On 3/7/2013 12:13 PM, Leon Fisk wrote:
On Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:37:01 -0600
wrote:
On 3/6/2013 1:55 PM, Leon Fisk wrote:
...
....
Yeah, it's there (as at several other sites) but all the relevant parts
are "obsolete, no replacement" ... 
....
I suspected as much, considering I didn't have to try very hard to find
that info...
Just out of curiosity, which model do you have?
I have a Porter-Cable 352VS (I think) which I've been happy with. Built
like a tank, weighs something like 15 pounds. Bought it ~10 years ago
and so far it has taken all the abuse I could throw at it. It has a
bearing that likes to object, scream at times but so far I just ignore
it. Shouldn't be hard to fix if it really starts bothering me.
Everything else I looked at back then that cost less than say ~$160
didn't look like it would last long enough to wear out even one sanding
belt...
It's the 7450 3x24.
While it's plastic case, they were very rugged w/ the exception of the
rotor-end drive gear and the one counter gear that meshes w/ it. The
drive gear was/is so small it was inevitable unless it had been
fabricated from an extremely hard alloy. Even as was, I would get many
years from one before it failed and have rebuilt these each once or
maybe twice. I never thought ahead to order/stockpile a supply of parts
never dreaming they would quit producing a similar tool entirely even if
parts for these did become unobtainable...
The advantages of these that I like are multiple -- the most significant
of which are that first, they are quite light, and second, the placement
of the motor between the two rollers results in the weight being almost
all directly over the belt resulting in the best balanced belt sander
I've ever hefted (and that's been quite a number over 40+ years). That
balance means it is much easier to keep from either gouging or wearing
troughs into a workpiece, the bane of belt sanders in general.
In addition, the overall size is quite compact, especially the height
which allows it in places that many can't get to at all, what more be
able to control easily.
They may not be what you want if you're using one as a substitute for a
hand planer hogging off huge quantities of material but for prep work on
large panels and relatively rapid material removal but w/ some finesse
they couldn't be beat.
As noted earlier, I have a Makita (don't recall the model) that is also
a between rollers design and while it is compact in size, they built the
3" model by simply putting 3"-long rollers on a 4" sander body (and
didn't even move the mounting over on the shaft to center but the belt
runs at the near side in the same location as a 4") so the balance is
terrible. Plus, it has a very awkward switch, particularly since I'm
left-handed (it's virtually impossible to engage the trigger lock w/
left hand on handle) and there's something about the way the cord is
attached that makes it eternally always _exactly_ in the way and getting
under the belt when on the rearward stroke...
The P-C's in general are klunky w/ the top dust collection or side drive
and as yours exceedingly heavy. Most other have similar problems...
The one thing I've not tried is the 3-wheel little B&D 3x21 -- it looks
like might be reasonable from weight, balance, etc., but I've an
unlimited supply of 3x24 belts and it's 21...
Just like I've years'
worth of 5-hole sanding discs and now they've gone to 8-hole pads (or
more) universally--getting hard to even find the replacement 5-hole ones
as parts...
Anyway, far more than you cared about, I'm sure...
--