For anyone who works with wood, including carpenters, cabinet makers, wood floor refinishers, and DIYers, belt sanders are indispensable because they can quickly smooth rough wood surfaces.

Yet while often seen as a heavy-duty tool, a mini belt sander is light enough for more delicate work. There are also benchtop belt sanders that can be used for fine shaping and finishing.

Faced with a project requiring a lot of sanding, [George] had two options. Suck it up and buy a belt sander — or re-purpose a tool he already had to do the same job. He chose the latter ...