Thank you for showing us how to use this sander. Other videos tell you how to put it together and what they think but you showed us how to use it how to be safe. I learned a lot. Thanks again. ✌🏽🙏🏽
Thanks for the video. I have the red Taurus sander that appears the same as your Wen sander. I have found the dust extraction to be very good. But you do need a half decent extractor, shop vacs just do not pull enough air volume. I use a shop vac hose and a step up to 4'" hose before the extraction system. After several minutes of sanding on the disc and linishing on the belt I could only find enough dust to cover a 10 cent coin. I did use it once for about 15 seconds without extraction and had to leave the shed due to the cloud of dust created. Also you can improve the linisher fence by using a strip of double sided tape to attach a piece of 1/8" ply onto the fence that way you do not get black marks on the timber you are finishing. A dab of paste wax on the ply also helps the control of timber you are sanding, everything becomes much smoother and easier to control. All the best.
Thanks for your comment, David Davis. This past winter, on a relatively warm day, I set my Wen sander just outside the back door and sanded some 15-year-old and very weathered teak wood from my cast iron park bench. The sander performed for hours on end. I love my sander. And now I can enjoy my park bench again.
How did you get the center part of your bench? I have a lot of weathered wood that 8ft or less and I want to get the centers without having to use our hand sander, thanks does the guard come off the back?
Thanks, Nicholas! You are exactly the kind of person I'm thinking about when I make my videos. I see videos out there that demonstrate someone's advanced knowledge or skill. I want to help the beginner. I'm self-taught - which means I've watched a lot of UA-cam videos and made lots of mistakes in my shop!
Thanks Mark good review. I have this model sander for a few years and I’ve been getting good use out of it without any problems. I’m a hobby woodworker but don’t spare the equipment.
thank you! simple, straight forward and answered all the questions I had. Trying to decide between this or the very similar ryobi dic/ belt sander. Seems like wen wins again! Been using their rotary tool that i got on sale for a fraction of the price of a dremel. its been performing surprisingly well!
Yeah the Wen rotary tool works pretty well. Have it and a Dremel 4000 (caught on sale for $45). Not going to say it's as good as the Dremel but the Wen rotary gets the job done and I used it for a few years before picking up the Dremel. Also have a Wen 12" drill press and this belt/disc sander. Both of which I'm happy with. Wen's tools seem to offer pretty good value for the money. Also the drill press and the belt/disc sander are much better built then I expected.
Yep, I think I'm gonna go with the WEN belt sander. Far better than the General Machinery model. I also bought the WEN rotary tool instead of the Dremel and it works great and seems to be pretty well made. Adds to my confidence.
I have had this and spindle sander which get constant use and have performed well. For less than 100 bucks each hard to ask for much more really. WEN also has reputation for good customer service and good packaging which is lacking in many these chinese tool importers.
Muchísimas gracias por tus típs y más por tu tiempo. Muchísimas gracias por compartir. Bendiciones desde Monterrey.Mexico. (estoy seguro de que entenderás el español)
Great video. I went and bought one for my metal shop.. Best buy for money. PLEASE ROLL BACK THOSE LOOSE SLEEVES AROUND EQUIPMENT. Thanks again for the review . Eric
Hi Mark,I have mounted my belt sander in such a way that the belt is running from left to right on spindles mounted vertically. I have also mounted a fence at 90 degrees to the belt at the bottom edge of the belt. This lets me sand wood with square edges. This helps with rounding corners. Colin in Northern Ireland
Mark, the tracking of the belt is not affected by the orientation. However even with dust extraction attached to the port supplied the whole assembly gets dusty. As I don't have a compressor I use a 'puffer' bottle to blow some dust clear. Colin
Very good practical video - would 180 or 220 grit belts sand even smoother for applying varnish ? Or should I use a random orbital sander for those higher grits .
Madhuri, I have not found those finer grit belts where I normally shop (Mendards, Home Depot, Woodcraft). I personally think the Wen sander action may be too aggressive for very fine sanding. I'd go with the random orbital sander.
