How to sand long edges with Ridgid Spindle Sander

[Walter Cleeson]

I got one of these sanders for Christmas and I have been playing scrap wood. I have tried using the belt sander attachment to sand long edges (3 - 4 feet) without much luck. Part of the problem is that the platen rounds over on the leading and trailing edges which can cause dips if too much pressure is applied. Is it "supposed" to be used this way or am I trying to do something I shouldn't.

Roland Johnson on the Finewoodworking site demonstrates a fence he made that fits over a drum with a small opening for the drum to peek through. He uses that to sand a long edge. Looks like a good idea.
Is that the best way to approach this?

Any suggestions appreciated.

Thank you.

-Walter

[Joe Scharle]

Takes a 'touchy-feely' approach that comes with a little practice to develop a feel for the amount of pressure needed. And the need to 'pull off' slightly when re-positioning the hands. I took a 4 foot piece of scrap when I got mine and after 10-15 minutes had the feel. However, it's designed for short pieces.

[Gene Howe]

You could use that fence method with the largest sleeve. Maybe make it 6-8" longer on the out feed side. But, I don't know about making one for the belt sander. Might work.

[Paul Ryan]

You can use it, but as others have stated it takes learning how the sander feels. I suggest a hand sander though. I have a hand sander that is about as long as a #5 jack plane that works great for long flat surfaces.

[Walter Cleeson]

Thanks guys. I wound up making a fence with an opening for the large spindle and it works great for the long stuff. Still gotta practice a bit more on the belt attachment.


-Walter

[glenn bradley]

I do this on a DP.

137014

I have the Ridgid as well and don't do long stuff on it but, if I did I might try a miter slot mounted featherboard.

[glenn bradley]

I do this on a DP.

137014

I have the Ridgid as well and don't do long stuff on it but, if I did I might try a miter slot mounted featherboard or both.

[Walter Cleeson]

Glenn, that is almost exactly what my fence looks like. Just a 2x4 with a hole over the spindle. Seems to work great. The trick is to not expose too much of the spindle or press too hard or there will be divots.

[Jason White]

Having tried that with less than stellar results, I've found it better to use a pattern bit in my router along with a straight-edge.

Jason



I got one of these sanders for Christmas and I have been playing scrap wood. I have tried using the belt sander attachment to sand long edges (3 - 4 feet) without much luck. Part of the problem is that the platen rounds over on the leading and trailing edges which can cause dips if too much pressure is applied. Is it "supposed" to be used this way or am I trying to do something I shouldn't.

Roland Johnson on the Finewoodworking site demonstrates a fence he made that fits over a drum with a small opening for the drum to peek through. He uses that to sand a long edge. Looks like a good idea.
Is that the best way to approach this?

Any suggestions appreciated.

Thank you.

-Walter

[David DeCristoforo]

Drums are not the best for sanding straight edges. Try clamping a "fence" on the table and running the stock between the fence and the drum. You might also want some featherboards to keep the stock tight against the fence.