Thickness Sander

Hi All,

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but I'll give it a go.

I do a lot of work in Balsa, Spruce and Cyparis, occaisionally ash too.

I needed to sand them accurately to a thickness, and later make a jig so I can make taper sections.

So what follows is a collection of 12mm birch ply, 8mm stainless threaded rod, a 1/4HP motor (thanks Maurice!) belts, toothed pullies and so on.

Here goes!

12mm ply discs cut and sanded approximately round:-

Shaft bearings:-

All clamped up!

Main box, lacquered:-

Turning the drum round: -

Machining up some brass bushes: -

Table pivots, fully adjustable:-

This shot is sideways, but shows the main leadscrew of 8mm stainless, tothed pully and brass bush, soldered to a strip of 3mm mild steel. There are locknuts either end, adjustable for backlash, of which there isn't any !

The threaded rod on the right is turns via a handwheel. A toothed belt arrangement turns the rod on the left and the table rises and falls uniformly. All rods are 8mm ball raced:-

Here's the test pass...baby's bum smooth! The top does have a dust extraction point, too.

One thing - I've wound the sanding strip (25mm wide) on and secured it either end via screws - not ideal - anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks

Steve

Edited By Stevo on 25/05/2014 18:23:39

Edited By Stevo on 25/05/2014 18:27:01

Steve,

How about using hook and loop sanding rolls? you just need to glue the hook part to the drum.

Bob

Thanks, Bob,

I did think of that, but can't think for the life of me why I didn't pursue it...

A surface grinder for balsa wood!

Luvit!

Neil

Another option may be to cut a groove, deep enough to recess a strip to clamp the sanding roll.

I made a thickness sander in this way some years back for thicknessing guitar backs, tops and sides. The drum is about 2' wide, 6" diameter. I fasten the sanding roll at each end with strapping tape, which was never really satisfactory but I got the jobs done.

Nice job Stevo, well done. JD

Just slightly off target Stevo; I live in Sydney. The plan for the drum sander was on the internet, I seem to remember, so no doubt a few luthiers made them. It is a scary and dangerous thing to operate, pushing the work against the feed of the drum, driven by a 2 h.p. motor, but surprisingly accurate. Any OH&S type who saw it in operation would have a stroke on the spot.

Well I wasn't that far out was I? My daughter's backpacking round Australia in October - I'll get her to pop in!

"Any OH&S type who saw it in operation would have a stroke on the spot."

Indeed... Don't invite them to my house...Dust extraction mandatory...