Our magazine’s workshop has needed a multipurpose sanding station for quite awhile, so I set out recently to design one using Rockler’s Rock-Steady legs and 28" and 44" stretchers for its framework. My goal for this project was pretty ambitious: I wanted it to house our Dust Right Downdraft Table, have room on top for a benchtop spindle sander when needed, plus have an ample amount of work area on top to sand longer or larger workpieces by hand or with other handheld sanders. I wanted all the sanding dust to be corralled by a single dust collector, which meant accommodating dust port connections for random-orbit and other sanders, the 21 ⁄ 2" ports of benchtop sanders and the 4" port of the downdraft table. And I intended the whole station to be mobile — casters never hurt!
Now, we all here recognize that this project is a bit aspirational for most woodworkers. Heck, you might only have one sander or very little money to spend. And judging by the very long list of components I’ve integrated into this unit (see “Hard to Find Hardware, for the almost astonishing variety of dust collection fittings and accessories you’ll find there. If you need a dust collection solution, whatever it might be, Rockler probably has it.
