Flat Master v Drum Sander

[Bill Bulloch]

I saw this at the Wood Working Show this weekend: http://www.theonlinewoodshow.com/show/company.php?number=20102&cat=1&prod=DVD001

It looked good during the demonstration and the price seems right, but I am wondering if it would really work to flatting segmented rings. Does anyone have experience with it.

[Rob Cunningham]

I think it would flatten one side, but there's no way to make the other side parallel.

[Jeff Nicol]

These type of sanders are meant to be used after the board has been planed to a thickness of your choosing. They are great for removing any of the marks or grooves left by the planer. They are not intended for thickness sanding just finish sanding. By adding a fence you can sand edges for glue up and other operations. I have all the stuff in my shop to build one but have not yet got it completed, I think it will work well for me in many of my projects.

My 2 pennies,

Jeff

[Robert McGowen]

I think it would flatten one side, but there's no way to make the other side parallel.

You only need to flatten one side. The other side would be done on the lathe and that would make the surfaces parallel.

The concept looks like it would work. The issues that I have would be sliding a glued up ring over the drum without it tipping on a spot of dried glue and making an uneven surface. It seems like you would have to go over it over and over in order to completely level out the surface. It also says that there is no change of depth adjustment, that you change the grit in order to change the depth of cut, i.e. a coarser grit makes a deeper cut. If you just need to take a smidgeon off, it looks like you are going to have to take a full depth cut or start changing out sandpaper. Just from the viewpoint of segmented work, I am going to stick with a disc sander. YMMV

[Thom Sturgill]

From what I've read, one method of work for segmented pieces is:
1) Create and true base
2) make 1 ring and true one side
3) glue ring on assembly (on lathe)
4) true assembly after glue cures
5) repeat from 2 until you reach a stopping point

Using this method, I would think that this device would work quite well at truing one side of the ring. You don't need to worry about the other side being parallel as that will be taken care of once you re-true the the assembly on the lathe to prepare it for the next ring.

On the other hand, if you glue up multiple rings as a sub-assembly, this probably would not work as well. You would have to use a carriage to send it through a planer to make the faces of each ring (and the sub-assembly) parallel. Then this device would finish sand the faces prior to glue-up.

Of course, you can take that with a grain of sand as its based on readings not practical experience. I done a few segmented collars so far, but thats all.

[Bill Bulloch]

I think it would flatten one side, but there's no way to make the other side parallel.

Actually, at they do have away to parallel the board. They don't show it in this video, but at the WW Show they did. It is a vacuum attachment that holds the flatten end of the ring that you slid across a hight adjustmment on the available fence that is adjusted to the desired thickness. Looks like it would take many, many passes to accomplish it though. Probably getting it parallel would be better accomplished on the lathe.

My concern is along the lines that Robert pointed out: " It seems like you would have to go over it over and over in order to completely level out the surface". Still, it looked interesting at the demonstration.

[Robert McGowen]

Here is another way to look at it.

I value my time. (even though I just RETIRED - repeat gloat!) You may not, I don't know.

As you are starting this project from scratch, the kit is going to cost around $300 by the time you get it in your hands, some extra sandpaper, shipping, etc. It comes with the plans to build the sander.

So you get the wood, hardware, and motor purchased. Add another $150 for materials. You are up to $450.

It takes you a weekend or 16 hours to build. (YOU are NOT retired like me, so you only have weekends.... extra repeat gloat!) At $20 an hour, that is another $320 in time.

So you have at least $770 tied up in your homemade sander. I say "homemade" not as a detraction from its ability to do the job, but to say that the re-sale value, if it does not do what you want it to do, is probably about 1/2 of whatever the motor costs.

For $770, you could get your choice of any 12" disc sander out there, have a few hundred left over in cash, easily sell it if you needed to, and an entire weekend free to do whatever with.

I personally value my time at more than $20, would have to make 3 trips to the store when I forgot a part, and it wouldn't work correctly when I was finished, so I might have a $1000 invested in a cool table to store blanks on!

YMMV

[Dave Ogren]

Bill,

How does Malcomb Tibbetts do it ???

Good Luck,

Dave

[Mike Spanbauer]

20" disc sander for segments, and a 25" Performax drum sander for entire rings I believe.

mike

[Thom Sturgill]

Here is another way to look at it. <snip>

For $770, you could get your choice of any 12" disc sander out there, have a few hundred left over in cash, easily sell it if you needed to, and an entire weekend free to do whatever with.


Or, if you are limiting yourself to 12" you could just buy this (http://www.grizzly.com/products/12-Baby-Drum-Sander/G0459):
http://cdn4.grizzly.com/pics/jpeg288/g/g0459.jpg

[Bill Bulloch]

Bill,

How does Malcomb Tibbetts do it ???

Good Luck,

Dave


Malcomb has all the toys...and probably has done it every way possible plus some.

[Walt Helms]

Bill;

I would still vote for a drum sander...:D

[Dave Mueller]

Guys,

I built one of these and use it quite often. Rob and Jeff are right in that it is designed to just flatten one side, but it doeas a really good job. I don't use it much for turning projects (I'm not into segmented turning...yet) but it is great for removing planer ripples. Also, it will not burn the wood if set up right because it is designed to not touch the wood when off, but will throw the sandpaper out by centrifugal force. Because the paper is held by hook & loop, there is some "give", so it just kisses the wood when sanding. Changing sandpaper is a snap...takes about 30 seconds.

If you build one, just make sure the top is very flat. The resulting sanded surface will be no flatter than the top. I made a thin torsion box top using my table saw top as a reference base. The only challenge is to make the cut out for the drum and pulley. On his website, he shows how to cut out for the drum, but forgets to mention the bottom relief for the pulley and bearings.

If you want to make one, let me know if you have any questions.

Dave