Master woodworker Matthias Wandel has been slowly building out his workshop with more and more homemade equipment. Last time it was a lathe, and now it's a belt sander. And if you want to follow in his DIY footsteps (who wouldn't!) his latest video on his new tool will help you along.
Wandel's also written down the instructions for making this 6 by 48 inch sander, based off one he bought in a pawn shop in 1997. For the drive wheel, Wandel cuts up an inner tube that he bought. For the drive pulley, he cuts out a series of wooden circular discs, lines them up a twelve millimeter pole and then coats it with silicone. There's a whole lot of screwing, drilling and cutting in this project. As for his motor, Wandel's made a whole video on that subject alone.
David Grossman is a staff writer for PopularMechanics.com. He's previously written for The Verge, Rolling Stone, The New Republic and several other publications. He's based out of Brooklyn.
