SI FANGMini Electric Belt-Sander Knife-Sharpener Sanding Machine - Small Bench Grinder Kit 7 Speed Adjustable Power Polisher DIY Polishing Grinding Tool For Knife Making, Wood Metal Working, Handcraft

Tiny belt-sander, grinder combo. For our purpose here, I'll be discussing only the belt-sander aspect, not the grinder.INTROAt last, enjoy success, time saved, fine control and frustration-free ease of use in sharpening pastel pencils with this tiny belt sander. (See the photos below.)EASE OF USEFor anyone hesitant about and unfamiliar with the use of "tools", this small machine uses considerably less strength to operate than a hand-held mixer, an electric carving knife or a Dremel. The maximum force needed to hold the pencil against the moving sanding belt is no more than is used to buff one's fingernails, though more careful attention is required since it is machine use.FOOTPRINTThis sander has a very small footprint as shown in the photos below. Alone, it takes up little space. However, it does kick up a lot of pastel dust, so accommodation must be made to resolve that problem with whatever dust control method is used. Currently, I am using a cardboard box to surround the machine top, bottom and three sides, leaving only the front accessible to the user. I am also using a medical face mask.CAUSALITYThe use of force inherent in using all pencil sharpeners and/or craft knives to achieve a point on a pastel pencil is counter to its purpose. In all cases one must either push the working end of the pencil into the blades of the sharpener or push against it from various angles with a craft knife to shave off bits of wood. The fragility of the material combined with the use of force against it is the primary cause of continued and frustrating breakage.SOLUTIONUsing this little machine introduces very fine control of the process and reduces the force needed to achieve a point to nearly nothing. The ability to quickly achieve very nice points on pastel pencils is assured.PERIPHERAL INFOPROSUSER MANUALThe user manual is clear and simple with good photos. I feel it could have been expanded in several areas, but it is much better than so many other products offer these days.INITIAL USE OF MACHINESanding belt grit, speed setting, time required comparisonInitial use was on the lowest of seven speed settings with the 1000 grit sanding belt that came pre-installed right out of the box. I wanted to get a feel for the process soonest. I was immediately impressed. In under five minutes, I had sharpened a pastel pencil with a broken point to a very nice point without any breakage at all. (What a relief! I relaxed immediately.) If 1000 grit (i.e., fine grit) was so effective, how would a courser grit work? I switched to a 320 grit belt in about 15 seconds (very easy, no tools required).Same wonderful result, much quicker. Also, I don't need a satin finish on my sharpened pencils, so the time-saving courser grit is quite satisfactory for my purpose. It does the job I need it to do. With the 320 belt, I sharpened the pencils you see in the photos below in under15 minutes. I'm certain it will be quicker with more practice. Hurray!Please note that throughout this test run, I never increased the speed of the machine from its lowest setting: I only changed the belt from 1000 grit (fine grit) to 320 grit (heavier grit). I would be hesitant to increase the speed of the machine as that will cause higher vibration, which is in itself a type of force, and could negatively affect the pencils.For the sake of your pencils, I suggest when setting up the sander for use, special attention be given to the distance of the adjustable working tray (the small metal platform in front of the belt) to the sanding belt. The gap should be as narrow as possible without the tray touching the belt at all. The visual inspection of the gap between the tray and the belt should be conducted first when the machine is not in operation. When moving on to testing the gap with the machine running, one should start with the sander set at its lowest speed. The gap between the tray and the moving belt should be as narrow as possible to insure that the placement of the pastel pencil is completely and evenly supported upon it.VERSATILYAlthough I presently have no need of other aspects of its versatility, I will point out one which others may find of interest. Namely, the fact that this machine can use Dremel and Dremel-type accessories, including a saw mounted in place of the grinding wheel. (That one seems dangerous to me, but very careful attention to detail and handling might make it feasible for some.)HAND SUPPORT RECOMMENDATIONI am 69 and my hands are not steady anymore, so I need a secure support to brace my hands for my comfort when using this machine. This issue is not related to strength, or lack thereof, but solely to the unsteadiness of age. You might find it more comfortable to use a small, flat object to support the heel of your hand when operating the machine. Of course, you may not need it. I'm simply giving friendly advice for the convenience and comfort of those who may find it useful. If you don't need it, ignore this part.CONSDUSTUsing the belt sander to sharpen pastel pencils does throw out a lot of pastel dust. I am using a cardboard box to surround the machine when it is in use at top, bottom, and three sides to contain the dust somewhat. I am thinking of using a gauze drape or curtain to increase its dust-reduction efficiency. Those of you with a shop vacuum system would do well to use it when the sander is in use. Also, I use a medical mask as I have some respiratory difficulty.SAFETY CONCERNThe only thing that gave me pause when I first unboxed this item is that the on/off switch on the left side is open and appears to have exposed though not protruding electrical connectors. I solved that worry easily by covering the opening with Frog tape. The tape itself is not a protection against electricity but since it does not actually touch the connectors, it serves well as a cover so the connectors are not exposed any longer. See photos below.BOX CONTENTS1 SI FANG Mini Electric Belt Sander, Seven Speed20 Sanding Belts (330*30mm/13×1.2 inch)Four each: 120 grit, 320 grit, 600 grit, 800 grit, 1000 grit1 Dustproof Cover1 Grinding Wheel3 Allen Wrench1 Power AdapterMy cost for this sander was $63 in early February of this year. As of today, July 17, 2024, the price is about 20% less than it was then.I regret that I do not have the capability to make a video of this little gem. Hopefully one of you artists out there will do so and share it on the internet. Pastel pencil artists are worn out from decades of frustration and this is certainly the cure they've been waiting for. I hope with the discovery of this use for the little sander there will be a marked increase in pastel pencil art works. All good thoughts to all.....

outstanding tiny sanding warhero! This thing is wonderful. It is the perfect size for my little workshop. It works amazing as a sander to working things like australian boulder opal, and The ability to attach wheels on both sides greatly enhances the uses of this little thing in my stone cutting. I love this thing. I wouldn't try to use it to sharpen a sword, but any knife, scissor, or soft rock that needs the delicate touch of alumox abrasives with be very happy with this tool.

I recently have gotten into leather working and purchased this product to be able to sand the edges flush on my wallets. Products works fantastic for this purpose. Was easy to setup straight out of the box. My my only compliant is the sandpaper belt seem to wear out fast but the product comes with plenty of replacements. For the price point this product is listed for I would recommend for small hobbyists.

This little machine works perfectly for sanding leather projects.

The item came is open books, but I ordered new item

Small but powerful! The recipient loves it!

Works really well with 7 different speed settings and can sharpen a knife really fast and save some time instead of using files.

Garbage.First the power supply was not included as shown in the pictures.I was able source an 18v supply from a a reliable device. It barely powered up for a second then died. Returning.