Shop built thickness sander

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Skarsaune
Posts: 239
Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2018 9:12 am

Shop built thickness sander

Post by Skarsaune »

I mentioned this in a post in "Blog your project" but figured it fit better here....
sander.jpg
Here's the sander I built last winter and have used this building season ( I only have time to work in my wood shop in the winter).
Super handy for thicknessing items precisely that are too thin for my planer.
I've used it on backs, sides, tops, binding, head stock veneers, etc etc etc. The longer I have it the more uses I find for it.

4" conveyor roller from an industrial salvage place. Took it to work and trued up the surface.
Pillow block bearings from Northern Tool.
I used velcro on the roller to attach the sandpaper, which I get from Klingspor.
Table adjustment - looking at the pic, this is before I built the adjustment. The whole table hinges up and there's a threaded rod with a handle to jack it up. I get about .010" in thickness per quarter turn.
Table is doubled up MDF.

And yes there is a hood that goes over the roller and has a 4" dust collection port. Definitely necessary as this guy makes some serious saw dust!
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bftobin
Posts: 64
Joined: Sun Aug 24, 2014 12:27 pm

Re: Shop built thickness sander

Post by bftobin »

Nicely done! How wide is the drum ?
I use Klingspor on mine too. I tried a lower priced product but it wasn't worth it at all.

Brent
Skarsaune
Posts: 239
Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2018 9:12 am

Re: Shop built thickness sander

Post by Skarsaune »

If I remember right, I've got 20" usable sanding space, roller is probably 24". Lose a little on each end.
Morecowbell
Posts: 280
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2019 10:51 am
Location: Fishers, IN

Re: Shop built thickness sander

Post by Morecowbell »

Really nice - love these simple solutions. What kind of rpm is the drum running, what hp motor? And do you just feed stock slowly by hand?

Thanks for posting
"Facts seldom sway an opinion." - John Hall
"The difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference." - Van de Snepscheut
Skarsaune
Posts: 239
Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2018 9:12 am

Re: Shop built thickness sander

Post by Skarsaune »

Working from memory - motor is 1750 rpm and the pulley up to the drum is 4" to 4".
4" drum at 1750 rpm is pretty close to 1800 surface feet per minute, which from memory is about right for wood.
I can check when I get home to be more precise.
I built it almost exactly a year ago, so it's not fresh in my mind.
I did look at recomendations for surface speed for sanding when I built it to help size the pulleys I used. And I believe I slowed it down a bit from my initial setup.
With the wood frame, it doesn't handle high speed and vibration like the cast iron of my Bridgeport.

It is hand fed, so if you're working on a short piece, you have to use a sled.

One thing I've run into after using it for a while is, it won't accept a very thick piece. I may modify it to open up further, but if I'm working on 3/4" or 1" stock, I'm usually using a planer.

Oh and it's a 1/2hp motor. With it being hand fed, you don't need a lot of hp. It'll just sling the part at you if you try to take too heavy of a pass.
MaineGeezer
Posts: 1711
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2014 12:14 pm

Re: Shop built thickness sander

Post by MaineGeezer »

Nice! Can you describe/show how the Velcro sandpaper attaching works? I use the 3M stick-on rolls for mine, and it's a huge pain to remove when I want to replace the paper.
Don't believe everything you know.
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
When things are bad, try not to make them any worse, because it is quite likely they are bad enough already. - French Foreign Legion
Skarsaune
Posts: 239
Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2018 9:12 am

Re: Shop built thickness sander

Post by Skarsaune »

I used this stuff, which I bought at lowes:
IMG_2372.JPG
Works with the sandpaper from Klingspors ( and I'm sure other suppliers) that uses hook&loop fastening
IMG_2375.JPG
Wrap the velcro around your drum, making sure you have a good clean surface for it to adhere to:
IMG_2373.JPG
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Skarsaune
Posts: 239
Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2018 9:12 am

Re: Shop built thickness sander

Post by Skarsaune »

You do lose a little effective sanding area at each end.
My drum is 24", I can sand probably 22". If you catch the end that is turning the "wrong" way, it will catch, come loose, and generally misbehave.
IMG_2376.JPG
Hope this helps.
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MaineGeezer
Posts: 1711
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2014 12:14 pm

Re: Shop built thickness sander

Post by MaineGeezer »

Very much! Thank you. I'll have to try that.
Don't believe everything you know.
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
When things are bad, try not to make them any worse, because it is quite likely they are bad enough already. - French Foreign Legion
Morecowbell
Posts: 280
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2019 10:51 am
Location: Fishers, IN

Re: Shop built thickness sander

Post by Morecowbell »

Would love to see some pics of the adjusting mechanism when you get a chance - thanks!
"Facts seldom sway an opinion." - John Hall
"The difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference." - Van de Snepscheut
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