Dan Oelke
05-23-2006, 3:11 PM
I got myself into some extra shop time this year by getting my son into 4-H and he signed up for woodworking. Cool I think. Then I realize that he's not quite ready for the jointer or table saw or some of the other power tools. So I bought a hand-powered miter-box saw for starters and now I bought a disc sander to clean up hand-saw edges of curve cuts (think paper towel holder).
So I see that the local used tool place has an ok used 12" disc sander for $130 (not a "name") - a older used Delta 12" disc sander but for $400 and then two new disc sanders for $130. One was Shop Fox which looked nice, and the other was a reconditioned Delta 12". I thought for the same price I might as well go with the reconditioned Delta as it should hold value better. The Delta does have a smaller rated HP motor but for what I am going to use it for I don't think that it will be underpowered.
So this weekend I get the sander out of the box and clean it up to get it ready for a test use. Well I take out a sholder bolt that holds on the stops for 90 and 45 settings on the table. I reinstall the bolt and without much pressure on the bolt it snaps off. :mad:
Then I notice something wierd on the table top - I then realize that when I wiped the top down with an old sock and mineral spirits that it left behind some fuzz. The top is ground, but rough enough that the cotton sock snagged and left behind little bits of fuzz. No noticable grooves, and I don't have a machinists rule to check the overall flatness (seems good enough with my best straightedge - but that isn't saying much). So I broke out the sander and some 180 grit paper to sand it down. A little sanding and a coat of wax and the top is much better.
I guess it's not all bad - my son got to learn a few choice words about cheap foreign manufacturing. :eek: I still need to call Delta and gripe so that I get at least a replacement bolt.
To keep the pic police happy attached is a picture of the overall sander and then one showing the broken bolt.
So I see that the local used tool place has an ok used 12" disc sander for $130 (not a "name") - a older used Delta 12" disc sander but for $400 and then two new disc sanders for $130. One was Shop Fox which looked nice, and the other was a reconditioned Delta 12". I thought for the same price I might as well go with the reconditioned Delta as it should hold value better. The Delta does have a smaller rated HP motor but for what I am going to use it for I don't think that it will be underpowered.
So this weekend I get the sander out of the box and clean it up to get it ready for a test use. Well I take out a sholder bolt that holds on the stops for 90 and 45 settings on the table. I reinstall the bolt and without much pressure on the bolt it snaps off. :mad:
Then I notice something wierd on the table top - I then realize that when I wiped the top down with an old sock and mineral spirits that it left behind some fuzz. The top is ground, but rough enough that the cotton sock snagged and left behind little bits of fuzz. No noticable grooves, and I don't have a machinists rule to check the overall flatness (seems good enough with my best straightedge - but that isn't saying much). So I broke out the sander and some 180 grit paper to sand it down. A little sanding and a coat of wax and the top is much better.
I guess it's not all bad - my son got to learn a few choice words about cheap foreign manufacturing. :eek: I still need to call Delta and gripe so that I get at least a replacement bolt.
To keep the pic police happy attached is a picture of the overall sander and then one showing the broken bolt.