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Drum sander project finished!

Lons

Fellow
Joined
Dec 17, 2013
Posts
4,753
Location
Northumberland
First Name
Bob
This is a follow on from my thread "Jim' a meanie" as better to post in it's entirity for anyone interested. I may need to use several posts as the thread is photo heavy :thinks:

There are lots of different methods of making a drum sander and plenty of youtube videos around. In my case I wanted to buy as little as possible for this project in case I wasn't happy with the result and was lucky to have motor, bearings and shaft among my "treasures" so my total spend was only around £30 on 2 pulleys, a V belt and roll of abrasive. My plans sort of evolved as I went along.

Materials I used:


* 1 ph motor. * 2 x bearings. * 5/8" mild steel shaft. * 25mm ply. * 22mm melamine faced boards. * 18mm MDF * 30mm ash. * 12mm & 6mm threaded rod. * various aluminium angle, sheet and rod. * various nuts, screws, glue etc. * an old ex router table stand. * electric switched fused spur. * scrap of 10mm SRBP (spacer washers on drum shaft).

Pictures are self explanatory and as I made to fit what I had, I didn't bother with detailed plans. length of available shaft dictated a drum of only 360mm but I think anything larger would benefit from a 25mm shaft.

Idea of the lift mechanism was I felt easier than some kind of universal joint under the feed table, some have just a rod resting on a plate under which I didn't care for but side clamps are needed to lock the table.

Drum was trued up using 60g paper glued to a sub table which I slid back and forth. Abrasive fixing was jus a slot cut into the ash ends using a multitool, a thin plastic shim shoved in and a screw but the abrasive stretched slightly and I had to retighten one end. Not a problem but I'm thinking of a shallow recess instead where I can lay the paper in and secure with a thin metal plate or cup washer and screw.

I fitted a securing bracket to the motor mount as found it jumped on start up. Used a switched spur as I had one but might change for a NVR switch later.

I ran a few bits of timber through to check and all came out flat and true although not a finished surface so make get some finer grit abrasive. softwood, rosewood and ash as in photo.

Conclusion:
It isn't pretty and weighs a ton so needed to put on a mobile base but it works although only time will show how well.
It runs well with very little vibration and is reasonably quiet although ball bearing plumber blocks would be better than my sleeved ones.

* Did I enjoy making it?................ yes, very definitely.
* Did it take long?........................ yes though didn't keep count of hours.
* Would I make a mark 2?............No, been there done it, one's enough
* Was it worth doing?...................I believe so and I did after all save the best part of £750 on a new Jet
However, if you don't have time to spare and cost your time at say £15 an hour plus need to buy all the materials then bite the bullet and buy one.
 

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Lons

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second set of pics
 

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Lons

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third set of pics
 

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Lons

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Joined
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Bob
fourth set of pics
 

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Lons

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fifth pics

They seam to have jumbled up a little :idontknow: so I give up :ciggrin:
 

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Dalboy

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Derek
Great job Bob I could do with one of these but room will not allow
 

Phil Dart

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Phil
Fantastic Bob. I have two questions -

how is the abrasive fixed to the drum (did I miss that somewhere)?
is there the facility to extract the dust, or does opening the garage door perform that function?
 

Lons

Fellow
Joined
Dec 17, 2013
Posts
4,753
Location
Northumberland
First Name
Bob
Fantastic Bob. I have two questions -

how is the abrasive fixed to the drum (did I miss that somewhere)?
is there the facility to extract the dust, or does opening the garage door perform that function?

Description in the text Phil and close up pic of the drum explains it. I just cut the slot using a multitool, pushed the tapered edge of the abrasive in, shoved in a thin plastic shim to tighten it and a screw to secure as shown. I'm thinking instead of a slot I might change to a flat recess next time I change abrasive which isn't stuck down btw.

Dust extraction from the top of the removable drum hood.
 

Lons

Fellow
Joined
Dec 17, 2013
Posts
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Northumberland
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Bob
Seems well thought out. Hind sight is there anything you would do different? How did you true the drum to the bed?

Yes there are a number of things Terry but some are related to using what I had.

* Ball bearing plumber blocks would be better than sleeved and the type that bolts down from the top are easier to fit and remove.
* Longer drum perhaps which would mean thicker shaft also.
* I'd just use ordinary hinges at the back of the feed table as my idea isn't practical in use as no guarantee the drum would be true to the table if re-located.
* Would make it a bit less boxy and more streamlined as it's a bit of a sows ear.
* A powered feed table or roller would be nice although I'm not inclined to change now.

Otherwise it works as it should, there are a few mm of slop in the lift mechanism which I expected and why I fitted the side clamps but that would be difficult to remedy anyway. I had wondered whether one of these lift platforms would work Lab-Lift Lifting Platforms Stand Rack Scissor Lab-Lifting Stainless Steel 4"x4" | eBay

Truing the drum to the bed was easy. I cleaned off all the excess glue by hand first so as not to wreck the abrasive, made up a sub table with a couple of strips of 60g yellow abrasive stuck across and just raised the feed table a little at a time and slid the sub table under moving back and forth. Took about 20 minutes but partly because I had a 30mm wide ash segment at each end. I fitted those as I thought would be a better fixing for the abrasive ends but they also I believe helped get the drum true by stopping the soft MDF getting out of shape.
Definitely need dust extraction and I supplemented that by working outside ( moved my car out of the way first as had just washed it :funny:)
 

Penpal

Grand Master
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Canberra AUSTRALIA
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Peter
Loved the post by post descriptions ever so happy for your economy drive, man gets a kick out of creating, all a learning curve.

Peter.
 
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