A sander can be defined as an electrical tool which is commonly used for making the wood surfaces smooth. This instrument polishes the wood perfectly by abrasion using sandpaper. Sanders are usually attached with the sandpaper and it operates in such a way that it moves the sandpaper rapidly creating friction against the surface of the wood to remove all the particles till it become smooth.

Not only that, the sander can also smoothes the sharp edges and very rough area and provide better finish to the material. Sanders that work on wood are usually operated electrically. Some of the electric drills and multi-purpose electrical instruments may have sanders with it. The main functions of sanders are: profile sanding, sealer sanding, final sanding etc.

Sanders are classified into different types depending on their different purposes.

• Belt sander: This sander is a hand-held / stationary sander used to smooth wood.

• Disc sander: It is also called as stationary machine which has replaceable round shaped sandpaper that is attached with a wheel. This is an electrically spun sander that usually works on wooden piece, but it also used in other material too, such as metals, plastics.

• Random orbital sander

• Orbital sander: It is a hand-held sander which oscillates in small circles and it is commonly used for fine sanding like small materials.

• Oscillating spindle sander: This sander oscillates and rotates, up and down and it is mounted on the spindle. This instrument is used for sanding curves and conformations which is very difficult with orbital or hand sanding.

• Straight-line sander: This sander operates in a straight line, but not in circles. This type of sander is helpful where hand sanding becomes tedious. Most of these sanders are air-powered and some are electric.

• Detail Sander: It is a hand-held tool in which a triangle shaped sandpaper piece is used. This sander is also known as ‘corner’ or ‘mouse’ sanders.

• Stroke sander: These types of sanders are used to smooth large surfaces such as doors, cabinets, and tabletops.

• Drum sander: It is a big sander which is mostly used to finish large surfaces.

• Wide-belt sander: This is also a large sander with a belt head and is mainly used in the manufacture of cabinets and furniture.