Woodworker's Journal 2011-35-1, страница 28

ith things the way they are with he economy, more and more oodworkers are looking to get the most use out of the tools they already have. So am I, which is why I created this simple base fixture that transforms a standard portable belt sander into a small horizontal benchtop sander. The fixture is simple to build and lets you use your sander to accurately shape, trim and smooth small parts safely.

To build the fixture shown in the Drawings on the next page, start by cutting out a base plale from 1/2" or 3/4" plywood or MDF that's 14" wide and 6" to 8" longer than the length of your bell sander. It's important to note that we're providing the actual dimensions of my jig, but you'll need to adjust them to fit your sander. Set your sander atop the base plate

Jigs & Fixtures

Benchtop Fixture for the Belt Sander

By Sandor Nagyszalanczy

Use a large square to see if the belt's platen is square to the base. If it isn't, use blocks or wedges under the sander to square it up.

with the open side of the belt rollers facing up, and position the belt platen (the flat surface below the working part of the belt) parallel to the long edge of the base. Now square up the platen surface to the base plate (see photo above) using spacers,

wedges or shims under the body of the sander as necessary. Mount the sander to the base plate using any threaded mounting points your sander may have, such as a detachable front knob or holes for attaching accessories as seen in the photo on the facing page (top right). Make brackets from plywood scraps to suit the positions of the mounting holes, screw them to the sander, then glut* them onto the base. For best stability, secure the sander in at least two places: one at the front and one at, or near, the rear.

Cut the fixture's angled work table from plywood or MDF that's 8" wide and about 2" shorter than the base. If you wish, plow a miter slot into the table top using cither a straight bit in a router or dado blade in a table saw. This slot lets you use a regular miter gauge or other

February 2011 Woodworkers Journal

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