Really like your videos, very informative and to the point, much appreciated. I'm wondering after close to a year what are thoughts/concerns about your Wen 6502. TYIA.
Thanks, Scott! Actually, I just used my Wen sander the other day with a 120 grit belt to lightly sand the 15-year-old teak wood on our cast iron park bench. The sander stayed right with me all day, but I had to be careful with the teak not to press too hard when the wood was in contact with the full length of the belt because it would begin to pull the motor down. I responded by sanding just on the right hand cylinder. You have to be careful not to remove material too quickly when doing that. I also noted that the belt would ride in the center of the cylinders when not under load but it wanted to shift forward under load. Not sure why. Also, it's hard to sand evenly on long pieces of wood - 4 feet in this case.
Thanks so much for getting back to me. I'm going to pick one up and see if I can't get so much needed work done with it. Keep up making videos my friend!!!!
Good video Bob. What are you using for your dust collection on the sander. You mentioned a shop vac. Is it strong enough to pull the saw dust? i know sanding does make a lot of dust but is there a lot of "leakage" of saw dust, that is around the bench, sander etc? Thanks
Thanks, gdprun! My Wen sander has a 2 1/2" connection for my shop vac hose. My shop vac is connected to an Oneida cyclone dust collection system, so it maintains a strong vacuum. Dust collection on this sander is not great, however, because the collection funnel is too far from where the dust is generated. To be fair, especially where the sanding belt is concerned, it would be impractical to try to get the funnel very much closer to the work. It would tend to get in the way. For heavy sanding, I take my sander outside. I still use the vacuum, but most of the dust ends up on the sander or the ground.
Mark Beuligmann thanks. I have the same vacuum/dust system. I have experienced heavy sawdust under and around the disc with a similar sander. I was told you need 650cfm to pull the dust. I had to return it.....still looking!
Hey Mark. I am just getting used to my Wen sander and loving it!! I have never used a shop vac before either, and my hose doesn't seem to fit into the port. Do I need to get some kind of adapter?
My shop vac has a 2 1/4" outside diameter hose, and slips just snugly enough into the Wen sander port not to fall out. Perhaps your hose size is different. My miter saw has a 1 1/4" port, so I had to get an adaptor for it. I found what I needed at Home Depot. My shop vac hose fits into some ports and over others. When you shop, be armed with the inside diameter (ID) and outside diameter (OD) of your shop vac hose. Hope that helps.
Strange question. I see you were painting a tall ship in the background. I'm wanting to learn how. Did you use an instructional? Any tips for a beginner on where to start? Specifically on the tall ships?
Sorry, I can't offer much help with tall ships except to tell you that any pennant at the top of a mast will be blowing forward with the wind, not toward the stern as they are in this painting. Actually, I am not an artist in that sense. The oil painting was done in the mid 1980's. My wife purchased it at an estate sale. I repurposed the frame for one of my daughter's favorite paintings. I make the easels you see, except for the one the painting is sitting on. My younger daughter made that one according to one of my earlier designs. If you are interested, you can see my easels at easelmark.com. I also have an Etsy shop.
thank you good sir for the review. Question, is there any way I can use this sander (or a machine like it) to do both sanding tasks and also knife sharpening? thank you
You're welcome! As noted in a few other previous replies, Wen does not recommend using this sander for grinding metal, which includes sharpening knives. Sanding wood generates very little heat compared to grinding metal.
@@markbeuligmann7363 ah gotcha. would you by any chance have any recommendations or know of any sander that can do both? I'd greatly appreciated. very nice drawing too by the way :)
@@pesarirooni62 Sorry, I have no experience with sanders that will do both. The drawing is actually an oil painting from the 1980's - and I didn't do it. I salvaged the frame and antiqued it for a print my daughter liked.
Thanks for the video and the tips. The bit about the disc and and the amount of paper across the material on the edge vs. center was great. Something that probably would have only been apparent to me after I ruined a couple of pieces. I recently purchased the same sander and so far it has been great. However, it does tend to make a growling sound while running. Do you experience the same thing? I could not tell from the video. I am concerned there could be something wearing on the motor or this may be normal with this sander.
