Buy or build thickness sander

[Jay Knoll]

Hi everyone

Anyone get the latest issue of Shop Notes? I read the article on the shop built thickness sander and then later saw Doug Webb's post on his new Grizzly "baby".

Started me thinking ------ Shop Notes says that the parts/materials for their version will be "about $200"

At my slow working pace I'd probably have to spend 40 hours to build the puppy

And then if I want to use it, I have to take the blade off my table saw, mount a pulley, put the sanding unit in place etc. and then reassemble the saw and get everything square again.

Compare that to the cost of the Grizzly "baby" at $425 and I'm starting to think that it is a no brainer to save some bucks until I can afford that (or the Performax 10/20 (I think). And use the time to build something for SWMBO!

Shop Notes has some interesting ideas but I think building your own power tools isn't one of them. What do you think?

Jay

[Martin Shupe]

Jay, I agree with you completely, and that's why I cancelled my subscription.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

I haven't see the issue, but if I was going to build my own thickness sander it would have it's own motor :)

[Mike Circo]

A buddy of mine got a Delta drum stander recently. Until we set it up and played with it for a day I did not realize that this tool was such a precision instrument. Half a crank too much on the elevation, and you burn a divot in the wood. Half a turn too much on the bed leveling and you sand a trapazoid. Not something I'd feel confident in making myself.

I'll stick to buying my tools. These types of projects are strictly for folks who take on the task as a challenge to their time and skills and not as much as getting a tool cheap.

[Frank Pellow]

I am planning to make my own (with it's own motor). But it's because of the challenge and fun of making it and not becuase I am going to save any money.

A downside to making my own is that i nver seem to get around to doing so becuase other projects are always higher on my (long) list. Here is a thread from almost two years ago, where I talked about making a V-Drum sander: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=7887

[Tyler Howell]

Could be an adventure.
But that's what you have to want. I'm amazed the tool, gizmos and jiggs some of these creekers and other handy persons whip up in their shops.
If you want a precision tool then I would spend the bucks.

[David Fried]

Started me thinking ------ Shop Notes says that the parts/materials for their version will be "about $200"

Jay,

I picked up my used Performx 16/32 for $225 so I don't think you're really saving money building that one.



And then if I want to use it, I have to take the blade off my table saw, ... and get everything square again.


You have to square things everytime you do a blade change?


Dave Fried

[Jay Knoll]

Jay,

I picked up my used Performx 16/32 for $225 so I don't think you're really saving money building that one.



You have to square things every time you do a blade change?


Dave Fried

Dave -- I don't know, maybe I should have said, I'll have to check if everything is square after I change the blade! All I have is a little Dewalt bench top 10" saw, and it seems that it goes out of square just sitting in the garage/shop! I check it each time I use it (which is less and less these days) and sometimes it is fine and other times it needs to be "tweaked". I just assumed that taking off the blade, putting on a pulley, taking off the pulley and putting the blade back on would cause something to go awry

Jay

[Jim Young]

I read through the articel and figured this will never work for me. Just getting the drum flat so you don't have uneven boards looks like a pain. I'm a firm believer that I should buy the tools and leave more time to work on my own projects, the few hours I get in the shop are precious.

[Scott Parks]

About five years ago, I salvaged a motor, pulleys, and spindles from a used treadmill to make a thickness sander. Well.... The parts are still sitting in boxes in the shop. I've decided that it would be too hard to get precision out of it. Since I have a planer and a RO sander, there's been no need to build one....

[doug webb]

Jay..My brother in law and I built a v drum sander from a kit and plans i bought. Saving money was one aspect as Griz didn't offer the baby drum at that time. The idea was to build the surface sander [ the v- drum] above the drum and build a thickness sander below the drum. While I enjoy working on things such as this, I like feeling that it will be worthwhile. When we finished the surface sander part, which works fine, I had decided there were too many varibles involved in making the thickness sander. Too many things would have had to be right, with adjustment when they wern't. So, I have a very large surface sander { drum 30 inches ] that i will seldom use since I got the baby drum.....cost of kit, motor, sandpaper, etc. probably ran close to what I paid for the Griz. All in all not worth me doing again.If Griz had been 6 months earlier I wouldn't have done it at all..... doug

[Norman Hitt]

C'mon now guys, where's your "Daring Spirit"/Ingenuity and perseverance gone?:( I'll bet Ole Stu Ablett could knock that Li'l Ole Thang out in a couple of Evenin's, 'n probably for less than 50 Bucks.:D

That article brought back Fond Memories of the Floor Sander and Table Saw my Dad and I built when I was a youngster, AND the large Stroke Sander, (which worked perfectly) that a few of us students and our teacher built for our College wood shop my Freshman year.

