Belt Sander Races
Whether or not we’re willing to admit it, I’d bet that most of us have had the experience of setting a belt sander down on the bench with the belt still moving. Or worse yet, plugging it in when the switch was locked in the ON position. Hopefully, in either case, it’s run out of cord and unplugged itself before any damage was done. (Yep. Did that once…or twice.)
I’m sure that these experiences have led to the increasingly popular belt sander races. There are tournaments for “stock” belt sanders and souped-up belt sanders. Now, I wouldn’t want to do this with my one and only belt sander I use in my shop, but apparently guys (and gals) spend weeks and months of their time getting ready for these races.
Here’s a link to several videos of local belt sander races. Come to find out, the New England Belt Sander Racing Association has been racing these power tools for 20 years. There’s an article posted by the Boston Herald that talks about their 2007 Winter Nationals that were held on February 3.
I think it’s a great idea to have some good, clean fun. Heck, you could even turn it into a fund raiser to support a local charity or other worthwhile cause.
Now, what did I do with that old belt sander Dad gave me…