Thanks, Brad! Moments ago, I went to my shop and just listened to my sander. I'm getting two or three kinds of sound. The most noticeable is a higher-pitched whine. Another is a much deeper growl - probably the same thing you are hearing. I've run this machine a lot now, and I don't think it's a problem. There are some other less distinct sounds. None of them worry me. Hope that helps!
don't k ow if you'll get this but I just unpacked mine and tried it on a small end grain cutting board I'm making. used very light pressure and had the thing shut off twice. have you seen this happen since this video was made?
thanks for uploading :) nice video :) I'm planning on buying WEN belt sander and i would greatly appreciate it, if you try sanding metal/steel on your next video
Thanks for the nice comments, Gilbert! Wen does not recommend using this sander for grinding or sharpening metal. I believe that is because it is not designed to handle the heat generated. I have never tried it and I don't plan to do so.
Is it true that both the disk and belt are on at the same time? seems there'd be a way to control one or the other. with both spinning, I would think is a safety issue
Thanks for the question, Mark. I think the disc is mounted directly to the motor shaft, so it spins any time the motor is running. The sanding belt is driven by a V-belt coming off the other side of the motor shaft, so both always run at the same time. That becomes obvious the first time you turn the sander on, and you just learn to be careful. Fortunately, working with the belt tends to keep your hands away from the disc, and vice versa.
The aluminum tape should be available at any Home Depot, Menards, Ace Hardware, etc. It's normally used for heating and AC ducts because duct tape doesn't stand up to the high temps in an attic, for example.
Daniel, The manual says this unit should only be used to sand wood or wood-like products. I think they are concerned about heat build-up and the risk of fire if you grind steel.
Tikiduck, I'm sure some folks use this unit for sharpening blades, etc., but the manufacturer does not recommend it. Metal work generates very high temperatures, which this unit was not built to handle.
I have the exact same sander. It bogs down very fast under much smaller pieces of pine. I bought a different sander to replace this WEN. I wonder if it has something to do with the overload motor protection which seem to be there. I was trying to just disable it even but didn't know how. I wanted to like this sander but at least mine is a toy.
Radek, I suppose there could be a number of reasons that your sander bogs down. Is the sanding belt tight on the rollers? Are you using the right kind of sanding belt? Is the motor drive belt properly tensioned? Are you trying to force the sander to remove wood too fast? Just things to consider.
@@markbeuligmann7363 I believe everything is set properly and I hardly press wood onto it. I recently bought Bucktoo combol sander and even when I press much harder on the material it keeps working. But thank you for answering my comment.
I looked on Amazon. It appears that both Bucktool models have a 3/4 HP motor. That would be substantially more difficult to bog down than the 1/2 HP Wen.
I am in the market for a bench-top sander. Most on Amazon have similar specs and similar reviews. This one is $95 shipped and I was wondering if you thought it was worth the price.
I like mine, but I have to admit that I've never owned any other brand. That price sounds good to me. I don't know that there are as many different belt/disc sanders as there may seem to be. I suspect that several makers use the same basic unit and just have it branded with their name.
I did look for some other belt options and the 4x36" size seems to be at least one of the standards. My question to you is to know how well it's been holding up. I liked your stress test and because of it I noticed that the model I was originally looking at (because it was cheaper) was the WEN 6500 (steel base). I didn't realize that it had a smaller motor than the 6502.
Mine has held up well, but then I don't use it heavily every day. The one day I used it very heavily, it performed flawlessly. I occasionally have to adjust the tracking, but I expected that. The 6502 has a cast iron base and seems very stable. I mounted its own cart with lockable casters. It's heavy enough that I don't want to drag it back and forth between a shelf and a workbench.
+Gary Chapman If I remember correctly, the manual says this sander should only be used for wood. I think that is because the abrasive is designed specifically for wood, but it may also be because of the heat buildup when you grind metal. Be safe.