[tod evans]

this is something that i researched heavly several years back and what i determined was that unless a fellow has access to a machine shop and an industrial salvage yard his time is better spent earning the money to buy one with the bugs worked out......02 tod

[Mike Cutler]

Jay,

I picked up my used Performx 16/32 for $225 so I don't think you're really saving money building that one.
You have to square things everytime you do a blade change?


Dave Fried

Geez David. It sounds like you almost stole that sander.:eek:

Jay. I personally don't have anything against "shop made tools", but it has been my experience that over the years they tend to wear out or get "off".
Some folks that have a heavy machinist background, and access to metal fabrication/milling machines have the ability to make things out of steel, that will last, stay dimensionally stable over the years, and save money, if we discount the time investment involved. Envy aside, I think they are the ones that can really save $$$ making their own machines.

I'm sure that the Shop Notes sander will work. I would only question for how long, before it was replaced with a "store bought" machine. I'd personally put the $200.00 towards a store bought sander, or see if Keith Outten still has that 24" sander for sale, that he was selling last year.

[Brad Kimbrell]

C'mon now guys, where's your "Daring Spirit"/Ingenuity and perseverance gone?:( I'll bet Ole Stu Ablett could knock that Li'l Ole Thang out in a couple of Evenin's, 'n probably for less than 50 Bucks.:D

That article brought back Fond Memories of the Floor Sander and Table Saw my Dad and I built when I was a youngster, AND the large Stroke Sander, (which worked perfectly) that a few of us students and our teacher built for our College wood shop my Freshman year.

What is the purpose of a stroke sander and are they safe to use? I have considered building the vertical belt sander in a previous shop-notes. I've gathered all of the parts but they have been sitting on a shelf in the shop for some time. Too many others with higher priority in the queue.

[Per Swenson]

Jay,

I get in to this argument all the time.

This week it was a trailer. The conversation went like this...

Me.. I need a trailer, 16' x 6' dual wheels, 6500 to 8000lbs capacity.

Workin buddy... Jeez Per, Freakin build one. We can get the steel for

free, we have a welder, all we need is the axles, brakes lights and tires!

Sound great right? Forget it.

I need to pick up the parts = time, gas, money

I need to build it= time

I have to pay you or owe you time plus lunch and dinner.

I have to paint it with por = time plus alot of money.

(POR is $20 a quart)

So my Free build it your self buddy trailer is really gonna

cost me about $ 3500 to $4000. Remember I pay myself.

Or I could go to the guy on route 23 and buy one for $1500

and roll it home with tags.

I spend money to save.

Per

[Norman Hitt]

What is the purpose of a stroke sander and are they safe to use? I have considered building the vertical belt sander in a previous shop-notes. I've gathered all of the parts but they have been sitting on a shelf in the shop for some time. Too many others with higher priority in the queue.

Brad, we built the Stroke sander in late '57 or very early '58, and there were no Wide Belt sanders around back then, and honestly, I don't know if there were even any large drum sanders. We had a sliding table under it to move the workpiece in and out under the belt, and used a hand held platen with a handle on top of it to press the belt down on the workpiece and we could flatten/smooth glued up or rough panels very quickly, and with the proper belt on, eliminate any hand sanding as well. We primarily made it to use to sand the maple desk tops for all the rooms in the dorms that had been collecting carved initials for so many years that there was hardly an inch that was smooth enough for writing.

[Keith Outten]

There are many reasons to consider building your own machines, there are also good reasons to purchase a commercial product. I have built several machines through the years, most were for the simple enjoyment of building my own and not just to save money.

I have a custom machine project in my near future. I plan to build a very large Legacy Mill style machine to produce custom columns. Before I get started acquiring the necessary materials I need to modify my shop space to make room for the new machine.

