Possessed Belt Sander
By Frank Gresser
My neighbor was sanding a newly created veneer and inlay tabletop when disaster struck.With the switch of his belt sander locked in the On position, he was giving the top the finishing touches. Just then his 2,500-watt electric heater kicked on, tripping the circuit breaker and killing power to everything in his garage shop, including the lights.He fumbled in the darkness for the door, went downstairs to the circuit panel and flipped the breaker.He didn’t hear the grinding and banging until he was at the top of the stairs.
Racing to the garage and throwing open the door he saw his locked-On belt sander clawing its way across the new tabletop, ramming itself against the back of the workbench, then spinning around for another run. Ouch.
This story originally appeared in American Woodworker Fall 2000, issue #83.
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