Shopsmith Forums

Kind of hard to explain. Has anyone ever seen a benchtop or floorstanding type belt sander that is an oval ? Something like this Rigid, but curved instead of flat on the plate side.

http://www.rockler.com/how-to/ridgid-eb ... -assembly/

Probably not such a beast, but here's the reason I ask.

I have to build ovals sometimes and it would be nice to have a sander with more or less radius depending on the area of the work piece being shaped. This can be a pain when doing the inside of a frame piece and the small 3" drum works great in the tight areas, but a larger one would do better in the flatter parts. One that would cover both instances would be great.

With the belt on that unit, you would have two different size radius. Then with the different size drums, couldn't you sand all the parts.

Maybe I am misinterpreting what you are saying.

Jack

Something like this with a curved plate on one side. Would allow simple transitions between different radius.

Well, now I understand, have not run across any thing like that.

beatnik wrote:Probably not such a beast, but here's the reason I ask.

I have to build ovals sometimes and it would be nice to have a sander with more or less radius depending on the area of the work piece being shaped. This can be a pain when doing the inside of a frame piece and the small 3" drum works great in the tight areas, but a larger one would do better in the flatter parts. One that would cover both instances would be great.

Do you make several ovals of the same size? If yes, you could set up the drum sander to work like an overarm pin router. A guide "pin" (of the same diameter as your sanding drum) affixed to the table, a nice oval template, and you could sand perfect oval replicas all day long. I'm thinking that a drum-sander insert would make a dandy fixture to hold the "pin".

Same principal as routing with a pattern bit, except that the "pin" guides the cut, instead of the bearing on a pattern bit.

These are custom to fit different window openings. Seems everything I build is a one off piece when the need (customer) arises. Very rarely do I build two identical shapes.

If you have the Shopsmith belt sander, try sanding on the back side where there is no platen. CAREFUL -- the belt travels bottom to top.

I don't have the SS sander yet, but I would like a nice smooth transition. Here's a better picture of what I was hoping someone has made at some point ?

beatnik wrote:I don't have the SS sander yet, but I would like a nice smooth transition. Here's a better picture of what I was hoping someone has made at some point ?

I am missing something here! Why is this not a job for the drum sander mounted on the Mark V headstock in the drill press mode? Simply change drums if the curve so dictates.