4 x 6 Belt Sander

[Aunt Phil]

Genuine Porter Cable made in Syracuse NY before Porter Cable was bought by Rockwell.

It still runs and drives if you can find belts for it.  You don't have to worry about holding it down either because even with all the aluminum this monster is heavy.

[Branson]

Cool looking monster!  An old cabinet making book I was looking at recently had instructions for making belts.  I'll see if I can find it. 

[Uncle Buck]

All that thing needs is turn signals, a seat, and a steering wheel and you would be set!

[scottg]

I think it needs a guy in a striped cap, and a steam whistle on top!
Toot toot!!
Wow what a little monster!! Dynamite!
  yours Scott

[rusty]

OK, I am going to sidetrack this thread with a short story...

When I was much much younger, a not too bright kid in fact, my grandfather, who was retireing and beginining a second career/hobby as a do it yourself woodworker, had a big monster belt sander much like that one....

Now, this sander had one minor flaw, the power switch was stuck in the on position. So you plugged it in to use it, and unplugged it when you were done, simple enough, except for one minor detail, no one had bothered to mention this to me. Of course, I wasn't supposed to be using the power tools anyhow, so I suppose it was an understandable oversight.

In any case one day I decided to take it upon myself to sand something, and of course what better to use than a honking big belt sander, so I put it on the work bench and plugged it in...

That sucker took off down the bench like a bat out of hell, went through the garage window, and vanished into the bushes.

And if that wasn't bad enough, I couldn't find the *&^*&^ thing. I spend 15 minutes looking all through the bushes and shrubs, only to discover that the dang thing had so much inertia it had gone clean through the bushes and was 10 feet out on the lawn...

One of the few times I have seen my grandfather at a loss for words ; P

[Branson]

Bored self-employed wood workers can be dangerous.  Near 25 years ago three of us ran our own millwork shop.  There were slow days (truth known, there were slow weeks from time to time) and all we had to amuse ourselves were our tools.  Scott, your grandfather's belt sander reminded me.  One of our amusements was belt sander races.  Whose could cross three 4X8 sheets of plywood fastest, or the farthest. 

[Papaw]

Idle hands ARE the Devil's workshop!

[Aunt Phil]

I don't see this one turning for damn, but if I had a second one and a couple SCR speed controls, a bit of framing and a tractor seat it could be one hell of an environmentally friendly GREEN barstool racer.  Then again I heal a lot slower than I once did.

I'm working on a system using thermal setting fabric tape on the back side of the belt.  Sort of like the iron on patch that sticks just long enough to fall off on steroids.  If it works out I have some rolls of sandpaper 3 feet wide stashed.  If it doesn't I might make a 2 foot square oscilating sander and use the paper there.