Sanding Toy Wheels

berry · Post by **berry** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 11:25 am

I'm making a few toys for Christmas. I've cut out the wheels on the bandsaw and now need to sand them. I'm certain someone in the group has created a fast and easy way to use the belt or disk sander. (I'm referring sanding that portion of the wheel that I cut.) I tried 'seaching' without any luck.

So I hope someone can share their secret or point me to the correct thread.

Many thanks!

beeg · Post by **beeg** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 11:40 am

I've used the belt sander to smooth mine. Just put the axle on the wheel and use your finger to slow the spinning wheel.

wa2crk · Post by **wa2crk** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 12:04 pm

Depending on which axle hole id in the wheel I use a cut off bolt which is held in the drill chuck and then put the wheel on the bolt and hold it with two nuts, one behind and one in front of the wheel. Then you either sand or use a lathe chisel to round the wheel. I made some pull toys (crickets ) recently and did not have the proper size wheels. I had truck wheels which were wider and larger in diameter that I needed and I turned them to the sizes that I needed.
Bill V

pennview · Post by **pennview** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 12:07 pm

You can use something like a bandsaw circle cutting jig that you mount to the saw table and use in conjunction with the sanding disk. Clamp a piece of wood to the table after having drilled a hole in the surface of the wood that matches the axle hole in the wheels you've made. Mount the wheel to the wood with a piece of dowel rod. Drill that hole near the edge of the piece of wood so that the outside edge of the wheel extends over the edge of the board clamped to the table. Use the sanding disk and simply rotate the wheel to smooth the outside edge.

If you use a similar set up to cut the wheels on the bandsaw, you'll have very little to clean up with the disk sander. To get round wheels, the hole needs to be perpendicular to the cutting edge of the bandsaw blade.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 12:22 pm

I put a runner on a piece of wood a little larger than the belt sander table. The edge of the block can then be adjusted right up against the sanding surface.

I then attached the wheel to the table (originally using a nail) which I later changed to a short piece of steel rod (diameter of the axle.

Mount the wheel, adjust the table til the wheel just touched the sanding surface, lock it in place and rotate.

This can actually be done without cutting out the wheels. The belt sanding does all the work while you spin the block til it is a wheel.

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ss50th · Post by **ss50th** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 12:24 pm

Here's a jig from woodmagazine. I saw another one a few days ago that just used a pin the on sliding bar instead of the two round pieces of wood.

http://www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-plans/sanding/disc-sander-circle-jig/

berry · Post by **berry** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 2:32 pm

Thank you one and all. I'm heading back down to the shop to give a couple of them a try.

farley · Post by **farley** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 3:42 pm

you could try a sanding mop.

I just put one together and it seem like it can do a lot without changing the profile.

erslageorge · Post by **erslageorge** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 4:26 pm

sand the wheel on both sides and paint it or spread the sealant to protect the paint and make them beautiful but don't sand the diameter of wheels means no need to us the sandpaper to smooth the surface of wheel, otherwise 'll not work properly.

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john · Post by **john** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 6:01 pm

I'm like Bill (Wa2CRK), I use a threaded rod of the diameter of the hole in the wheel, slide two or three wheels on to it with steel washers in between and tighten everything up with a couple of nuts. Then put the whole thing in the drill press and use a sanding block to sand down to my cut lines.

Sorry I don't have pictures to demonstrate.

John