The Technique of FURNITURE MAKING

BENCH-GRINDER

The bench-grinder is virtually indispensable for the rapid grinding of cutting edges, moulding blanks, etc., and the various abrasive wheels are listed on p. 108.

115 1/2 in (12.5 mm) capacity five-speed table drill or drill press

116 8 in (203 mm) high-speed bench-grinder

118 Small bench drum sander

SANDERS

The most useful sander for the cabinet-maker, if space permits, is the pad belt sander. This often includes a built-in sanding disc with table, and also a finishing table for sanding smaller objects. Pad sanders come in a variety of lengths and increase considerably in price with each extra foot. The belts are normally 6 in (152 mm) wide and can be made up to order to any length in a variety of grits and either cloth - or paper­backed. Adequate and separate dust collection is usually essential, since the fans that are built into many machines for this purpose are rarely adequate for full protection.

119 Small bench drum sander with angled table

Also very useful is a drum sander for all those internal curves.

All machine sanders require garnet or aluminium oxide papers (see Abrasives, Chapter 7), and the grit used is generally some grades coarser than for equivalent work by hand methods, owing to the speed of the cut. An 80 grit aluminium oxide paper, for instance, will give a sufficiently fine finish on open-grained woods whereas hand-sanding might require 120 grit for a comparable scratch-free surface. It is possible to use four grits only: 80, 120, 180 and 240, with 180 adequate for most situations.