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Re: Shop built thickness sander

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2020 10:18 pm
by Morecowbell
I wish I could find a used 4" roller for $10, have been looking - we seem to have either metal scrapyards or Vintage/Architectural/Industrial Salvage places. Will try pinging some used conveyor guys, see if I can scare one up.

Re: Shop built thickness sander

Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2020 12:35 am
by carld05
I did some searching on craigslist in your area with a 1000 mile search area for "drum sander". There was a 16-32 ryobi that needed some parts in Decatur, Illinois pretty cheap.

Re: Shop built thickness sander

Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2020 8:10 am
by Skarsaune
Morecowbell wrote:I wish I could find a used 4" roller for $10, have been looking - we seem to have either metal scrapyards or Vintage/Architectural/Industrial Salvage places. Will try pinging some used conveyor guys, see if I can scare one up.
I'm not sure our local place is still open, but I can take a look next time I'm there, see if they have another?
Shipping might be $$$.

Re: Shop built thickness sander

Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2020 8:55 am
by Morecowbell
Well, shame on me for giving up on Craigslist, I've pretty much converted to FB Marketplace for classifieds. I don't see a Ryobi but there are definitely some interesting possibilities in the Chicago area, including a homemade one!

Which brings up another question: if I'm looking at buying a used one, what should I look for and/or stay away from? There's a WEN 10" cantilevered one nearby that's not too expensive but gets bad reviews - just curious if there are brands or designs to stay away from.

Skarsaune - I'll PM you, thanks for the offer

Re: Shop built thickness sander

Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2020 9:53 am
by MaineGeezer
McMaster-Carr has 4" od. 3" id PVC tube fro $37.06/foot, as well as other possibilities.
https://www.mcmaster.com/8749k25

Re: Shop built thickness sander

Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2020 9:59 pm
by Morecowbell
So, if a guy just happened to get tired of reinventing the wheel all the time...not saying that would ever happen but just for grins...what should he look for in a good used drum sander? For example, there's a WEN 10" cantilevered one for sale about 10 minutes away, looks identical to the Grizzly G0716, unfortunately it doesn't get good reviews - but it's so dang close I can feel it....

Re: Shop built thickness sander

Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2020 11:51 pm
by carld05
I like my 16", but if the 10" will work for you, get it. Most of my tops and backs have been 16" to 18" wide so turning them around for the 2nd pass has still been necessary. I also use sleds most of the time that can be sanded parallel to the drum so the adjustment doesn't need to be so finicky.

Re: Shop built thickness sander

Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 12:10 am
by Diane Kauffmds
Morecowbell wrote:So, if a guy just happened to get tired of reinventing the wheel all the time...not saying that would ever happen but just for grins...what should he look for in a good used drum sander? For example, there's a WEN 10" cantilevered one for sale about 10 minutes away, looks identical to the Grizzly G0716, unfortunately it doesn't get good reviews - but it's so dang close I can feel it....
I have the 10" grizzly and I've found the secret to get it working like a more expensive machine. If you get the grizzly, I'd be more than happy to share what I've learned with you.

It's reliable. The overload is a bit sensitive, but I'll explain how to deal with that as well. I don't regret buying it at all, although I would have thrown it through the window when I first got it, if I had the strength. The book isn't really helpful, but like I said, I'll tell you how to get the paper on it good and tight, as well as other minor modifications to make it very sturdy and to make it sand evenly.

Re: Shop built thickness sander

Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 6:56 am
by Morecowbell
I also use sleds most of the time that can be sanded parallel to the drum so the adjustment doesn't need to be so finicky.
Of course, makes a lot of sense and removes one concern that's fairly common in reviews - thanks

Diane - thanks, I will let you know!

Re: Shop built thickness sander

Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2020 8:06 pm
by Morecowbell
One more question for those who have built drum sanders: it seems to be fairly common for commercial ones to have pressure rollers before and after the sanding drum, and uncommon for homebuilt ones to have these. My backs are twisting as I'm taking them down (by hand) and I'm wondering if a lack of pressure rollers would be a problem for thin wood that was twisted or anything but flat? Thanks