[Brad Townsend]

About five years ago, I salvaged a motor, pulleys, and spindles from a used treadmill to make a thickness sander. Well.... The parts are still sitting in boxes in the shop. I've decided that it would be too hard to get precision out of it. Since I have a planer and a RO sander, there's been no need to build one....
I've been threatening to do that with my treadmill for several months now. My wife says I might as well. I would get more excercise tearing it apart than I ever got using it.:D:D

[Don Martindale]

There are a lot of plans around for drum sanders. The mimf has several, but the one based off of ukeleles.com is about the simplest, most cost effective, & hardest to screw up that I've seen. I've helped build a couple, & used them, & they work fine & accurately(they were all bigger than the one on the site). The only drawback is that it is self-feed, but after you use it, you find that this is a non-issue (at least we have). If you have access to used motors, the cost will be considerably less too......don

[Jack Coats]

It depends on the individuals interest as to whether DIY tools are a good deal or not. If time is not an issue, you have no 'production schedule' to keep, and saving money is prime, and you enjoy that thing, DIY tools are great. If you need to 'get out production', spending money on tools is a no brainer (saves your TIME and effort to do things more business or $$ worthy).

A couple of years ago I went through this discussion big time on mechmate.com forums on the virtues of building a mechmate CNC vs buying a shopbot CNC or other similar machine. And it really depends on your needs, situation, and circumstances. There is always the time vs $$ tradeoff, and the 'fast, good, cheap, pick 2' decision to be made.

No one answer is right for everyone. ... for me, it is some of each. Not that I don't drool over the high $$, big power tools in a conditioned shop the size of a blimp hanger, but that is not my situation.

[Tony Shaftel]

After a lot of thought I come down on the side of building my own after I retire next year. I've read a number of articles and posts from people who have done it successfully, and it appears that from 'fast, good, cheap, pick 2' you can be comfortable about achieving good and cheap(er, at least). Of course, I do enjoy the challenge. Another factor for me has been reading many posts about setup or other issues with the purchased models. Many owners are happy with their purchased sanders but it does seem to me that they can be finicky. So it's build for me.

[Mike Heidrick]

Resale value may also play into a decision maybe.

[Alan Schaffter]

I consider myself the ultimate tinkerer- shop-built fully automatic DC with DIY cyclone, autogates, adjustable height assembly table and woodworking benches, stowing I-beam hoist, designed the I-BOX, just licensed another design, etc. etc. but I only gave passing thought to building a drum sander.

First, lets take a step back. Except in the case of luthiers who deal with thin stock to begin with, a "thickness" "sander" is a misnomer. As the real name implies, drum "sanders" and even wide belt "sanders" are primarily "sanders". They are not and can not be realistically used to thickness rough stock- they remove way too little material per pass. For some machines, 1/32" (1/4 turn of the crank) with coarse grit and 1/64" (1/8 turn of the crank) for fine grits is about the max it will remove per pass. (both figures apply to my 5 hp 24" sander and a new little 1.5 hp 10" Grizzly).

Quality, durability, capability, etc. etc.- new or used will be better than DIY.

Cost- If you look you can find good deals on used equipment. I picked up a 24" 5 hp Grizzly dual drum sander for just a few hundred. It was a mess, but after cleaning and adjusting it, I had much more of a machine that I could ever build for that price! The cost of a 5 hp drum motor and the slow speed gear motor for the conveyor is more than I paid for the machine. The cost of a good, rubber conveyor belt can be very expensive- a replacement 24" wide conveyor belt for my Grizzly is over $350!!!

[Dave Aronson]

Everyone keeps pointing to picking up cheap used drum sanders. For some reason they never seem to appear in my area (I've been watching for about a year now). The only ones that show up are way over priced and look like they have been through a war. So I have the option of buying a new one for a minimum of $900 or build one that may take me forever to get to be dead on.

[Kevin Bourque]

Why build your own machinery. Thats why we have China.

[Rich Riddle]

I own a book entitled "Shop-Built Machines" published by Woodsmith Custom Woodworking. It lacks plans for a planer but has some tools I plan to build, one in the near future. I want to build the slow-speed grinder that has it's own stand (they show how to build one attached to a table saw). The also have a couple of sanders that look good. I am not sure my skills would suffice to build a planer.

[John Lifer]

They show up.. I bought a Performax, pre Jet 16-32 for $350, spent about $50 extra going out of the way to pick it up (detoured thru Memphis on trip to MS) There was a Delta for $250 recently in OK, Seen several for $400 to $450 over past few months. All way less than $900. Just remember these things are a SANDER not planer.