| Craftsman Air Drive Belt Sander
I'm trying to file away part of an unused bracket that's in the way of the turbocharger, as I attempt to slide the new exhaust manifold over studs in the head. I've spent a couple of minutes making little headway, scratching engine bay paint with the tip of the file and hardly removing any material from where I needed to. My notch is still tetanus-shot jagged when Master Fabricator Guy comes over with a miniature belt sander in his hand.
"I saw you walking over here with a file, and figured it was trouble. What are you trying to do?"
About two minutes later, a nicely rounded notch is taken out of the bracket, and all the edges are smooth. The manifold slides onto the studs neatly. Needless to say, being a tool junkie, I got my own mini belt sander as soon as possible. A miniature belt sander is one of those tools that combine a lot of horsepower and even more finesse. Because the effort is provided by the tool, one tends to take the extra minutes to be a perfectionist.
Not long ago, I was carving unnecessary material from a car to make it a lighter, faster racecar. The rear bumper cover needed trimming. Masking tape marked the cut line. I got close to it with a saw, then finished it off perfectly and in little time with the belt sander. In front, headlight support sheetmetal was zipped out with a Sawzall, then the edges finished with the mini belt sander.
For knocking burrs off edges and other delicate work, the upper side of the belt without the backing plate provides just the right compliance. The only downside to using a mini belt sander is the fact that grit and removed material are thrown everywhere. When working inside a vehicle or around the engine, it is best to protect surrounding areas with a tarp. This Craftsman air-powered, 10mm-wide model is the smallest belt sander I've seen, able to put a fingertip of power wherever it's needed (a 20mm-wide version with a slightly larger working head is also available). If you wanted to be corny, you could imagine the creator's finger reaching out to perfect his latest self-reflection. Or something. There are electric mini belt sanders, but I prefer air power for tools such as this because air motors of a given power are lighter and more compact. Because air cools as it expands through the motors, they can be run at high loads indefinitely.
The belt head on the Craftsman 10mm sander can be rotated through 180 degrees to conveniently reach any work piece. Belt tracking is easy to adjust, and there is a rubber flap to protect hands from grit and debris leaving the work piece. Belts are available inexpensively in 60-, 80- and 120-grit and can be changed in seconds with no tools.
The Craftsman air drive 10mm belt sander is made in Japan, a fact that reinforces the tool's overall look and feel of quality, and is covered by a one-year warranty. Like any air tool, basic care is required in the form of cleaning and daily lubrication with air tool oil. Following the manufacturer's advice about air line and fitting size and operating pressures will ensure good performance and long life.
This tool has allowed me to permanently ratchet up my speed, as well as my level of perfectionism, when fabricating parts--objectives I recommend anyone adopt.