Has anyone made a sanding drum to use on the lathe?

[Jack Gaskins]

I want to make some spatulas and spoons for our kitchen. I dont have a belt sander or drum sander so I was thinking of making a drum to fit on the lathe. I was thinking of making one using 3 or 4 inch shc 40 PVC from Lowes and buying some adhesive backed industrial strength velcro to stick around it then buy the rolls of sp from Klingspor. I was going to plug the ends up with whatever wood scraps I have and put a face plate on one end. Just wondering if anyone has made something like this and if you would use the PVC or all Wood? Do you guys think that the adhesive back industrial strength velcro would hold up? Wonder why none of the lathe accessory makers havent made a drum kit for a lathe yet?


Thank, Jack.

[David DeCristoforo]

It will totally work. The "industrial grade, adhesive backed" velcro is killer and will "hold up" just fine. That is, after all, what many drum sanders use. You can also use an inflatable drum if it has a shaft you can grab with a drill chuck. Tailstock is very useful here!

[Rick Markham]

I've seen several articles in the past online that people have posted on the internet, can't recall any threads on SMC off the top of my head. Please take pics if you build one Jack. I've wondered how you keep from just firing the board out of the other side (or towards you.) I would imagine being careful is an important aspect of preventing that, but I've been known to not do "not so smart" things in the past so I have to take things like that into consideration.

[Kevin Bourque]

I screw a drill chuck onto the live end, and I fasten an inflatable sander drum into it. If you want something longer you could use the dead center to hold the back end.

[Jack Gaskins]

I've seen several articles in the past online that people have posted on the internet, can't recall any threads on SMC off the top of my head. Please take pics if you build one Jack. I've wondered how you keep from just firing the board out of the other side (or towards you.) I would imagine being careful is an important aspect of preventing that, but I've been known to not do "not so smart" things in the past so I have to take things like that into consideration.

I wasnt going to use mine for thicknessing, just like you would use the small arbor type sanding drums on the grinder motors like grizzlly sells but a bit larger. If the piece gets grabed out of my hand it will hit the plywood enclosure I have around the back of the lathe. Probably make me piss my pants if that happens!

[Lloyd Keniston]

You could try this one.
http://www.stwt.org/drumsander.pdf

[Richard Madden]

Here's an excellent article on a drum sander. http://www.smithart.us/ . Go to misc. and downloads...bottom of page. I made one and it works great, although I haven't used it much. My intent was to use it for flattening segmented rings.

[Jack Gaskins]

Here's an excellent article on a drum sander. http://www.smithart.us/ . Go to misc. and downloads...bottom of page. I made one and it works great, although I haven't used it much. My intent was to use it for flattening segmented rings.


Thanks for the Link. Although I am just looking for suggestions on the drum itself. I dont plan on making a thickness sander. Just a spinning drum for free hand sanding.

Jack

[Terry Beadle]

I bought an inflatable sander for intarsia projects several years ago. You can pump it up with a bike tire pump. Works pretty well with odd shaped pieces.

Some thing to think about.

I made a 5 1/2 inch disk with leather on the out side edge for honing the turning tools etc. Works well with some green rouge.
The disk is about 1 inch thick.

[Wally Wenzel]

Hi Jack I made several drum sanders from 2 liter pop bottles. Dril ahole up near the neck and glue in valve stem to inflate it. make a wood block to screw to the spindle, turn out a hole to fit the bottom of the bottle does not have to fit tight at all to drive it. turn a small block to fit the cap , on the live center. I made several and use regular sand paper, spray with spray adhesive. To change paper apply a little more pressure to warm the paper and it will pull right off.

[Jack Gaskins]

Hi Jack I made several drum sanders from 2 liter pop bottles. Dril ahole up near the neck and glue in valve stem to inflate it. make a wood block to screw to the spindle, turn out a hole to fit the bottom of the bottle does not have to fit tight at all to drive it. turn a small block to fit the cap , on the live center. I made several and use regular sand paper, spray with spray adhesive. To change paper apply a little more pressure to warm the paper and it will pull right off.

Never would have thought about using soda bottles.