Samantha, I just checked on Amazon. The Wen 6502 is selling for a smidge under $107. I have other options for sharpening my woodturning tools and wood chisels. I'm sure you can use the Wen with an appropriate belt for grinding metal, but I would watch out for heat buildup. As I have stated in other posts, Wen does not recommend this sander for grinding metal. They didn't give reasons in the manual.
@@markbeuligmann7363 it's the plastic surrounding the unit, I found a wen 6500t it looks like hf no dust collection port for 89 smaller motor...Do you have to still remove screws and casings to change out the belt? For me it'll be a bit harder to get them off with my arthritis. As far as then mention earlier it was a suggestion for the hf tool in case anyone needs that....I will look at video to see if I missed anything thanks
@@samanthanicholson9015 Yes, I would have to remove one screw and the cover to change the belt. Sorry to hear about your arthritis. One question. I don't know what your abbreviation "hf" means.
I just got mine today and the drums for the belt seems not to be aligned properly , when I adjust the sand belt it runs to the left on the bottom drum and don't matter what I do with the adjusting knob ...Do you have any idea what is possible wrong ? In the top is center but in the bottom runs to the left....I guest I will call the manufacturer.....Help me please......TY.
As far as I can tell, the drum that drives the belt (the bottom one, as you refer to it) is not adjustable. All the adjustment is in the other drum. Two possibilities. The adjustable drum is way out of adjustment, or your belt is defective. I would try another belt. Let me know what you find.
Tanks for your answer....I call the manufacturer and they are no too much help , I try the online help and there is not help at all I decided to leave like this and try to fix it myself....I appreciate your concern TY and blessings....
John, my manual says I should stick to sanding wood with this machine. Since it was not designed to handle the heat associated with grinding metals, I suspect diamonds are not on the approved list either. I have no expertise related to working with diamonds. Wish I could be of more help.
Just a kind reminder, for safety reasons, do not put fingers near the stop guard! The design is not perfect unfortunately and the sandpaper will literally wedge your finger between the gap. very, very painful mistake.
Thanks, Andrew! You have to be careful where you put your fingers when using a sander. It can scrape your skin off in a heartbeat. I try to plan each position and movement in advance. If something catches or jams, get in the habit of just pulling back instantly. Drop the work piece rather than be injured trying to hang on to it.
Thank you for showing us how to use this sander. Other videos tell you how to put it together and what they think but you showed us how to use it how to be safe. I learned a lot. Thanks again. ✌🏽🙏🏽
Andrea, thanks for the kind words! My goal in each video is to make it concise and practical. No fancy intros, no fluff. Just useful content.
Thanks, Hakeem! I'm always pleased when viewers find my videos informative and helpful.
Thanks for the video. I have the red Taurus sander that appears the same as your Wen sander. I have found the dust extraction to be very good. But you do need a half decent extractor, shop vacs just do not pull enough air volume. I use a shop vac hose and a step up to 4'" hose before the extraction system. After several minutes of sanding on the disc and linishing on the belt I could only find enough dust to cover a 10 cent coin. I did use it once for about 15 seconds without extraction and had to leave the shed due to the cloud of dust created. Also you can improve the linisher fence by using a strip of double sided tape to attach a piece of 1/8" ply onto the fence that way you do not get black marks on the timber you are finishing. A dab of paste wax on the ply also helps the control of timber you are sanding, everything becomes much smoother and easier to control. All the best.
Thanks for your comment, David Davis. This past winter, on a relatively warm day, I set my Wen sander just outside the back door and sanded some 15-year-old and very weathered teak wood from my cast iron park bench. The sander performed for hours on end. I love my sander. And now I can enjoy my park bench again.
How did you get the center part of your bench? I have a lot of weathered wood that 8ft or less and I want to get the centers without having to use our hand sander, thanks does the guard come off the back?
Thank you for this video. I am new to wood working and this was informative and easy to understand. I appreciate what you do.
Thanks, Nicholas! You are exactly the kind of person I'm thinking about when I make my videos. I see videos out there that demonstrate someone's advanced knowledge or skill. I want to help the beginner. I'm self-taught - which means I've watched a lot of UA-cam videos and made lots of mistakes in my shop!
