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A sanding apparatus for finishing an exterior surface of an elongated work piece includes a support structure, a belt-sander, and a mounting bracket to movably mount the belt-sander to the support structure. The bracket is attached to the belt-sander and includes a guide mechanism movably mounted to

A sanding apparatus for finishing an exterior surface of an elongated work piece includes a support structure, a belt-sander, and a mounting bracket to movably mount the belt-sander to the support structure. The bracket is attached to the belt-sander and includes a guide mechanism movably mounted to one or more guide rails of the support structure. The bracket also includes a hinge mechanism that permits the belt-sander to pivot between a first position where an abrasive surface of the belt-sander does not contact the exterior surface of the work piece, and a second position where the abrasive surface contacts the exterior surface of the work piece. In operation, a user moves the belt-sander along the guide rails while the abrasive surface contacts the exterior surface of the work piece to smooth the exterior surface of the work piece.

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What is claimed is: 1. A sanding apparatus for finishing an exterior surface of an elongated work piece comprising: a belt-sander having an abrasive surface to contact an exterior surface of an elongated work piece; a support structure comprising: a first guide rail positioned above the belt-sander

What is claimed is: 1. A sanding apparatus for finishing an exterior surface of an elongated work piece comprising: a belt-sander having an abrasive surface to contact an exterior surface of an elongated work piece; a support structure comprising: a first guide rail positioned above the belt-sander; and a second guide rail positioned behind the belt-sander; and a mounting bracket fixedly mounted to the belt-sander and configured to movably connect the belt-sander to the first and second guide rails such that the belt-sander moves along a longitudinal axis of the elongated work piece, the mounting bracket comprising: a first guide mechanism having a first guide wheel configured to move along a horizontal surface of the first guide rail; a second guide mechanism having a second guide wheel configured to move along a vertical surface of the second guide rail; and a hinge configured to allow the belt-sander to pivot between a first position where the abrasive surface is not in contact with the exterior surface of the elongated work piece, and a second position where the abrasive surface contacts the exterior surface of the elongated work piece in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the elongated work piece. 2. The sanding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the belt-sander further comprises a drive motor that moves with the belt-sander along the first and second guide rails, and pivots with the belt-sander between the first and second positions. 3. The sanding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first guide rail is disposed to support the belt-sander above the elongated work piece, and the second guide rail is disposed adjacent a back end of the belt-sander. 4. The sanding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and second guide wheels move along the first and second guide rails, respectively, such that the belt-sander is supported above and moves along the longitudinal axis of the elongated work piece. 5. The sanding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the mounting bracket comprises first and second plates hingedly connected by the hinge, and wherein the first and second guide wheels are attached to the first plate. 6. The sanding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the mounting bracket further comprises a plurality of pivot members that pivotably connect the belt sander to the first guide mechanism that movably mounts the belt-sander to the first guide rail. 7. The sanding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the mounting bracket further comprises one or more counterbalance members connected to the belt-sander to counter the weight of the belt-sander in the first and second positions. 8. The sanding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the belt-sander travels along the first and second guide rails while the abrasive surface is in contact with the exterior surface of the elongated work piece. 9. The sanding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the elongated work piece comprises a column, and wherein the abrasive surface is configured to remove a seam from the exterior surface of the column when the belt-sander is in the second position. 10. A sanding apparatus for finishing an exterior surface of an elongated work piece comprising: a support structure having first and second guide rails; a belt-sander having an abrasive surface to contact an exterior surface of an elongated work piece, the belt-sander being pivotable between a first position where the abrasive surface is not in contact with the exterior surface of the elongated work piece, and a second position where the abrasive surface is in contact with the exterior surface of the work piece in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the elongated work piece; a mounting bracket fixedly mounted to the belt-sander and configured to movably connect the belt-sander to the first and second guide rails such that the belt-sander moves along the first and second guide rails and along the longitudinal axis of the elongated work piece; and the mounting bracket comprising a counterbalance member connected to the belt-sander and configured to counter the weight of the belt-sander in the first and second positions. 11. The sanding apparatus of claim 10 wherein the first and second guide rails are disposed such that the first guide rail has a longitudinal axis that is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the second guide rail. 12. The sanding apparatus of claim 11 wherein the mounting bracket comprises a guide mechanism that movably connects the belt-sander to the first and second guide rails, and wherein the guide mechanism comprises first and second guide wheels that move along the longitudinal axes of the first and second guide rails, respectively, such that the belt-sander is supported above and moves along the longitudinal axis of the elongated work piece. 13. The sanding apparatus of claim 12 wherein the mounting bracket further comprises first and second plates hingedly connected by a hinge, and wherein the first guide wheel interconnects the first plate to the first guide rail to support the belt-sander above the elongated work piece, and the second guide wheel interconnects the second plate with the second guide rail. 14. The sanding apparatus of claim 13 wherein the first and second plates pivot about the hinge to permit the belt-sander to pivot between the first and second positions. 15. The sanding apparatus of claim 13 wherein the mounting bracket further comprises a plurality of pivot members configured to pivotably attach the belt-sander to a guide mechanism that movably connects the belt-sander to the first guide rail. 16. The sanding apparatus of claim 10 wherein the belt-sander further comprises a drive motor that moves with the belt-sander along the first and second guide rails, and pivots with the belt-sander between the first and second positions with the belt-sander. 17. The finishing apparatus of claim 10 wherein the belt-sander travels along the first and second guide rails while the abrasive surface is in contact with the exterior surface of the work piece.