-in. Delta sander and decided to correct several problems. The first is the sanding dust that rushes out of the top straight into my face. I solved that with an inexpensive clear-plastic food container that is easily trimmed to size and mounted using the cover-lock knob on the top. Next, the sander’s four rubber feet don’t prevent it from moving on my workbench if I accidentally bump it. My solution was to undo the feet and use #10-32 machine screws to remount them and the sander on a 12-in.-sq. piece of plywood. After going through the plywood, the feet, and the sander’s frame, the screws are then secured with nuts and washers. A small strip of wood under the front edge of the plywood registers the sander on the front edge of the workbench while in use or on the front of the shelf when in storage. The plywood can be clamped to the bench for additional stability. Finally, the shop-vacuum hose is quickly snapped into a spring-steel clamp permanently mounted on the plywood.
—Robert S. Hall, Scarborough, ME
Edited and Illustrated by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #250
View Comments
I've been wanting to purchase one of these sanders. I'll be using your 'post-purchase' suggestions when I get my sander. Thanks!
I have one of these cheap sander-grinder machines bolted to a work shelf. For many years I put up with its vibrations – vibrations so strong that loose objects vibrated off the shelf. A few years ago, I had a bunch of rubber underlay pads left over from a deck job and while wondering what I could use them for, it occurred to me to that they might absorb the sander-grinder vibrations. One 10 mm pad under each of the four corners of the sander-grinder baseplate and the vibration issue was history.
Using a spring steel clip to hold the vacuum hose is something I'm going to try to rig up on a couple machines whose dust ports aren't compatible with my shop vac nozzle.
Thanks to Robert S. Hall for the tip.
Finally, a not-stupid tip/trick. I was getting tired of the "when my hands are dirty, I wash them with soap" tips, of late.