10ER based 30 inch shop built Drum sander

[rjent]

OK, per BuckeyeDennis's request, here is my drum sander attempt. I kind of rushed this video, I usually like to do better editing, but I will clean it up later.

I think it works great, not finished with it yet, but I use it a lot. Watch the video, and then comment or ask questions ....

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAEbiuCYwz4[/youtube]

[masonsailor2]

Nicely done Dick !
Paul

[cooch366]

Great job Dick.

THANKS for taking the time to make and post it.

Steve

[BuckeyeDennis]

Thanks, Dick!

My first impression was "Hey, that seems a lot simpler than shipwright's." Then I realized it's because you used the 10ER table (and height crank) for vertical adjustments, and the table-tilt adjustment for alignment to the drum. Thus completely eliminating the base/bed assembly from shipwright's design. Aside from table width, have you found any downsides to that approach? I would think that a simple flat sled would address the table-width limitation.

That table-height crank certainly does seem to make the 10ER the machine of choice for this application. (I'm quite sure that skou will agree with me on this one. ) Just make a drum and a shroud, and you're in business.

In the video, you were sanding pieces that were too small for the jointer or the thickness planer. You also mentioned using it for panels that are too wide for the thickness planer. And of course, this whole thread was spawned by an end-grain board flattening question, which could be considered a special case of figured-wood finishing. Have you found any other applications where it's your go-to tool?

[rjent]

Thanks, Dick!

My first impression was "Hey, that seems a lot simpler than shipwright's." Then I realized it's because you used the 10ER table (and height crank) for vertical adjustments, and the table-tilt adjustment for alignment to the drum. Thus completely eliminating the base/bed assembly from shipwright's design. Aside from table width, have you found any downsides to that approach? I would think that a simple flat sled would address the table-width limitation.

That table-height crank certainly does seem to make the 10ER the machine of choice for this application. (I'm quite sure that skou will agree with me on this one. ) Just make a drum and a shroud, and you're in business.

In the video, you were sanding pieces that were too small for the jointer or the thickness planer. You also mentioned using it for panels that are too wide for the thickness planer. And of course, this whole thread was spawned by an end-grain board flattening question, which could be considered a special case of figured-wood finishing. Have you found any other applications where it's your go-to tool?

First of all I LOVED Shipwrights version. It is in some ways a superior design as it will take thicker pieces. BUT, I didn't like the elaborate bed he had to build. Yes, it is cheaper than buying a thickness sander, and it works with the SS philosophy, but just a bit complicated. So it dawned on me (like you observe) that table height adjustment is key, I only needed to sand 2 inch and less stock, and thin stock (I am playing with some 1/16 inch veneer testing) and I knew that the planer just wouldn't do that. So I tried this. I did it at first without a dust collection hood and OMG not a good idea LOL. After I got the DC to work, it has done everything I have wanted so far.

I am making small boxes (4 to 12 inch square) with either finger joint corners or floating panel in common pillar corners. I use it a lot for all of those small pieces.

I am also doing 14 inch doors for my wife's kitchen. She wanted doors made of solid wood with no frame or floating panel in the European style (I guess we call that Slab ). I told her that to stabilize the door so it wouldn't warp, I would need to make it look kind of like a basket ball court. She likes what I have made. Time will tell if they work. I initially built the sander for those and the sander works perfectly for that app. The table, as you know, is 14+ by 17 and my drum has an effective sanding width of 20. If you plugged a black pipe with wood (like Shipright did) you could get close to 30 inches. I don't think that if the stock is wider than the table (assuming at least 3/4 inch or thicker stock) you would have any problem sanding 30 inch wide pieces. making a sled is going to reduce the thickness of stock you can run through it. I have found that so far that a sled is really not needed. You don't sand heavy amounts. The motor can't handle it. I now like doing things slower than I used to so it fits .

As far as being a goto tool, I use it anytime I need to square small pieces, or get these panels ready for finish sanding. The small pieces you can take to the belt sander with a 320 belt and have glass smooth in a very short time.

The only gotcha is the steady feed, you have to learn how to do that or you create uneven surfaces, once you get the hang of that .....

