Picador Linisher

This is one of the items I had completely forgotten about, and found whilst searching the shed this week.

Geoff, I think about a I/2hp 1450 rpm motor would do fine, if it were bigger it would not matter, smaller it would work but take time so as not to over load it.

Ian S C

I would be inclined to leave with the belt horizontal and at the end of a bench so you can use the curved end for concave parts, you still have a fence you can set at 90 degrees.

As for motor 1/2 hp may be a tad small as my belt sander (wood) is 950w variable speed and runs at a higher speed, may be larger motor with speed control, slow speed for finishing and higher for material removal.

Bob

I bought a fairly nasty Chinese-made 4" belt sander last year for peanuts and it is fitted with an alleged 1/2 hp motor. I wouldn't go much lower in power regardless of the belt width, as you can take a fair cut with a new belt and this can be helpful if you are rounding parts off. The main problem is the heat build-up in the part. You need gloves and a water container to keep dunking it in, rather like when you are grinding tool bits.

Mine has one of those belts that can be tipped vertically. I find both positions useful. Dead handy tool!

Murray

Just checked what mine is rigged with; it's a 0.75kW motor, so approximately 1HP (suspended underneath to tension the belt). I can bog this down - it's a 2x72" grinder - and there are times that 2HP might be better for removing steel. What I'd like to do is switch it to a VFD, but that will have to wait.

As for orientation, it depends what you want to do. For the work mine does, I use the contact wheel (effectively belt travelling vertical) or a flat vertical platen. This is for profiling and grinding bevels, amongst other things. If I wanted to flatten the bases of things, for example, I'd want a horizontal platen. Horses for courses.

Mine is 1/2 horse - but I would move the vernier height gauge and phone first !! They do make quite a lot of dust. Have you thought about extraction ? Any dust is not so good, but metal, especially brass is BAD.

BobH

Ta much for the responses.

It will live either in the Carport or the Garage but with a vacuum cleaner to act as a dust extractor.

The height gauges are not at risk

Any suggestions on pulley size/s?

Forfar to mention the shafts are 5/8"ø

Whilst reading Vol.XLV of 'Ours' I came up with a 'Cunning plan' for mounting it that will need serious investigation, as it will be perfect, IF it works.

Geoff - Need to make soft jaws for the small Record vice just fitted to workbench.

Don't know about pulley size, but a mate who I do work for has one mounted on a 8"/200 mm bench grinder, it's directly driven at 2800 rpm, it removes metal at a great rate, and seems fairly economical on belts. The driven roller must be about 100 mm dia.

Ian S C

I have no doubt that you already know, but just be careful what sort of vacuum cleaner you use. I had an interesting time with one , now ex. Brass in particular gets everywhere.

Much depends on what you plan to use it for Geoff. I have a record power belt and disc sander that I use for tool sharpening. I split 6" wide belts into three for the auxiliary platten I made for mine. I also made an adjustable table as well. It's normally locked in the vertical position for use. Photos if you need them to get an idea. A 3/4 to 1hp should do it.

Looks like a handy machine Geoff, I have the Alfred Herbert version of this, about the same size but massive iron castings. The original base (without the stand) weighed about 150 kg, that was just to mount the motor on. Explains some of the adverts in the 50s and 60s, 'strong lad required'.

Dave

Yes please Vic.

It will be used as a dogs body machine, including when working on my Classic cars when needed.

My last one was a 6", but I could never get the belt to stay put no matter how I fiddled with the tracking, so stopped using it.

Geoff - Time to make that nice Sizzling noise, and drooling in anticipation.

Here you go. This started out as a standard BDS250 but has been much modified. Belt changing was a bit of a pain before but now takes seconds.

Be very careful with which vacuum cleaner you chose to suck up any metallic dust, if any metallic dust goes through the motor, the motor will die in a shower of sparks when the dust reaches the comutator, and brushes.

Ian S C

The most difficult thing, will be to find belts for it !

Not really. Provided. You are prepared to buy 10 belts many abrasives suppliers will make them to any size you like within reason. The cost per belt is also not unreasonable from what I've seen. Having said that I've found its cheaper for me to buy standard 1220 by 150 belts for my machine and split them!

Mine seemed quite happy running off a 1/3 rd HP, 1440 rpm "square" Hoover motor. M section pulleys were in the 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 size range and gearing either 1:1 or up a little bit with the whole number pulley on the machine and the + 1/2" on the motor. Used what I had and, after 40 ish, years no chance of exact recall. Was advised to put the drive pulley at the opposite end to the motor so a relatively long belt was needed. Having over the years since seen considerable grief caused by eyeball engineered very short pulley centres and correspondingly titchy drive belts I figure the advice was good.

Cast in plain bearings and running spindles were well worn and very oval when I got it. Four top hat oilite bushes out of a bag of 50 from one of Friend Whistons Cat-a-Log mystery box specials plus a couple of nice ground round stock short ends from the main workshop scrap bin soon sorted that. Whist I was at it I fitted proper capped oilers (spares for top of chaincase on Suffolk Colt / Punch mowers) and made some longer bars to take a standard length abrasive belt. The centre boss and fixing screw on my belt drums was offset to one side. As obtained one side of the abrasive belt overhung the side of the table which looked far too much offset from the bearings which can't have helped wear rate. Flipping the belt drums on re-assembly bought them much further in partially overlapping the oil cups. Yup I know oilite isn't supposed to need lubrication but occasional anointment didn't seem to hurt.

Pretty sure that it was run too fast by previous users which coupled with the excess offset made for rapid wear. I now have a Draper belt and disk sander, got when a need for a disk sander arose contemporaneously with an offer I couldn't refuse from a workmate, which runs at 2,800 rpm and you could easily persuade me that is too fast. Belt life seens shorter with no corresponding uplift in in material removal rate.

Clive

HI WHAT SIZE BELTS DO YOU USE ON THE SANDER ? and where can i get them from.

Thanks

Robert Smith

I built one about twenty years ago for a friend who was making wooden toys, the belt was 150 mm wide x 1 metre between pulleys, the motor was either 1/4 hp or 1/3 hp, but it worked ok as long as sanding time was restricted to a few minutes at a time.

Ian S C

I would have thought 1/2 hp would be ok but 1hp would allow you to press harder and wear the belts out more quickly.

I have used an industrial metal working one years ago. No chance of remembering exact detail but I would hazard a guess that a 1440 motor was geared down a bit. Not up.

Maybe some one who has a pucka metal working one - a rare item, they could work out the belt speed.

John

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