Shopsmith Forums

How many of you have more than one sanding disk for other grits? Did you buy new, or used? I'm in the market! Does ShopSmith ever put them on sale? I need the long arbor one, for my 510. Average shipped price on eBay is about $45, new from Shopsmith $67.

In general my idea was to keep a disk with each of the three grits (3) one with Velcro (1) and one for sharpening (1). This seems to work out pretty well.

The Velcro disk of course allows the use of a range of grits but it can not be used for sharpening and it has a tendency to give a less sharp edge. It can never be our only solution if you are a complete woodworker.

You could get by without a sharpening disk or maybe even have two. It is all in the paper and grits and if you ever use the disk for metal.

So far as new/used. My rule for this sort of hardware is to pay no more then half the new price or go for new. This is a personal decision of mine, mostly because I like to have new things rather then an unknown. If it has a problem and is new from shopsmith I know they will be making it right, from someone else well it is toss up.

Conical disks are also great. I have only one but would like to pick up another one for a second grit.

BTW I also have a selection of the drum sanders with different grits....

All of this was some thing I grew into over the years, well before interaction with forums like this. In the good old days everything for the shopsmith came new from them. Retirement and price increases as well as ebay changed things but I still like the idea of new shopsmith things.

Ed

Yes, you definitely want multiple sanding discs. Trust me, you do NOT want to be changing adhesive discs just to change grits, and I have not heard good things about the Velcro system. I figured that I needed three discs, including the one that came with my used 520, and not counting conical discs.

If you are patient, there is no need to pay an "average" price. I have the "green eyeshade" records to prove it. I enjoy online bargain-hunting, and keep a wishlist spreadsheet with all of my desired goodies handy (in Dropbox). When I score a deal, I record the price paid on the spreadsheet.

I was a bit aggressive at first. Disc #2 cost me $34 on eBay. That doesn't include shipping, but I only bid on eBay items wih reasonable shipping charges. The "mother ship" charges for shipping as well, plus a 7% state tax for us Ohio residents.

By the way, the best bargains on certain items do indeed come direct from the mother ship. Sign up for their email specials, if you haven't already.

Not feeling such a burning need for number 3, I waited for a really good deal. Those do sometimes come up on eBay, on the rare occasions when several sellers list the same item at the same time. Supply actually exceeds demand, and the last few go cheap. Disc number 3 cost me $20.

Of course, shortly after buying #3, a screamin' Craigslist deal on a Pro Planer pops up nearby. Snapped that up, and found that the guy was also asking just $10 for a long-shank steel sanding disc. Hey, if three is good, four must be better!

Which leads us up to my 10ER Craigslist purchase -- an almost embarassingly good deal. It came with a vintage Gerstner tool chest that had belonged to a pattern maker, and it was chock full of all manner of high-end tools worth at least 10x what I paid for the 10ER. And, of course, a nice aluminum sanding disc.

Patience, grasshopper!

I've got 3 of them. One came with each one of my newer (since the trailer fire) ERs. Considering I paid about 500 dollars for all 3, including delivery on 2 of them, the discs were VERY inexpensive.

Something else to make you all envious, I keep seeing 12 inch disc paper at the (my) store. 2 packs. 80 grit, $1.99. 120 grit, $2.99. No, no one else gets a chance, I get all of them. (Well, 1 pack of 80, and 2 packs of 120.)

steve

Not actually 'counting' them as I am away from home, but I am seeking a third conical disk and have nearly 10 of 4 different versions(10ER aluminum, M5 aluminum, MV short and long hub. Some still have the paper that was on them when acquired. I have one velcro kit acquired when I had far fewer, and I do not like it.

I have aquired 4 disc with my 3 recent SS purchases, all have the adhesive backed paper on them. I was going to order at least one H&L conversion kit but after hearing what I have here, I need more info. Why are you dissatisfied with the H&L on the disc? Too soft a backing? To remove the adhesive attached paper what is the best way?

If someone has too many disks I would be happy to relieve your burden and buy one of the price is right.

rbursek wrote:I have aquired 4 disc with my 3 recent SS purchases, all have the adhesive backed paper on them. I was going to order at least one H&L conversion kit but after hearing what I have here, I need more info. Why are you dissatisfied with the H&L on the disc? Too soft a backing? To remove the adhesive attached paper what is the best way?

YEP!


STEP ONE: Move to AZ.

STEP TWO: Leave in sunshine for a couple of hours.

STEP THREE: Peel paper off disk.

For those of us who don't live in the desert, a heat gun will suffice for adhesive-backed paper removal. Or your wife's oven.

If memory serves, mineral spirits worked pretty well for removing the gooey glue residue when I removed "inherited" sandpaper discs. I replaced them with new ceramic paper discs, and have not yet needed to change one of those.

One of the ones that I had to clean, the residue came off with acetone. The second one, acetone just made it sticky. WD-40 worked just fine on it, though.

OK, another question, does anyone have any ideas on fixing a warped aluminum disc? It's off about 5 or 10 thousandths, and may be corrosion instead of warpage. If I had a tailstock "spindle" adapter, I'd just run one disc against the other one.

http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cata ... karbor.htm

steve