I was looking for a good review of this machine, this is the best one.
Thanks, B T!
You remind me of my HS wood shop teacher. Great review.
Thanks, Mark! Nicely done.
Nice video, and thanks for the tips at the end -- very helpful for we newbies!
Thanks, Oxcart! It's about time for a new video, but I'll have to wait until after Christmas. Working too many retail hours.
Thanks Mark good review. I have this model sander for a few years and I’ve been getting good use out of it without any problems. I’m a hobby woodworker but don’t spare the equipment.
Thanks for the comment! Happy hobbying.
thank you! simple, straight forward and answered all the questions I had. Trying to decide between this or the very similar ryobi dic/ belt sander. Seems like wen wins again! Been using their rotary tool that i got on sale for a fraction of the price of a dremel. its been performing surprisingly well!
To The Cobblers, thanks!
Yeah the Wen rotary tool works pretty well. Have it and a Dremel 4000 (caught on sale for $45). Not going to say it's as good as the Dremel but the Wen rotary gets the job done and I used it for a few years before picking up the Dremel. Also have a Wen 12" drill press and this belt/disc sander. Both of which I'm happy with. Wen's tools seem to offer pretty good value for the money. Also the drill press and the belt/disc sander are much better built then I expected.
Yep, I think I'm gonna go with the WEN belt sander. Far better than the General Machinery model. I also bought the WEN rotary tool instead of the Dremel and it works great and seems to be pretty well made. Adds to my confidence.
Very thorough and easy to follow review!
-Jacko
Gosh, Muddy! I just now saw your comment. Thanks!
I have had this and spindle sander which get constant use and have performed well. For less than 100 bucks each hard to ask for much more really. WEN also has reputation for good customer service and good packaging which is lacking in many these chinese tool importers.
Muchísimas gracias por tus típs y más por tu tiempo. Muchísimas gracias por compartir. Bendiciones desde Monterrey.Mexico. (estoy seguro de que entenderás el español)
Gracias, Eloy! My Spanish is limited, but I understood your comments and appreciate them.
Nice test drive .
Thanks, great video. I just bought one!
Thanks, Mike! Have fun with it!
wow, what a great review! thanks.
Thanks, Brad!
great review, thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it, Amadeo!
Great video. I went and bought one for my metal shop.. Best buy for money. PLEASE ROLL BACK THOSE LOOSE SLEEVES AROUND EQUIPMENT. Thanks again for the review . Eric
Thanks for the comment, Eric! Caution noted.
Hi Mark,I have mounted my belt sander in such a way that the belt is running from left to right on spindles mounted vertically. I have also mounted a fence at 90 degrees to the belt at the bottom edge of the belt. This lets me sand wood with square edges. This helps with rounding corners. Colin in Northern Ireland
A novel approach. Any tendency for the belt to drop off the spindles?
Mark, the tracking of the belt is not affected by the orientation. However even with dust extraction attached to the port supplied the whole assembly gets dusty. As I don't have a compressor I use a 'puffer' bottle to blow some dust clear. Colin
Good to know, Colin. Thanks!
Very good practical video - would 180 or 220 grit belts sand even smoother for applying varnish ? Or should I use a random orbital sander for those higher grits .
Madhuri, I have not found those finer grit belts where I normally shop (Mendards, Home Depot, Woodcraft). I personally think the Wen sander action may be too aggressive for very fine sanding. I'd go with the random orbital sander.
Well, that certainly beats sanding by hand. A rebranded version of this is on sale where I live, I will probably buy one. Thanks!
Thnaks, Gyppor! Does the rebranded version have the 1/2 HP motor?
Really like your videos, very informative and to the point, much appreciated. I'm wondering after close to a year what are thoughts/concerns about your Wen 6502. TYIA.
