A sander is a key piece of equipment that will get used in almost all DIY projects that involve wood. Sanders can be used to remove large amounts of material or surfaces finishes quickly and easily, in addition to being able to create a smooth surface on your finished projects. There are lots of types of sanders out there, and many of them can only be used for certain applications. The key to purchasing a sander is to get the sander that will meet your needs best. Here are the types of sanders you will want to consider:



-- Belt Sanders --

Belt sanders are good for use during the initial phases of sanding large rough sanding jobs as well as for the starting phases of large refinishing jobs. Belt sanders take off lots of material rapidly, so a careful touch is needed to keep from over-sanding the material being sanded. Belt sanders can tend to be heavy. Consider one with a variable speed control and a button which allows the speed to be locked so that you can position your hands in the most comfortable position possible; this will help minimize user fatigue when using a belt sander.

-- Detail Sanders --

Detail sanders are smaller sanders that are designed to sand in tight areas, odd shapes, and around details like grooves, carvings, curves, and slats. Detail sanders are often used on craft projects and on mill work like door and window casings. To get the most use from your detail sander, get one with a lot of attachments since this will increase the flexibility of your sander and make it suited for more shapes and locations.

-- Disc Sanders --

Disc sanders come as both bench-mounted and hand-held versions. The hand-held models are most useful to do-it-yourselfers whereas the bench-mounted varieties are usually used by people who are working with their disc sander on a larger scale. But there are some smaller bench-mounted models that are still cheap enough to be useful to the occasional user. Disc sanders make quick work of finishing the end grain of wood and for sanding angled edges. If you are looking at a bench-mounted disc sander, some additional features you will want to look for include: a belt sander somewhere on the frame; a tilting table; and a sliding miter gauge.

-- Random-Orbit Sanders --

Random-orbit sanders have round pads that move in a circular motion with a random pattern. The random motion allows the user move the sander in any direction on the material being sanded, even across the grain, without scratching the surface of the material being sanded. This is the "safest" type of sander and it is one of the best available multi-purposes sanders; this makes it a great choice for the occasional user. Most random-orbit sanders require the use of special sand paper designed for the brand/model of the sander being used.

-- Sheet Sanders --

Sheet sanders are available in models that use 1/3 or 1/4-sheets of standard sandpaper. Some models of sheet sanders make use of specific sand paper with adhesive or velcro to attach the sand paper on the sander. Other sheet sanders are able to use any type of sheet sand paper. Obviously, the latter type of sheet sander is more flexible for the everyday user. Sheet sanders are different from random-orbit sanders in that the sheet sander moves the sand paper in a single direction, therefore sheet sanders have to be moved along the direction of the grain of the material being sanded or else the surface can be scarred. Sheet sanders are very versatile and, like the random-orbit sander, they can be used on a wide variety of projects.

-- Spindle Sanders --

Spindle sanders are the best option for edge sanding, especially on curves. Spindle sanders are bench-mounted tools with a cylindrical spindle located in the center of a large worktable. As such, these tend to be used by more industrial users and wood-working enthusiasts. If you are considering a spindle sander, look for one with an oscillating spindle; the oscillations increases the rate at which the sander removes material and it reduces the probability of gouging the stock being sanded.