I just inherited an older model Craftsman 3x21 belt sander. I have never had one before so I am not sure if my problem is with the sander or technique. I am building some of those cutting boards features in one of the recent Wood mags and was not careful enough when I glued it up, therefore very uneven surfaces. I thought the belt sander would be a perfect way to flatten them. In case you did not see that issue, the surfaces are end grain. I went to Lowe's and bought some 50 grit belts for the sander and started flattening. Everything seemed to be going well, then a belt failed. I put on a new belt, and it failed also, then another one. I tried to pay attention to where the belt was riding, but even when I was sure the belt stayed in the center, the seam of the belt kept failing. What do you guys think? Is it me and my technique (or lack thereof) or just trying to use the wrong tool for the job? Or is it a tool problem, i.e old sander using not very good belts?
Tom
Tom