Thanks, Scott! Actually, I just used my Wen sander the other day with a 120 grit belt to lightly sand the 15-year-old teak wood on our cast iron park bench. The sander stayed right with me all day, but I had to be careful with the teak not to press too hard when the wood was in contact with the full length of the belt because it would begin to pull the motor down. I responded by sanding just on the right hand cylinder. You have to be careful not to remove material too quickly when doing that. I also noted that the belt would ride in the center of the cylinders when not under load but it wanted to shift forward under load. Not sure why. Also, it's hard to sand evenly on long pieces of wood - 4 feet in this case.
Thanks so much for getting back to me. I'm going to pick one up and see if I can't get so much needed work done with it. Keep up making videos my friend!!!!
Good video Bob. What are you using for your dust collection on the sander. You mentioned a shop vac. Is it strong enough to pull the saw dust? i know sanding does make a lot of dust but is there a lot of "leakage" of saw dust, that is around the bench, sander etc? Thanks
Thanks, gdprun! My Wen sander has a 2 1/2" connection for my shop vac hose. My shop vac is connected to an Oneida cyclone dust collection system, so it maintains a strong vacuum. Dust collection on this sander is not great, however, because the collection funnel is too far from where the dust is generated. To be fair, especially where the sanding belt is concerned, it would be impractical to try to get the funnel very much closer to the work. It would tend to get in the way. For heavy sanding, I take my sander outside. I still use the vacuum, but most of the dust ends up on the sander or the ground.
Mark Beuligmann thanks. I have the same vacuum/dust system. I have experienced heavy sawdust under and around the disc with a similar sander. I was told you need 650cfm to pull the dust. I had to return it.....still looking!
Hey Mark. I am just getting used to my Wen sander and loving it!! I have never used a shop vac before either, and my hose doesn't seem to fit into the port. Do I need to get some kind of adapter?
My shop vac has a 2 1/4" outside diameter hose, and slips just snugly enough into the Wen sander port not to fall out. Perhaps your hose size is different. My miter saw has a 1 1/4" port, so I had to get an adaptor for it. I found what I needed at Home Depot. My shop vac hose fits into some ports and over others. When you shop, be armed with the inside diameter (ID) and outside diameter (OD) of your shop vac hose. Hope that helps.
Very much so, thank you! :)
Strange question. I see you were painting a tall ship in the background. I'm wanting to learn how. Did you use an instructional? Any tips for a beginner on where to start? Specifically on the tall ships?
Sorry, I can't offer much help with tall ships except to tell you that any pennant at the top of a mast will be blowing forward with the wind, not toward the stern as they are in this painting. Actually, I am not an artist in that sense. The oil painting was done in the mid 1980's. My wife purchased it at an estate sale. I repurposed the frame for one of my daughter's favorite paintings. I make the easels you see, except for the one the painting is sitting on. My younger daughter made that one according to one of my earlier designs. If you are interested, you can see my easels at easelmark.com. I also have an Etsy shop.
thank you good sir for the review. Question, is there any way I can use this sander (or a machine like it) to do both sanding tasks and also knife sharpening?
thank you
You're welcome! As noted in a few other previous replies, Wen does not recommend using this sander for grinding metal, which includes sharpening knives. Sanding wood generates very little heat compared to grinding metal.
@@markbeuligmann7363 ah gotcha. would you by any chance have any recommendations or know of any sander that can do both? I'd greatly appreciated. very nice drawing too by the way :)
@@pesarirooni62 Sorry, I have no experience with sanders that will do both. The drawing is actually an oil painting from the 1980's - and I didn't do it. I salvaged the frame and antiqued it for a print my daughter liked.
Perfect thanks. needed to know if it was strong enough to round edges.
+Pete Kavar I figure if it will round a corner on oak, it should work on most woods. Pecan is another story.
Thanks for the video and the tips. The bit about the disc and and the amount of paper across the material on the edge vs. center was great. Something that probably would have only been apparent to me after I ruined a couple of pieces. I recently purchased the same sander and so far it has been great. However, it does tend to make a growling sound while running. Do you experience the same thing? I could not tell from the video. I am concerned there could be something wearing on the motor or this may be normal with this sander.
