Grinding is a rather laborious and monotonous process. Often it is required to process a large surface, and to cope with such a task with a manual mechanical tool is very difficult. That is why a wood grinder was created. This tool is able to smooth the surface, remove burrs, make it even, remove the paintwork, etc. In general, the thing is multifunctional and useful in everyday life.
What everyone should know
Today, no one is working with emery on a wooden bar . This is a really obsolete method that, although effective, does not give the desired result. At the same time, you need to understand that every year the finish coatings are becoming more thinner and any unevenness on the wooden surface will be clearly visible. Of course, a wood grinder for use at home is not the most expensive one, but we will talk about this a little lower. Another thing is if you work in the production, where you have to process wooden billets daily. Here the choice is obvious - the tool should be professional. But in general, we can talk about relatively low costs, although much here depends on the manufacturer.
Let's try to figure out with you which grinder to choose and what to look for when buying. Here, not everything is as complicated as it might seem at first glance.
Professional grinders
Units of this type are produced by many well-known companies that are engaged in the production and sale of construction and household tools. The key features of such equipment, as a rule, are the operating modes. Usually professional grinders are designed for long trouble-free operation. Dimensions of equipment are much larger than non-professional models, due to increased engine power.
As for the build quality, it is also at a high level. True, any household model should also be reliable. A large number of operating modes, the ability to configure the working body (its rotation speed) and much more - all this is in professional models. As for the price, a grinder for wood of this type is very expensive.
Household Sanders
Such a tool is not intended for continuous operation. The engine of the machine will not stand long and trouble-free operation. On average, the work resource per month should be no more than 20-30 hours. At the same time, the power of the unit is small, therefore, working with such a tool is very convenient, due to the small size.
It is recommended that the grinder rest after every 15 minutes of operation. So you can significantly reduce the harmful temperature effects on the engine and avoid overload. As for the advantages of such solutions, it is compact, lightweight and easy to use. Of course, here you are unlikely to find a large number of additional functions, but they are not needed for simple work. Well, now in more detail about how to choose a sander on a tree, and what varieties of this tool exist.
Types of household grinders
Currently, manufacturers are trying to come up with new types of such a tool. Design features usually consist of a different working body of the instrument, design elements, etc.
The most popular today are belt grinders (LSM). They are used for rough processing of wooden, plastic and metal surfaces. If a softer one is required, it is usually secondary processing, then it is recommended to use vibration grinding (GSM). The rectangular shape of the grinding surface can significantly simplify the processing of the corner parts of the workpiece and reduce the complexity.
Another variety is a delta grinder. Its key feature is the triangular shape of the sole. This allows you to grind hard to reach areas of the workpiece (recesses, grooves, etc.).
Well, the last view is an eccentric machine. It is used for final grinding. Usually, after such processing, the workpiece looks polished. This is achieved due to rotational-vibrational movements during operation. Such a tool is not suitable for a small surface with a complex configuration.
Belt sander and everything about it
The tape tool appeared the very first. It is intended for rough, primary processing. Usually it is used if you need to remove a thick layer of material, say, from a planed board. But besides this, LSHMs are also suitable for precise machining of parts and cutting lines.
The working body consists of a ring abrasive belt, which is stretched on the rotating rollers. Depending on the grain size of the tape, a certain layer of material is removed. In general, the principle is similar to the work of a planer, only efforts need to be made much less, and the work is done faster.
If you need a belt sander, then pay attention to the speed of rotation of the tape, its width and length. Width directly affects the processing area. Often, the width of the tape of household models does not reach 100 mm, but is limited to 50-80 mm. For domestic needs, a power of 1, 2 kW will be quite enough. In this case, you can count on the speed of the tape equal to 150-500 m / min.
About abrasive tape and useful features
Oddly enough, you must still be able to and choose the right abrasive belt. There are two types of it for sale. One tape has an abrasive layer of aluminum oxide, and the second - zirconium. The first view allows you to gently treat the surface, leaving a minimum number of scratches. Alumina abrasive tape is best suited for processing wooden workpieces. Zirconium ribbons are also good in their own way. With their help, you can relatively quickly but roughly remove a thick layer of material. However, you will have to accept that scratches will remain on the surface. Such a tape is good for metal parts, and is also suitable for sharpening a tool.
As for the additional functions, it is desirable that there is the possibility of smooth adjustment of the speed of rotation of the tape. This will allow you to adapt to work with materials of different hardness.
But the presence of additional functions affects the cost of equipment. For example, the Interskol PShM-115 grinder without additional capabilities will cost 2500 rubles with an engine power of 0.3 kW. A tool of the same power, but with smooth adjustment and some other functions, will cost 3,000 - 3,500 rubles.
Eccentric sander: selection tips
Orbital grinders have a similar principle of operation with triangular VSMs. But the trajectory of movements in this case is somewhat different and allows for finer grinding. The performance of eccentric machines is slightly higher than the GSM.
If you decide to buy such a tool, you should understand that you need to work with a disk with a diameter of 150 mm. Power of 0.2-0.65 kW for domestic use will be more than enough. It is worth noting that the eccentric sander has an oscillation speed of up to 24,000 per minute. That is why smooth adjustment in this case will be an extremely useful function. If you plan to work indoors, then choose cars with holes in the sole for dust discharge. This feature will be very helpful.
About choosing GSOM
The principle of operation of the grinders consists in the implementation of oscillatory movements with an amplitude of usually not more than 5 mm. On the sole there are special clips or Velcro, which allows you to fix a sheet of sandpaper. The quality of processing a wooden surface depends on the granularity of the latter. The larger the grain, the faster you can get the desired result. But in this case, the work will be done roughly, therefore, secondary processing with a small grain will be required.
The Makita vibration sander, for example, is very high quality and popular among both professionals and amateurs. This technique has reliable attachment of the abrasive to the sole, which is very important. If you are going to engage in fine grinding, then the amplitude of the oscillation should be in the range of 1.5-3 mm, for rough processing 4-5 mm. Be sure to consider this when buying. Almost any Makita grinder allows you to adjust the amplitude of the vibration in a wide range from 1.5 to 5 mm.
More details about the choice
The purchase of such a tool should always be carried out carefully and slowly. For example, buying Chinese equipment, you can hardly count on a long service life. But even such a tool can be of high quality. However, it is best to give preference to European manufacturers. That is why, before choosing a grinder and buying it, look at which company is the manufacturer.
For example, German Bosch products are virtually unrivaled. It combines high build quality, precision during grinding work, competent ergonomics and much more. In general, the Bosch grinder, although very expensive, but very high quality. As practice shows, it is with the equipment from this manufacturer that the least problems are, and if they arise, they are solved quickly.
Briefly on pricing
So we moved on to the most interesting part - pricing. As noted at the beginning of this article, the amount largely depends on the manufacturer and the functionality of the unit. Household models usually cost from 2,000 to 5,000 rubles. The former are simpler and less functional, the latter allow you to perform complex work with high accuracy. Much depends on who made the grinder. The price of Bosch equipment is 15-20% higher than the same Interskol. But you have to pay for quality; you need to understand this.
Conclusion
We figured out how to choose a grinder for wood. At the first stage, we determine its type. Then you need to give preference to one or another manufacturer. By the way, it will be useful to read reviews on thematic forums, so you can get a lot of free useful information. For example, repairing a grinder from some manufacturers may be difficult due to a shortage of spare parts, which is not very good. Once you have decided on the manufacturer and type of machine, as well as its technical characteristics, select the best option for the price.