To address the end grain thing, I would either glue the end grain blocks to a substrate of some kind or make it removable (like from an island approach) with keyhole attachments where you could either re-sand the end grain periodically or make a new replacement when needed ....

I am glad you found the video useful ...

[algale]

I really like the simplicity of your drum sander!

Curious why you get waves if no constant feed rate. I'd think that regardless of feed rate, if you run it through enough times at the final thickness, it would eventually level out and be wave free.

I liked how you used the table not only for height adjustment but also tilted it to ensure parallelism with the drum. It would seem to guarantee alignment every time you set it up.

I also liked how you integrated the DC3300 "wand" into your dust collection hood and I thought your method for connecting the hood through the open ends of the tubes was genius.

I hope to put something like this together for my 520 at some point. Using the crank/wheel on the 510/520 carriage for rough adjustment and using the Shopsmith micro adjustable stop collar should allow for precise adjustment (as well as repeat-ability).

With all the interest in drum sanders for home workshops, you'd think there would be a run on used Shopsmiths just to adapt them into drum sanders. Cheaper by far than buying or building from scratch.

[rjent]

I really like the simplicity of your drum sander!

Curious why you get waves if no constant feed rate. I'd think that regardless of feed rate, if you run it through enough times at the final thickness, it would eventually level out and be wave free.

I liked how you used the table not only for height adjustment but also tilted it to ensure parallelism with the drum. It would seem to guarantee alignment every time you set it up.

I also liked how you integrated the DC3300 "wand" into your dust collection hood and I thought your method for connecting the hood through the open ends of the tubes was genius.

I hope to put something like this together for my 520 at some point. Using the crank/wheel on the 510/520 carriage for rough adjustment and using the Shopsmith micro adjustable stop collar should allow for precise adjustment (as well as repeat-ability).

With all the interest in drum sanders for home workshops, you'd think there would be a run on used Shopsmiths just to adapt them into drum sanders. Cheaper by far than buying or building from scratch.

My theory is that the drum is "soft" with the velcro "cushion". Worst case say you stop feeding in one place and then continue on, where you stopped has a cup in it as the drum relieved it's cushion.

But, yes, you are right, once the technique is learned, you can get pretty good results. On large panels (12 to 14 inches) you can only take small bites at a time because it become difficult to push against the drum pushing at you. So if you have a glue up that has a 1/32 ridge that needs to come off between glued elements, you just run it through at light settings multiple times and it is fine. I usually use one of the other "Marks" to act as an outfeed table.

I agree, SS should come up with some of their wizardry and make something like this. This unit has proven the drum sanders place in my shop, even at my newbie status, I can see it's value ....

[thunderbirdbat]

Could a feed belt be made to run off the upper or lower spindle with either step down pulleys and/or gears? I can see the advantage especially if you were building your own table. I am not an engineer so have no idea if it is actually possible.

[rjent]

Could a feed belt be made to run off the upper or lower spindle with either step down pulleys and/or gears? I can see the advantage especially if you were building your own table. I am not an engineer so have no idea if it is actually possible.

I had been thinking about using a pinch roller like you used to see on washing machines back in the day and have a canvas belt that the wood rides on so when you crank the pinch roller like I do with my mark mounted planer. But honestly, now that I have developed a little technique, I am not sure it is really necessary, and would be kinda of a rube goldberg arraignment ....

Something the size of a table top seems to be out of the scope of this ... at least in my mind. I have always wondered how us "amateurs" would do a full table top except with a hand belt sander or hand planes

[JPG]

Could a feed belt be made to run off the upper or lower spindle with either step down pulleys and/or gears? I can see the advantage especially if you were building your own table. I am not an engineer so have no idea if it is actually possible.

I had been thinking about using a pinch roller like you used to see on washing machines back in the day and have a canvas belt that the wood rides on so when you crank the pinch roller like I do with my mark mounted planer. But honestly, now that I have developed a little technique, I am not sure it is really necessary, and would be kinda of a rube goldberg arraignment ....

Yer age is showing! That was a wringer. Reminds me of a certain 'saying'.