WEN’s compact spindle sander offers easy portability in a powerful benchtop model. It makes a nice addition to any home woodworking shop. It can even be a vital tool for a woodcrafter or small custom shop owner who makes a living from their creations made from wood. That’s because this WEN sander delivers excellent quality results powered by its 3.5 amp, 2000 RPM motor.
Difficult Sanding Jobs Made Easy
Try this handy device out and you’ll quickly see what a huge timesaver it can be if you make any items in your shop with rounded edges. On projects like band saw boxes or decorative mirror/ picture frames, the WEN 6510T tabletop sander is a game-changer.
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Don’t be fooled (like I was at first glance) by its compact design. This benchtop spindle sander is both compact and powerful. It provides a stable work surface and is up to the task of quickly sanding and shaping woods of all types. And thanks to its oscillating design, you’ll get more use out of each sanding drum you use since it’s constantly moving up and down as you sand your work-piece.
Use With Scroll Saws, Band Saws and Jig Saws
If the kind of work you see yourself doing now or in the future involves the use of a scroll saw, band saw, or jigsaw – than you’re going to need a way to smooth out those surfaces efficiently. If that’s you, try using a quality oscillating spindle sander like this one. You’ll soon agree that it’s one of the best woodworking tools you own.
Let’s face it, nobody likes to sand wood by hand. It’s the slowest and most challenging way to produce an acceptable finish on your work. Sanding by hand takes time and no small amount of effort. It’s the one shop task most woodworkers – from the newest to most experienced – would agree is the part they least enjoy and would like to avoid as much as possible.
The thing is… a quality sanding job is vital to quality work. There’s just no getting around it. But now you can make that work far easier whenever you need to sand various curves.
What the WEN Spindle Sander Offers
The WEN oscillating spindle sander comes with a powerful ½ horsepower 3.5 amp motor that delivers 58 oscillations per minute and 2000 RPMs. Each oscillating stroke measures 5/8 of an inch. It’s solid too with a worktable made from cast iron.
There’s a built-in dust collection attachment on the WEN spindle sander to help keep your work area clear. It comes loaded with six sleeves of different sizes and sanding drums provided in different sizes, including: ½, ¾, 1, 1½, 2 and 3 inch sizes. In addition to the variety of sanding drums supplied, you also get the correct size of table insert plates to match each drum.
The base of the spindle sander provides storage for the multiple sanding discs and table inserts that are not in use at any given time.
Numerous Options Available
When considering the WEN 6510T spindle sander, be aware that there are numerous variations available for purchase. For example, you can purchase this machine with a beveling table or you can purchase the stationary table version along with a sanding belt “eraser”. The eraser is a fabulous accessory that when used periodically, actually cleans out any build-up on your sanding drum, extending its lifespan.
Another option is to purchase the stationary table model with a second set of sanding sleeves. After all, you’re going to need them at some point anyway. One more available package deal is to combine the spindle sander with a second machine – combination benchtop belt sander and disc sanding machine – for better all-around sanding functionality.
Hand Sanding? There’s Just No Comparison
If you’ve ever had to finish the inside of a round or oval picture frame by hand, you will really appreciate having a quality spindle sander like the WEN for your next similar task. It only makes sense – particularly if you have more than one piece to sand.
It works great on odd shapes, various contours, numerous curves and arcs too. For many projects, there’s no other tool that can do the job and the only other option is sanding by hand. With the fixed table (or the angled table locked in at 90 degrees) you can be sure that you’re getting a nice perpendicular cut. A decent spindle sander will smooth the entire surface. It even helps to shape pieces quite easily. That’s good to know if you use a band saw regularly.
Expands Your Capabilities
Having one of these sanders in your shop certainly increases the versatility of projects you can create. It also makes it a breeze to sand what you may have had to do by hand – or with inferior equipment. Nothing beats a quality spindle sander for the specific use in which this piece of equipment was designed.
Compact With A Sizable Work Table
When you’re looking at purchasing an oscillating spindle sander, it’s important to make note of the size of the worktable. In this case, the WEN table measures 11.5 inches x 15 inches. This gives you adequate space and support for any home restoration or craft work you would be taking on.
What you’ll discover with the WEN spindle sander is that it provides a sturdy base that makes sanding inside rounds easy. Of course, you’re not limited to inside arcs – but this is where you’ll find a spindle sander simply can’t be beat. The cast-iron tabletop provides plenty of stability without making the whole device excessively heavy. This means that you can pick it up and take it with you wherever you want to set up your next sanding station – inside or outside.
If you’re worried about the durability of this spindle sander – worry no more. Numerous past buyers report having owned a WEN spindle sander for as many as for five years – without any problem. In fact, years later their sanders were working just as well as when they were new.
Use Caution With Smaller Pieces
One important thing to note is that you have to be careful when working with small pieces. That’s due to the power the motor. Small pieces can quickly be grabbed and thrown out of your hands. Or they can get jammed on the table insert. This won’t be an issue most of the time. But if you’re working with miniature pieces, it’s something to be aware of before proceeding.
Turn on the machine and you’ll notice that it spins in one direction and as it is spinning, it also oscillates with a 5/8 inch stroke maximizing the lifespan of every sanding drum you use.
Some people have complained about their dust collection system not being a perfect match to the port provided on the Wen spindle sander. But there’s an easy solution. All you have to do is pick up an adjustable rubber pipe connector. These should be available from your local building supply or plumbing warehouse. Connectors come in many different sizes and are equipped with a stainless steel band clamp on each end to secure a connection to the sander and your dust collection system or vacuum.
Pros
- Great value from the least expensive benchtop spindle sander
- It’s virtually identical to some other sanders in the market – yet less expensive
- Table is machined flat and is square to the spindle shaft (which is the key to getting perfect results from most sanding tasks)
- Dust collection works well
- It’s a well-made spindle sander
- Includes a wrench for the spindle nut
- Does not get bogged down even during continuous sanding operations on thick hardwood – such as is the case with band saw boxes
- Does not vibrate excessively like some sanders do
- You would have to pay considerably more money to get a more robust spindle sander
- Multiple diameter choices of spindles
- Substantial motor provides more than enough power
- Set up is easy (just select the proper sanding cylinder and slide the sleeve over the top and secure it)
- It’s relatively lightweight and therefore easy to move around the shop, or to put into storage and bring back out when you need it
- Large and solid work surface
- Works quickly and efficiently to not just sand edges but to shape them too
- Handles any kind of hardwood easily
- Ideal for shops where space is limited
- Robust in its operation
Cons
- Finish of the table is a little rough (though it can be easily smoothed by applying light coat of paste wax to the surface)
- It’s kind of noisy so you should wear earplugs (as you should with most shop power tools)
- It would be nice if they provided space for the extra washers while they’re not in use
- The top surface can rust easily if exposed to any moisture in the air
- Table plate inserts are just slightly recessed below the surface of the table, making sanding small parts more challenging
- Top is not solid cast-iron but ribbed (so it’s not as solid as it may appear, but this also makes it easier to more from one spot to another)
The Verdict
For certain sanding applications, a quality drum sander can make all the difference. And the WEN spindle center makes quick and accurate work of sanding a full range of rounded edges. And that’s the real benefit to using a quality spindle sander like this one. It makes things so much easier.
Although it’s designed for the homeowner and weekend woodworker – professional craftspeople, tradesmen, as well as contractors – may also find this spindle sander a useful addition too. It’s a solid tool and one in which we have zero hesitation to recommend to you.