Thanks, Brad! Moments ago, I went to my shop and just listened to my sander. I'm getting two or three kinds of sound. The most noticeable is a higher-pitched whine. Another is a much deeper growl - probably the same thing you are hearing. I've run this machine a lot now, and I don't think it's a problem. There are some other less distinct sounds. None of them worry me. Hope that helps!
@@markbeuligmann7363 That is it. Thanks for the update. I can rest easy now.
@@kingtechsolutions I wish you many happy hours in your shop!
don't k ow if you'll get this but I just unpacked mine and tried it on a small end grain cutting board I'm making. used very light pressure and had the thing shut off twice. have you seen this happen since this video was made?
No. My first thought is that you might have gotten a defective unit. I haven't even been able to bog mine down, let alone have it shut off.
Did you get that disc sander presser tool with your unit? I got a peice of wood with mine, for what if I what it's for.
Samantha, I'm not sure what you are referring to as a "presser tool." I got no piece of wood with my sander.
thanks for uploading :) nice video :) I'm planning on buying WEN belt sander and i would greatly appreciate it, if you try sanding metal/steel on your next video
Thanks for the nice comments, Gilbert! Wen does not recommend using this sander for grinding or sharpening metal. I believe that is because it is not designed to handle the heat generated. I have never tried it and I don't plan to do so.
Mark Beuligmann you saved me, i could have bought something i can't use. I'll just build my own then haha thanks a lot :)
Is it true that both the disk and belt are on at the same time? seems there'd be a way to control one or the other. with both spinning, I would think is a safety issue
Thanks for the question, Mark. I think the disc is mounted directly to the motor shaft, so it spins any time the motor is running. The sanding belt is driven by a V-belt coming off the other side of the motor shaft, so both always run at the same time. That becomes obvious the first time you turn the sander on, and you just learn to be careful. Fortunately, working with the belt tends to keep your hands away from the disc, and vice versa.
Hi David,
Where can I buy the aluminum tape?
Thanks,
Peter
The aluminum tape should be available at any Home Depot, Menards, Ace Hardware, etc. It's normally used for heating and AC ducts because duct tape doesn't stand up to the high temps in an attic, for example.
Can this bed used to grind down steel? Say for knife making?
Daniel,
The manual says this unit should only be used to sand wood or wood-like products. I think they are concerned about heat build-up and the risk of fire if you grind steel.
Could this unit handle metal work?
Tikiduck, I'm sure some folks use this unit for sharpening blades, etc., but the manufacturer does not recommend it. Metal work generates very high temperatures, which this unit was not built to handle.
How difficult are the belts to source?
Peter, I just did a brief search at Amazon by typing in "Wen sander 6502". The belts are available from a company called Generic.
I have the exact same sander. It bogs down very fast under much smaller pieces of pine. I bought a different sander to replace this WEN. I wonder if it has something to do with the overload motor protection which seem to be there. I was trying to just disable it even but didn't know how. I wanted to like this sander but at least mine is a toy.
Radek, I suppose there could be a number of reasons that your sander bogs down. Is the sanding belt tight on the rollers? Are you using the right kind of sanding belt? Is the motor drive belt properly tensioned? Are you trying to force the sander to remove wood too fast? Just things to consider.
@@markbeuligmann7363 I believe everything is set properly and I hardly press wood onto it. I recently bought Bucktoo combol sander and even when I press much harder on the material it keeps working. But thank you for answering my comment.
@@RadeksWorkshop Good luck with your Bucktoo. (I have no experience with that brand.)
Radek, I am curious. Did you get the 6-inch or the 8-inch Bucktool sander?
I looked on Amazon. It appears that both Bucktool models have a 3/4 HP motor. That would be substantially more difficult to bog down than the 1/2 HP Wen.
I am in the market for a bench-top sander. Most on Amazon have similar specs and similar reviews. This one is $95 shipped and I was wondering if you thought it was worth the price.
