Home built sanders

[Don Baer]

I know this has been discussed before but the latest issue of Shop notes got me thinking about it again. The issue has a how to build this 16" sander powered from the table saw. Since I still have the table top saw I used to use before I got my Jet TS I started thinging about building one of these.
http://www.shopnotes.com/images/issues/086/thickness-sander-large.jpg

Anyone out there have any other plans that might work ? Or pictures of units that you have built.

[Jim Becker]

Specifically discussed just a few days ago...err...yesterday!

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=31857&highlight=drum

[Keith Beck]

Don,

I've been thinking about making one also. Here are some plans I've collected that may help you out. I hope I'm not breaking any rules by posting these:

http://www.rockslide.org/drum%20sander.html

http://www.southwestsegments.com/drumsander/

http://www.ukuleles.com/BuildingHowTo/sandthck.html

http://blackcreekstrings.homestead.com/Sander.html

http://www.stockroomsupply.com/V_Drum_Sander.php

http://www.nicks.ca/Toolkits.html

Let us know how it goes if you do build one.

Keith

[Gary Sutherland]

Don...

I just don't know why they designed it to run off the table saw. What a hassle. You could probably find an old motor for $25 that could be built into it.

Gary

[Don Baer]

Thanks guys for the info.

Sorry about bringing up something thats was discussed so recently but I was out of town the past week so I haven't had much of a chance to catch up on the forum.


Don...

I just don't know why they designed it to run off the table saw. What a hassle. You could probably find an old motor for $25 that could be built into it.

Gary

Yes I could but the bench top saw is just sitting around taking up space so I figured I's just use it.

[Chris Barton]

I agree with Gary, this thing looks a little too "Rube Goldberg" for me...

[Travis Johnson]

Very interesting thread!

Myself I never really thought about building my own tooling until I purchased a Gilliom Bandsaw several months ago. I was so intrigued that I called the company and ordered a catalog. Bandsaws, tablesaws, shapers and other machines were all featured in their do it yourself kits. Pretty amazing stuff considering the size machines you get for the price.

At the same time I admit that I am a museum junkie. In Maine our heritage is pretty old and coming from the most forested state in the nation, these old museums are filled with old machinery that comprises of a lot of wooden hardware. My theory is that if my forefathers could build sawmills that ripped huge logs in half, there is no reason why we could not do the same in our own shops on a much smaller scale.

Of course there are limitations, and home-made machines spinning steel blades must have respect, but personally I am always impressed with the people who make their own safe, effecient and working woodworking machines. I certainly hope more people climb on board this small clan of do-it-yourselfers!

[fRED mCnEILL]

I built a 20 inch floor model from plans a few years ago and it never was very satisfactory. The motor (1/2 horse) wasn't powerful enough and pushing work through by hand was less than satisfactory. On top of that it took up too much room in my shop. Excluding the motor it probably cost $25 to build.

Then when I saw the plans in shop notes I decided to build it using the parts from the old one. I had to make it a little wider due to the fact my "drum" was 20 inches wide. But only slight mods were needed. I just finished it today and I'm VERY pleased with how it works. I probably spend another
$20-$25 to convert it.

Here are the pros.

1. It is small enough to store under the bench or in a corner.
2. It uses the saw motor which in my case is 5 HP so there is PLENTY of power.
3. It is no more difficult to set up than changing a sasw blade.
4. It is 20 inches wide whereas the Grizzly baby sander is only 12 in (I think)
5. Using the feed belt, which admittedly is hand operates via a crank, you can feed the work though at a constant even pace whic is necessary to get satisfactory results.
6/ It has GOOD dusk collection.

I'm pleased with this piece of equipment. It compliments the bigger stuff in my shop.(Grizzly 20 in planer, 10 inch General cabinet saw and 8 inch jointer).
Incidently I made couple of changes to the Shop notes model. Due to a bad glue up of the feed table (it was twisted-not good for getting flat work)I screwed up the first attempt so on the second one I changed the thickness of the table from 1/2 in plywood to 3/4 inch MDF. Also I found it isn't necessary to install a runner that fits into the mitre slot on the table saw because the belt from the saw to the sander keeps it aligned.

This would'nt be good for a production shop as it is too slow to adjust but for a home workshop it is ideal.

Fred Mc.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I am working on a 48" wide two drum model. I intend to use Concrete for the table for rigidity humidity resistance and weight. I may apply a laminate over the concrete for a slick surface.

I am considering whether a molded concrete body is a good idea or not. It can have inserts for pillar blocks or through holes. It can be reinforced. It would not move under various stresses or humidity.

I haven't made up my mind about hand feed or power.
I have decided that at 48" wide each drum needs its own motor. Either that or I'm going to have horsepower problems as a single 5HP is not big enough and I can't go three phase.

One consideration is whether to have the drums turn in opposite directions thereby trapping the work from being shot out and capturing the dust. That's not a big design issue as motors can be reversed or relocated.

[Rick Lizek]

I think a torsion box is a much better way to go instead of a concrete table. Torison boxes are incredibly stable. I had one stored in an unheated damp garage for five years and it stayed perfectly flat.
Not sure if you mean a hand craked type of feed versus a motorized fee but a motorized feed will give more consistent results.
I would say 5 hp on each drum would be minimum. Three phase is certainly and option with a rotary phase converter for the drum motors and a VFD for variable speed on the feed motor.

On the other hand it the machine is for sanding panels and such and you do have a bit of room I would drop the whole drum sander idea and go with a stroke sander. Drum sanders would not even be on my list. In one shop we had a widebelt and three stroke sanders. Drum sanders require going over again with a random orbit sander before finishing to remove drum marks. You can go right to finishing with a stroke sander. Abrasives are fairly inexpensive and abrasive changes are the fastest yet. I've seen industrial stoke sanders as little as $200 and 2 hp is plenty of power on a SS.

[Mark Pruitt]

I fully intend to build my own drum sander...........in the next life. Not in this one though.:p I'm with the guys who say save up and buy one!

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I have considered a stroke sander. We had one at a place where we made custom furniture years back but we almost never used it. I could trick one out easly enough with a couple of wide flat small diameter pneumatic tires such as those I use on my Scagg mower. The table is duck soup.

A stroker is more space intensive but you may be dead on about versatility.

The drum sander ought to offer fairly good thickness control for bringing lumber to be uniformly thin for musical instument construction. I have not known anyone to remark about close tolerance thickness control on a stroker.

Any ideas?

[Rick Lizek]

A stroke sander is certainly versatile but you didn't clarify your application until the last post. For guitar construction and such the drum sander has been the machine of choice for many years. Long before lunch box planers and the Performax, instrument makers have made simple hand fed drum sanders. Typically these were 18" wide max and guitar backs are fairly short so hand feeding is realistic. Four feet wide and longer length panels would certainly require powerfeed, preferably a conveyor belts and variable speed, three phase motor and VFD would be the best option price wise and the simplest way.
I gather with the 4' capacity you are trying to get double duty. I don't thonk the cement table is as easy to get flat or make. Torsions boxes are much simpler and will fill the bill in all expectations in my experience.
Unless you are really good at accumulating parts and have access to metal working equipment I don't think you can make one as cheap as you can buy somethingnew or even used. In the shop I'm working in new we picked up as Woodmaster 36" for $500. Not impressed with the velcro wrapping of abrasive as it tends to roll edges and drum sanders can only take off a few thousandths at a time.
Three phase moter are certainly a doable thing in your single phase realm. I had a whole shop with saws, pin router, jointer, shaper, etc run on a home made rotary converts that only cost a few hundred bucks to make.