Shopsmith Forums

rickm808 wrote:I
2. The slight outer circumference taper is a plus except it is hard to keep the sand paper stuck down on the taper. Any suggestions for how to keep that stuck down?...
Rick

Cut slits in the paper, about 20 (the more the better) of 'em around the circumference of the disc, length equal to the amount of the 'taper' (about 1/8"), and press the edges carefully down 'rolling' over the taper. -assuming PSA still fresh or spray-on adhesive fresh on edge-

First let us realize the ribbed back of the aluminum disks are not suitable for attaching paper etc. The Mark VII 10" disk has a flat conical tapered surface on the back.

Only the Mark VII 10" disk and the more recent 12" steel conical disk need 'conical paper'.

Conical paper is easily created from 'flat' circular sanding disks by cutting towards the center and cutting out a circle in the center and back out to the circumference at an angle to the original inward cut creating a larger gap at the circumference. That wedge shaped gap allows the conical surface be formed without overlap. Start with a small gap and increase as needed.

The tapered edge on the aluminum disks is quite small ~~ 1/4" and the paper will stretch to accommodate it. I do not recommend glueing it in this area. A gradual rolling pressure will cause it to stretch the paper to near fit.

On the matter of steel disc hubs, IIUC the two lengths are 500/505,10,20 versions and the dust 'collector' only fits the 505,10,20. That would be because the dust collector is a modified 505,10,20 saw guard.

Shields up, fire away!:)

mgbbob wrote:My '57 Greenie has an aluminim disc. I have never noticed it not being flat. Is that something that happened on a regular basis due to heat? My "80s model didn't come with a disc so maybe I will buy a steel disc and try both.

"Flat" is in the eyes of the beholder!:D

JPG40504 wrote:...
The tapered edge on the aluminum disks is quite small ~~ 1/4" and the paper will stretch to accommodate it. I do not recommend glueing it in this area. A gradual rolling pressure will cause it to stretch the paper to near fit.
...

Guess it depends (don't use that word around old people!) on what you're doing. I don't know if I even have an aluminum disc or tapered edges, and my $0.17 (adjusted for obama recession) came from using (abusing) the Velcro disc system. Seems I creamed the edge of the velcro base disc by using too much pressure on the very edge. A really dumb thing to do, I realized .03 seconds after the fact.
So the velcro paper then would not fasten down to the edge and in fact went the other way and started curling up at the circumference. Everything I sanded looked like an old vinyl 33rpm record, as I moved the material from center-ish outward as I usually do to get a smooth surface. Bah.
Was going to try the glue idea but the paper was too far gone. Had to toss it.

But the glue bit seemed like a useable notion for the taper problem, if only to avoid the curling and scratching thing. Just a thot.

I will later post a pix of an aluminum disk with 'slightly tapered circumference'. Keyword is slightly. Gotta run 4 now!

Gotta renege on that promise above.

The 'accessible' disks that I have been using recently are the older 10E/R vintage and do not have said taper("beveled" circumference).

The 50's version I was referring to are 'buried'.

I did notice the 10E/R disks do not have spot face balancing machining either.

When the 'modern' aluminum disks are exhumed I shall resume.