Sheet sanders are used to sand / smooth wood surfaces although they can be used to sand / smooth materials such as plastics and metals as well. When sanding wood, glasspaper is ‘clipped’ into the sheet sander. If the surface requires a lot of sanding then start with ‘coarse’ glasspaper rather than fine - as this will reduce the amount of time required. Fine glasspaper can be used to finish the surface so that it is smooth to touch. When in use the rectangular base vibrates at 1200 rpm (revolutions per minute). This ‘sands’ the surface of any material beneath it.

1. Always plug power tools into a RCB (circuit breaker) as a safety measure against electrical faults.
2. Wear goggles to protect eyes from dust/chippings and a face/dust mask to prevent breathing in dangerous dust particles.
3. Always read the manufacturers instructions very carefully and follow them.
4. Always seek instruction / training from an appropriately qualified instructor before using any tools, especially power tools.
5. Make sure that the mains cable cannot be tripped over or that it causes a hazard in anyway.
6. G Cramp the material to be sanded to a firm workbench before starting.
7. Fit an extraction bag to the sheet sander. This will collect most of the dust.

A large range of sheet sanders are available from DIY stores and catalogues. When selecting a sander ensure that it is provided with a dust extraction bag system and always plug into a RCB (circuit breaker). Modern, cheap sanders are usually good quality but if you intend to carry out a lot of sanding invest in a more expensive and better quality version.

REPLACING THE GLASS PAPER

Glasspaper is manufactured from crushed glass glued to a suitable backing such as cloth or paper. People often call glasspaper ‘sandpaper’. However, the last people to make sandpaper were the Egyptians, over 4000 years ago. The various grades of glasspaper are shown below:

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