With things the way they are with the economy, more and more woodworkers are looking to get the most use out of the tools they already have, which is why I created this simple base fixture that transforms a standard portable belt sander into a small horizontal benchtop sander. “Use a square rule to ensure that the sander is completely level, if it isn’t save some wood scrap to prop up the end until it has leveled out. To build the fixture, start by cutting out a base plate from 1/2″ or 3/4″ plywood or MDF that’s 14″ wide and 6″ to 8” longer than the length of your belt sander. Set your sander atop the base plate with the open side of the belt rollers facing up, and position the belt platen parallel to the long edge of the base. 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. The table is designed to be higher at the rear end of the sander: it reduces chatter during sanding and distributes wear more evenly across the belt. For safety, screw a stop block onto the end of the sanding table to prevent the piece from pulling back too far by the sander. Use your belt sander’s trigger lock to keep the tool switched on while you sand.
Not all belt sanders have these most of the new sander does not have these accessory holes, but check because they may have some other options that would do the same job, or could attach them with a different system that might not be as easy, but equally effective in the end. Next, you will need to lay the sander on its side and mark holes in the backer board in which to mount the belt sander. Before you do that, depending on the belt sander you have, you may want to add a tiny bit of elevation to the sender by setting it on a 1/8th-inch thin piece of plywood, just sot he sand belt sits up off the platen.
Over at Humus Workshop, Spanish maker Román Palma created a three-position stand for a handheld belt sander that makes the tool much more versatile without taking up a lot of room. The belt sander can be installed and removed quickly using two bolts. Mounting the sander makes it easy and safe to shape small pieces while taking advantage of the fast material removal that makes a belt sander desirable in the first place.