Disk and Belt Sander

A stationary sander that combines a vertical belt for fine details with a disk for quickly flattening small parts or squaring edges is one of the most versatile sanding tool you can have in your shop. I designed this one with performance and reliability in mind, while also keeping build complexity down. Most of the project is constructed from 1/2″ (13mm) plywood and requires no fancy cuts or joinery to assemble.

The belt runs at 2200 FPM (feet per minute or 11.2 meters per second) which is perfect for sanding any type of wood. The 5″ (127mm) disk running at 1725 rpm is also perfect for sanding wood without burning. The recommended motor is 1/4 hp 1725 rpm and is typically inexpensive and easy to find. Mine came from an old sump pump.

The sander has excellent dust collection from the belt and the disk when connected to a small shop vac.

It’s also very compact with a small footprint, so it doesn’t take up a lot of space in a small shop. The belt size is 1″ x 42″ long and is commonly available wherever you by sanding supplies.

Feel free to look through the detailed build article for this project to see if it’s right for you.

The sander plans consist of:

  • a materials list
  • a 1/2″ (13mm) plywood cut diagram
  • 2 parts map drawings showing part names and locations
  • 15 detailed parts drawings showing all of the dimensions
  • 2 metal hardware detail drawings
  • 11 assembly drawings that go through the build process step by step
  • 4 drawings that detail a stand for this sander

The plans are easy to follow and all of the dimensions are in both imperial and metric,with the metric dimensions (millimeters) in brackets. Screw sizes and other hardware are in imperial units.

Please read these important notes before buying these plans.