Maximally Simple Belt Sander Stand

October 13th, 2022
house
In making loft beds for the kids I've needed to do a lot of sanding. Some of it, like the spindles for the guard railing, would be a good fit for a stationary sander, but I don't have one. I do have a belt sander, however, and if you poke around online you can see lots of DIY belt sander stands, but they all look like a lot of work. Here's what I did instead:

This is a pair of nails hammered into my porch. Weather permitting I like to do as much woodworking outside as possible to annoy the neighbors minimize dust indoors. The nails are just wide enough for the handle on the sander, and angled up to hold it in place:

It feels very secure: I don't think the sander could jump up off the nails (which would be pretty inconvenient: runaway trigger-locked belt sanders are scary). I used it for eighteen spindles, and it worked well!

(No guarantees about how well other belt sander designs fit nails.)

Comment via: facebook, lesswrong, substack

Recent posts on blogs I like:

Interview with Yafah Edelman about AI welfare

[Yafah Edelman’s views do not necessarily reflect those of her employer.]

via Thing of Things January 26, 2026

2025-26 New Year review

This is an annual post reviewing the last year and setting intentions for next year. I look over different life areas (work, health, parenting, effectiveness, etc) and analyze my life tracking data. Highlights include a minimal group house, the usefulness…

via Victoria Krakovna January 19, 2026

Why I Don't Think My Braces Were Worth It

A couple weeks ago, I got my braces off. I kind of wish I had never had them, though. When I was younger, two of my teeth were sticking out, and they looked kind of funny. I thought that my teeth were just fine, and I didn't want to get braces. But s…

via Anna Wise's Blog Posts January 3, 2026

more     (via openring)