I like mine, but I have to admit that I've never owned any other brand. That price sounds good to me. I don't know that there are as many different belt/disc sanders as there may seem to be. I suspect that several makers use the same basic unit and just have it branded with their name.
I did look for some other belt options and the 4x36" size seems to be at least one of the standards. My question to you is to know how well it's been holding up. I liked your stress test and because of it I noticed that the model I was originally looking at (because it was cheaper) was the WEN 6500 (steel base). I didn't realize that it had a smaller motor than the 6502.
Mine has held up well, but then I don't use it heavily every day. The one day I used it very heavily, it performed flawlessly. I occasionally have to adjust the tracking, but I expected that. The 6502 has a cast iron base and seems very stable. I mounted its own cart with lockable casters. It's heavy enough that I don't want to drag it back and forth between a shelf and a workbench.
does this sander go vertical? if not do any of you know a cheap sand that can go vertical?
Nebur, it does go vertical. You loosen a hex bolt on the back side, then lift the arm, then tighten the bolt again.
Mark Beuligmann awesome, thank you
Thx!
Wlcm!
can you use this for knife sharpening?
+Gary Chapman If I remember correctly, the manual says this sander should only be used for wood. I think that is because the abrasive is designed specifically for wood, but it may also be because of the heat buildup when you grind metal. Be safe.
There are metal sanding papers on Amazon they could have your Sanders size, I seen a few videos that they seem to work well. How much for this sander?
Samantha, I just checked on Amazon. The Wen 6502 is selling for a smidge under $107. I have other options for sharpening my woodturning tools and wood chisels. I'm sure you can use the Wen with an appropriate belt for grinding metal, but I would watch out for heat buildup. As I have stated in other posts, Wen does not recommend this sander for grinding metal. They didn't give reasons in the manual.
@@markbeuligmann7363 it's the plastic surrounding the unit, I found a wen 6500t it looks like hf no dust collection port for 89 smaller motor...Do you have to still remove screws and casings to change out the belt? For me it'll be a bit harder to get them off with my arthritis. As far as then mention earlier it was a suggestion for the hf tool in case anyone needs that....I will look at video to see if I missed anything thanks
@@samanthanicholson9015 Yes, I would have to remove one screw and the cover to change the belt. Sorry to hear about your arthritis. One question. I don't know what your abbreviation "hf" means.
Wait! Harbor Freight?
@@markbeuligmann7363 harbor freight
JC Mark, been farmin long?
Xro, I'm clueless as to your meaning.
I just got mine today and the drums for the belt seems not to be aligned properly , when I adjust the sand belt it runs to the left on the bottom drum and don't matter what I do with the adjusting knob ...Do you have any idea what is possible wrong ? In the top is center but in the bottom runs to the left....I guest I will call the manufacturer.....Help me please......TY.
As far as I can tell, the drum that drives the belt (the bottom one, as you refer to it) is not adjustable. All the adjustment is in the other drum. Two possibilities. The adjustable drum is way out of adjustment, or your belt is defective. I would try another belt. Let me know what you find.
Tanks for your answer....I call the manufacturer and they are no too much help , I try the online help and there is not help at all I decided to leave like this and try to fix it myself....I appreciate your concern TY and blessings....
Watch those sleeves 😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱
Thanks, Jimmy! Caution noted.
can i sharpen a diamond with this
John, my manual says I should stick to sanding wood with this machine. Since it was not designed to handle the heat associated with grinding metals, I suspect diamonds are not on the approved list either. I have no expertise related to working with diamonds. Wish I could be of more help.
Mark Beuligmann haha it was a joke by thank you for taking it serious!
Long sleeves and machinery; very scary!!
Just a kind reminder, for safety reasons, do not put fingers near the stop guard! The design is not perfect unfortunately and the sandpaper will literally wedge your finger between the gap.
very, very painful mistake.
Thanks, Andrew! You have to be careful where you put your fingers when using a sander. It can scrape your skin off in a heartbeat. I try to plan each position and movement in advance. If something catches or jams, get in the habit of just pulling back instantly. Drop the work piece rather than be injured trying to hang on to it.