Abstract: Two juxtaposed sanding belts are pressed against a surface of a wood workpiece which is being fed on a table in a direction. The sanding belts are simultaneously reciprocally moved in mutually opposite directions along the workpiece feeding direction, thereby sanding the workpiece surface. Each of the sanding belts is oriented in a direction transverse to the feeding direction. The sanding belts are pressed against the workpiece surface by respective pads each having a pressing surface complementary in shape to the workpiece surface being sanded.